Rochester, N.Y. (WGR 550) – It took three overtimes for the Laval Rocket to beat the Rochester Americans and end their season on Wednesday night.
The Rocket swept the Amerks in three games, but this team has nothing to be ashamed of.
They put together a playoff run for the first time in years, and did it in exciting fashion. The three playoff series and 10 playoff games will only make players like Jack Quinn, JJ Peterka, Peyton Krebs, Casey Fitzgerald, Lukas Rousek, Brett Murray and Arttu Ruotsalainen better hockey players.
The 6-5 loss was a seesaw event for both teams, but if you look at the overall game, Laval was the better team.
Amerks head coach Seth Appert thought the Rocket got a gift just 1:20 into the third overtime. Brandon Davidson was called for putting the puck over the glass, but Appert thinks the referees missed the call.
“You hate for the game to be decided the way it was, because I think it was the wrong call. I’m pretty confident of that,” Appert said following Wednesday night's loss.
Just 31 seconds after the call was made, former Amerks and Buffalo Sabres forward J-S Dea took a shot from the right point that immediately hit the shaft of Mark Jankowski's stick and straight up into the top corner of the net.
“I couldn’t really tell. I saw him pull it and take the shot, and I kind of lost it in the bodies in front," said goalie Aaron Dell following the loss. "I wasn’t sure what it went off, but it didn’t look like it came straight at me.”
Rochester went out to a 2-0 first period lead, and also held on to a 5-4 third period lead. On both occasions, the Amerks had plenty of chances to add to the lead, and maybe put the Rocket away. However, they couldn’t get that final big goal.
“We created plenty of chances to win, there’s no doubt about that," Appert said. "Whether it’s late in the third or in the overtimes, we had plenty of looks to win the game. We just didn’t get it done.”
Brendan Warren hadn't played since the third period, and Appert gave his rested forward a shift midway through the second overtime. Warren was open in the slot and ripped it off the crossbar.
It took only 8:05 for Rochester to get a 2-0 lead against Cayden Primeau, who had stoned them in the first two games. Jankowkski found himself alone in front with a puck that came off the back wall. Peterka then used a Ryan MacInnis screen to net a power play goal from the top of the left circle.
That two-goal lead held up until 13:52 of the second period when Laval scored two goals in 55 seconds, three goals in 2:11, and four goals in 3:56. It took less than four minutes for the Amerks to see their two-goal lead to turn into a two-goal deficit.
Rochester was getting outshot 30-18, and pretty much was getting run over. The Amerks were very sloppy throughout this game, but especially in the last six minutes of the second period.
One thing I’ve found out about this Amerks team since covering them in the playoffs is they don’t get down. Just 13 seconds into the third period, Brett Murray was given a clean lane from the right wing corner to the net, and he pulled the Amerks to within one.
Just 1:19 later, Krebs got a pass from Ethan Prow and immediately made a slick backhand pass to Peterka for a layup and the game was tied again.
Rochester had their best period of the series, and finally found the Laval zone on a consistent basis. Murray caused all sorts of havoc in front of the Rocket net, and while he was doing that, he found time to tip a Prow shot from the point, and Rochester’s comeback was complete with three-straight goals to re-take the lead.
The Amerks almost got the game into the garage, as Bulldog likes to say, but Murray took a needless slashing penalty in the offensive zone and Laval pulled the goalie, giving them a 6-on-4.
Of course, it was Dea helping to set up Jesse Ylonen with just 1:07 left in regulation.
Dell was spectacular in this game, making many point-blank saves before the four-goal barrage and after, especially in overtime. Dell made 54 saves on the game.
In the three-game series, the Amerks got no production at all from Quinn, Rousek and Brandon Biro, and didn’t get any goals from Ruotsalainen, Krebs and Sean Malone.
In the first two games, Primeau was just too good.
The Amerks came from 3-0 down in the third period of the Belleville series to win Game 1 in overtime, and they also knocked out the Division's top seed, the Utica Comets, in five games.
This team played its hearts out, and these three weeks of playoffs will make the Sabres' best prospects better players come next season.
***Photo: Micheline Michaelina (@MiMiV4682)
