Posts Tagged ‘Ryan Keller’

Amerks Shootout Win Extends Streak to Four Games; Adversity is No Problem

December 29, 2011 - By
Amerks Shootout Win Extends Streak to Four Games; Adversity is No Problem

(Update: Added shootout video and Travis Turnbull incident) This Rochester Americans team is supposed to lack goal scoring.  It’s supposed to be missing a couple of players as veteran leadership.  It’s supposed to lack depth.  It’s also supposed to be torn apart by all of the injuries and call ups but the players put everything out on the ice and won in a shootout against the top team in the league.  They were down 2-1 and 3-2 during the game but came back each time and didn’t slow down at all.  With the four game winning streak in hand the Amerks have climbed back to within one point of the North Division leading Toronto Marlies.  The players are certainly giving reasons to believe that the glass is half full and filling up.

(Picture by Steven Christy from http://okcbarons.com/)

Paul Szczechura, Shaone Morrisonn and Evan Rankin were all out of the lineup with injuries but watching the game it was hard to tell.  Sure, the team failed to score on five power play chances which is where a Szczechura or Rankin could have helped but when you can score at even strength it’s not as bad.

We’ve shared concerns about this [...]Read More

Free Agency AHL Vets Could Complete the Amerks Lineup

July 1, 2011 - By
Free Agency AHL Vets Could Complete the Amerks Lineup

The Hockey Holiday of July 1st has come early for Buffalo Sabres fans with the signings of free agent defensemen Robyn Regehr and Christian Ehrhoff, something almost unheard of in June out of Buffalo.  The monster contract of 10yrs and $40 million for Ehrhoff is proof that Pegula isn’t messing around and that Darcy Regier is capable of making big moves.

We should be expecting a great group of Sabres prospects in Rochester next season but the roster still has some openings in it, openings that could be filled by some of the AHL’s best veterans.  The salary of an AHL veteran can range anywhere from $105,000 to $500,000 (a one way deal but the player knows they’ll be sent down).  The fact that Pegula was willing to put $40 million on the line for a top notch NHL defenseman we (Amerks fans) can only hope that the dollar amounts for an AHL veteran equals couch cushion change for the Pegula family.

In the American Hockey League teams are allowed to have five veterans.  A veteran is (according to the PHPA), “a Player, other than a goaltender, who has played in 301 or more regular season games of professional hockey (including [...]Read More

4th Straight Win for the Amerks

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October 22, 2009 - By

The Amerks defeated the Binghamton Senators on Wednesday night to extend their winning streak to four games.  The last time the Amerks won four straight was the first week of November 2007.  I have not looked yet to find when the last time they won five straight in fear of jinxing the situation.

Assuming this style of play continues the questions about “last year” will fade away, but until then they’re still relevant.  It’s a different atmosphere around the team, the front offices, and even in the stands.

Tyler Plante explained further saying,  “It’s definitely a new situation for me and the Rochester dressing room.  It’s great.  We’re playing for the pride of the team. It’s a different feeling that I’ve never felt here before.  Before we were happy to win but now we’re happy to win for the heritage of the team, proud to wear the Amerks jerseys. Every night we go out there and try to wear our hearts on our sleeves.”

It was very strange back by the locker rooms after the game.  Usually the visitors side hallway is filled with guys stretching, cooling down, and getting their gear packed up.  On Wednesday night it was very.. [...]Read More