AMERKS RALLY IN THIRD, STUN MONSTERS IN OVERTIME
Weissbach scores twice, Davies nets game-winner 21 seconds into overtime
Mar 30, 2024Facing a 3-1 deficit early in the third period, the Rochester Americans (33-22-6-3) rattled off three straight unanswered goals, including Jeremy Davies’ (1+1) game-winner just 21 seconds into overtime to cap a wild 4-3 come-from-behind win over the Cleveland Monsters (35-22-4-3) Saturday at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
With the victory, the Amerks have earned at least one point in 22 of their last 30 games dating back to Jan. 17, which includes a trio of three-game win streaks over that span. Rochester, which has a 4-0-0-1 mark in its last five games, is now just two points behind the Monsters for second place in the North Division heading into Wednesday's rematch in Rochester to begin the final month of the 2023-24 regular season.
Linus Weissbach scored twice while Brandon Biro (0+2) and Davies also registered multi-point efforts with two points each. Jiri Kulich netted his team-leading 21st goal of the season and second in as many games for the Amerks before Davies sealed the overtime win with his 11th marker of the campaign, which equals a career-high. Isak Rosén and Viktor Neuchev both capped off the scoring with an assist.
Goaltender Dustin Tokarski (10-9-3), who made his 23rd appearance of the season, stopped 15 of the 18 shots he faced to earn his third straight win. With victory, the veteran netminder has recorded double figures in wins for the 10th time in his American Hockey League career.
Luca Del Bel Belluz and Justin Pearson both scored their seventh goals of the season for Cleveland, which has lost five straight games, while Trey Fix-Wolansky concluded the scoring. Goaltender Jet Greaves (27-12-4) made 32 saves in his 43rd game of the campaign, which matches a career-high, but suffered the overtime defeat.
Immediately after the Monsters took a 3-1 lead 3:52 into the third period, the Amerks trimmed the deficit in half just 39 seconds later.
Neuchev carried the puck down the left wing and stumbled along the wall as he made his way to the corner. After the rookie got back on his skates, he centered a pass to Biro outside the goal-crease before the latter tapped it to his right for Weissbach to wire past Greaves.
Two minutes later after Weissbach’s second of the contest and 14th of the season, Rochester drew a five-on-three power-play for 66 seconds.
After the first of the two infractions expired, Biro provided a one-time feed for Rosén from in-between the face-off circles inside the offensive zone. Greaves made the initial save, but the rebound was gathered by Rosén, who then slid it to his right for Kulich to tie the score at 3-3 with 11:47 left to play in regulation.
Neither team found much offense for the remainder of regulation despite Rochester outshooting Cleveland 15-8 in the third period, requiring overtime with the score deadlocked at 2-2.
The Monsters controlled the face-off in the extra frame and as they crossed the blueline, Davies forced a turnover in the opening seconds. Davies immediately grabbed the puck and carried it up the ice all alone, converting from the top of the crease just 21 seconds into overtime. It was the defenseman’s fifth career game-winning goal with the Amerks, all of which have come on the road, and all but one coming in the extra frame.
Early in the contest, a Cleveland skater fired a shot from the top of the circles, however, the shot caromed wide of the Rochester net and up the wall.
Davies gathered the puck and quickly made his way up the ice for an odd man rush with Weissbach and Neuchev. The blueliner lobbed a pass from the right circle to his left for Weissbach to fire past the blocker of Greaves just 1:27 into the contest.
While Rochester jumped out to a 1-0 lead as well as a 6-1 shot advantage, the Monsters registered a few shots before drawing a tripping infraction with just under five minutes to play in the period.
On the ensuing power-play, Nick Blankenburg gave the puck to Del Bel Belluz in the center of the ice. The latter dumped it around the wall to Fix-Wolansky before making his way towards in-front of Tokarski. Fix-Wolanksy waited at the half-wall before setting up Del Bel Belluz for a tip to even the score at the 16:32 mark.
After a scoreless second period where the Amerks had a 14-4 shot-advantage, Cleveland tallied a pair of markers in the opening 3:52 of the final 20 minutes of play.
Facing a 3-1 score, the visitors responded with two goals of their own to force overtime before Davies capped the game with his second tally of the season in the extra frame.
The Amerks usher in the final month of the 2023-24 campaign on Wednesday, April 3 as the home-and-home series shifts to Rochester for a 7:05 p.m. rematch with the Monsters. All the action from The Blue Cross Arena will be carried live on The Sports Leader 95.7 FM/950 AM The Fan Rochester as well as AHLTV.
Stars and Stripes:
Today's contest was another milestone for Seth Appert, who became just the fourth head coach in the 68-year history of the franchise to man the Amerks bench for 241 career games … Today was also his 117th win as Rochester’s bench boss, surpassing both Mike Keenan and Chris Taylor for fifth all-time ... With Anton Wahlberg making his North American professional debut today, he became the 42nd player to appear in a game this season for Rochester ... Dating back to the start of the 2021-22 season, of Davies’ five game-winning goals, four have come in overtime while all five have come on the road.
Goal Scorers
ROC: L. Weissbach (13, 14), J. Kulich (21), J. Davies (11)
CLE: L. Del Bel Belluz (7), J. Pearson (7), T. Fix-Wolansky (24)
Goaltenders
ROC: D. Tokarski – 15/18 (W)
CLE: J. Greaves – 32/36 (OTL)
Shots
ROC: 36
CLE: 18
Special Teams
ROC: PP (1/4) | PK (2/3)
CLE: PP (1/3) | PK (3/4)
Three Stars:
1. ROC - L. Weissbach
2. ROC - B. Biro
3. CLE - T. Fix-Wolansky