AMERKS TRIPPED UP BY ROCKET
Mar 9, 2022The Rochester Americans (27-21-3-2) fell behind 3-0 in the second period and were never able to recover in a 7-2 loss to the Laval Rocket (26-19-3-0) Wednesday at The Blue cross Arena.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | 3 | OT | SO | FINAL |
| Laval | 0 | 3 | 4 | -- | -- | 7 |
| Rochester | 0 | 1 | 1 | -- | -- | 2 |
GAME SUMMARY PHOTO GALLERY POST-GAME REPORT
Rochester forward Arttu Ruotsalainen assisted on both goals to notch his fourth multi-point outing in his last five games while also tallying 11 points (6+5) over that same stretch. Over his last 29 games since the turn of the New Year, the Finnish forward has produced 30 points on 12 goals and 18 assists, a run which began with a three-point effort versus Hartford on Jan. 2.
Sean Malone, who missed the previous 30 games due to injury/COVID, and Jimmy Schuldt both scored for the Amerks in the second and third periods, respectively. Schuldt has netted a goal in each of his last two contests while Malone became the eighth different Amerk this season to reach double digits in goals as he registered his 10th of the campaign.
Brett Murray and Ethan Prow both picked an assist in the contest. With his primary helper on Malone’s tally, Murray has recorded eight points (2+6) over his season-long five-game point streak. Prow, meanwhile, moved into fourth in scoring among all AHL defensemen on the season with 34 points on the season. The veteran blueliner has logged 16 points (5+11) over his last 20 games and is just seven assists away from matching his career-high (32).
Goaltender Aaron Dell (8-4-1) made 30 saves in the contest but was dealt the loss. In 11 of his 14 appearances this season, he has made 25 or more saves while also averaging 30 shots-against.
WATCH: GAME HIGHLIGHTS
Rafaël Harvey-Pinard (1+1), Danick Martel (1+1), Devante Smith-Pelly (1+1), Jesse Ylönen (2+0) and Peter Abbandonato (0+2) all turned in multi-point performances for Laval, which entered the contest with a 9-12-1-0 record through its first 22 road games. Tory Dello and Brandon Gignac both scored in the win while netminder Kevin Poulin stopped 34 of 36 shots he faced to improve his record to 10-5-1.
Following a scoreless opening period, Laval erupted for three goals to start the middle frame, including Ylönen’s just 46 seconds into the stanza.
Rochester got on the board at the 14:15 mark of the period as Malone pushed the puck across the goal-line while the team was on the power-play.
After allowing a shorthanded marker on the previous man-advantage, the Amerks utilized the extra skater as Ruotsalainen snapped a shot from the right circle. Before the puck reached the top of the crease, Murray redirected it between the legs of Poulin only to have Malone jam it home for his first goal since Dec. 18.
WATCH: SETH APPERT POST-GAME
With the power-play marker, Rochester has scored at least one power-play goal in 28 of its first 54 games this season and have registered multiple power-play tallies in 11 overall.
The Rocket tacked on a pair of goals in the first 2:17 of the third period to extend their lead to 5-1 before Schuldt hammered home a long-rebound 77 seconds later.
With the puck in the offensive zone, Prow dished a pass atop the point for Ruotsalainen. The Finn fired a shot off the right pad of the Rocket goaltender, and it caromed right to Schuldt at the left face-off dot.
The goal gives him points in three straight games for the first time this season and first since early January 2020 as a member of the Chicago Wolves.
Laval answered shortly after to cap off the 7-2 win as Smith-Pelly and Martel both lit the lamp seven minutes apart.
The Amerks kickoff another three-in-three weekend on Friday, March 11 as they welcome back the Syracuse Crunch for a 7:05 p.m. faceoff. All of the action will be carried live on The Sports Leader 95.7FM/950 AM The Fan Rochester as well as AHLTV.
|
LAVAL |
GAMECENTER |
ROCHESTER |
|
Ylonen (11, 12), Dello (5), Gignac (6), Harvey-Pinard (11), Smith-Pelly (4) Martel (10) |
GOAL-SCORERS |
Malone (10), Schuldt (2) |
|
Poulin – 34/36 (W) |
GOALTENDERS |
Dell – 30/37 (L) |
|
1-4 |
POWER-PLAY |
1-4 |
|
3-4 |
PENALTY KILL |
3-4 |
|
37 |
SHOTS ON GOAL |
36 |