AMERKS RALLY IN SECOND PERIOD FOR SHOOTOUT WIN OVER BEARS
Murray scores twice as Amerks erase 3-0 deficit in come-from-behind win over Hershey
Mar 24, 2023Trailing 3-0 early in the middle frame, the Rochester Americans (29-25-4-3) answered with three second-period goals, including a pair from Brett Murray, before needing the shootout to complete the 4-3 comeback win over the Hershey Bears (37-16-5-3) Friday at The Blue Cross Arena.
GAME SUMMARY PHOTO GALLERY POST-GAME REPORT
By winning the 464th all-time meeting between the American Hockey League’s cornerstone franchises, the Amerks and Bears split the season series, with each team winning on home ice, and have earned at least one point in 10 of their last 15 games, going 6-5-2-2 over that span.
Additionally, by finishing the head-to-head series with a win and loss, the Amerks have not had a losing season in each of their last five years against Hershey except for the 2020-21 condensed campaign.
Even more impressively, tonight was Rochester’s sixth win of the season when trailing after the first period, which leads all North Division teams and are third-most in the AHL.
Murray (2+0) became the third different Amerk this season to reach the 40-point mark by scoring twice, his second multi-goal outing of the season, while Mason Jobst posted two assists. Joseph Cecconi started the scoring in the second period with his second of the season. Lawrence Pilut, Jiri Kulich, Brendan Warren and Tyson Kozak, who missed the previous eight games, all tallied an assist.
Jobst and Aleksandr Kisakov both scored in the shootout.
Goaltender Malcolm Subban (16-13-3) matched his career-high in wins on the season as he stopped 24 of 27 shots he faced. The Toronto, Ontario, native also denied both of Hershey’s shootout attempts to earn the victory.
Joe Snively chipped in a pair of assists for Hershey, which has now picked up at least one point in six of its last nine games. Forwards Mike Vecchione, Sam Anas and Connor McMichael all scored in regulation while netminder Zach Fucale (19-10-3) made 29 saves, which included six during a thrilling overtime period.
One minute after seeing Hershey score its third goal of the night, the Amerks got on the board as Cecconi ignited the comeback at the 2:52 mark of the second period.
Cecconi received a pass atop the right point from Kozak before he fired a shot towards the Bears net. While his attempt was denied, Warren’s follow-up was blocked before Cecconi gathered the puck yet again and wired it into the back of the net for his second of the year and first at home.
The Amerks continued to chip into the 3-1 deficit as Murray swept in his first of two in the frame from Jobst and Pilut.
The play began with Michael Mersch breaking the puck out of the defensive zone to Pilut, who was streaking down the left side of the ice.
Near the end of the second period, Rochester drew its first power-play of the night and used almost all two minutes of the infraction before Murray knotted the game at three.
The Amerks power-play unit of Murray, Jobst, Kulich, Lukas Rousek and Ethan Prow kept Hershey from clearing the puck out of its zone and preventing a line change.
After the clubs went deadlocked 3-3 into the final period, each were whistled for simultaneous penalties, but the score was unchanged, requiring overtime.
For the second straight game, Rochester registered six shots in the extra frame but was unable to find the game-winning goal whereas the Bears’ two shots were saved by Subban.
During the shootout, Jobst opened the scoring before Kisakov sealed the win after Subban turned aside McMichael and Snively’s attempts.
Hershey opened the scoring just 29 seconds into the contest and then struck again at 4:47 before adding its third just 95 seconds into the middle frame to take a 3-0 lead.
The Amerks earsed the three-goal deficit with three unanswered second-period tallies before earning the 4-3 come-from-behind win in the shootout.
The Amerks continue their push to the playoffs on Saturday, March 25 with a North Division showdown against the intrastate rival Utica Comets at Adirondack Bank Center. Game time is slated for a 7:00 p.m. start and will be carried live on The Sports Leader 95.7 FM/950 AM The Fan Rochester as well as AHLTV.
Storyline Stripes:
By scoring twice tonight, Brett Murray has 14 points (5+9) in his last 17 games while also reaching the 40-point mark for the first time in his professional career ... Including tonight, the Amerks show a 6-12-1-1 record this season when trailing after the first period ... Their six wins are the most in the AHL’s North Division and third overall in the AHL.
Goal Scorers
HER: M. Vecchione (21), S. Anas (9), C. McMichael (15)
ROC: J. Cecconi (2), B. Murray (18, 19)
Goaltenders
HER: Z. Fucale – 29/32 (OTL)
ROC: M. Subban – 24/27 (W)
Shots
HER: 27
ROC: 33
Special Teams
HER: PP (0/2) | PK (2/3)
ROC: PP (1/3) | PK (2/2)
Three Stars
1. ROC - B. Murray
2. ROC - M. Jobst
3. HER - J. Snively