AMERKS WEEK 12 ROUND-UP
Amerys carry six-game win streak into New Year, Biro has a big December, Stablilty on blueline
Jan 2, 2023By Suzie Cool
Week 12 of the 2022-23 American Hockey League campaign marked the final week of the calendar year and featured three games over a four-day span for the Rochester Americans.
While the Amerks were coming off the holiday break full of holiday cheer, the squad pushed themselves to a season-high six-game win streak through their three games last week, while closing out 2022 with a 3-2 win over the first-place Toronto Marlies.
We cover it all, and more, with Amerks head coach Seth Appert in the first weekly round-up of 2023.
COMING INTO 2023 HOT
The Amerks wrapped up the 2022 calendar year by extending their win streak to a season-long six-straight games with a 3-2 win over the first place Marlies Saturday afternoon at the Coca-Cola Coliseum.
“You know it's funny,” said Appert when asked about when the team’s current streak began to take form, “we had a three-game losing streak coming into the winning streak, but in two of those three losses I told the team after, ‘if we keep playing like this, we're going to win a lot of hockey games’.”
It’s the team’s best stretch since a six-game win streak from Jan. 22 to Feb. 5 during the 2019-20 campaign.
“Eventually you keep doing things the right way and then you end up winning,” continued Appert about the Amerks six-game push. “We saw it coming a little bit as a coaching staff. Now, I like how last week we won a lot of different ways. I thought we won with our offense on Wednesday against Utica. I thought we won with our toughness and our competitiveness Friday against Belleville, and then I thought we won with our team defense Saturday in Toronto. So, I like that we had we won three different ways last week, which is a good sign.”
The win on Saturday, Rochester’s second straight in December over the Marlies, moved the Amerks to within four points of Toronto for the top spot in the American Hockey League’s North Division standings.
BIRO PILING UP THE POINTS
Despite missing six games due to injury, Biro has blazed his way atop the team's scoring lead following a productive December in which he led the team with 16 points (6+10) in 10 games. He recorded multi-point efforts in seven of his 10 appearances, including six straight between Dec. 9 and Dec. 30 before closing out the month with an assist in the 3-2 win in Toronto.
He paces the Amerks in assists (19) and points (28) through 22 games and his seven-game point streak is third-longest active streak in the AHL currently.
The crazy thing is, with how well Biro is playing, Appert doesn’t even feel the forward is just riding some hot streak mixed with a little bit of luck. Appert truly feels the third-year pro is finally just playing his game with a ton of confidence and consistency.
“The crazy thing is I don't even I wouldn't say that he's (Biro) hot (right now),” said Appert when asked about Biro following Wednesday’s win. “I think he's just playing his game consistently over and over and over. He's doing it offensively and defensively. His level of care and, for lack of a better term, ‘give a crap,’ to be a great player and to help his team win is just extremely high right now. It's been fun to see and it's fun to coach.”
Dating back to last season, Biro has totaled 31 points on 11 goals and 20 assists over his last 25 games and hasn't gone more than one game without a point over that span. Since the start of the 2022 calendar year, Biro has posted 19 multi-point outings in 51 games, totaling 57 points on 18 goals and 39 assists.
Additionally, the Amerks are 12-5-1-1 when Biro records more than two points in a game and have outscored the opposition 78-64.
Appert then finished with, “Man, is he playing good hockey right now and it's really fun to see.”
BARTKOWSKI AND PILUT BOLSTERING THE BLUELINE
The blue line now, compared to the beginning of the season, is absolutely stacked with talent and experience. Especially after the Amerks signed veteran blue liner Matt Bartkowski to an AHL deal for the remainder of the 2022-23 campaign and Lawrence Pilut returned to Rochester all within the last week.
“Our D core is in a really healthy spot right now, which is necessary because we're thin at forward right now,” commented Appert when asked how the defensive unit compared now to the beginning of the season.
Bartkowski joined the Amerks on a professional tryout (PTO) on Oct. 29 and has since recorded five points on one goal and four assists with plus-five on-ice rating in 21 games with Rochester. The veteran blueliner appeared in his 700th professional game on Dec. 7 against the Syracuse Crunch.
“We love him,” Appert explained when discussing the signing of Bartkowski last week. “He fits who we are as a team, the identity that we want to have, how we want to play. He's been a great presence for our younger guys.”
Pilut, who cleared waivers Friday, has three points on a goal and two assists in 17 games with the Buffalo Sabres this season, while showing two assists through five games with Rochester.
“Pilut is obviously an elite player – a high-end American Leaguer – and on the cusp of being a full time NHL player. So, then the other thing about Pilut that gets overlooked, because of how good he is, is how his character and his leadership and his work ethic are off the charts high. So, you get a leader back on top of being one of your most talented players,” finished Appert when discussing the state of the D core in Rochester currently.
LOOKING AT THE WEEK AHEAD
The Amerks embark on their busiest month this week within the comfy confines of The Blue Cross Arena with eight home games on tap. January kicks off with the Amerks first of three, three-in-fours of the month with games against two North Division opponents and an Atlantic Division matchup sandwiched in-between.
“We haven't practiced a ton because of holidays,” commented Appert when asked how his team can continue its six-game push as they head into a week jampacked with games. “So, to me, this week's more about our habits, our identity, our details as a team.”
On Wednesday, Jan. 4, the Amerks ring in the New Year with another battle against the Belleville Senators before wrapping up their weekly action at home against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms Friday, Jan. 6. Rochester heads to Upstate Medical Arena on Saturday, Jan. 7 to take on the intrastate rival Syracuse Crunch in what will be the seventh matchup of the season between the two teams.
“You look at the opponents and you have Bellville again and we know what they're like. Then Lehigh Valley is a very heavy, physically demanding team, and then Syracuse is as well. They're (Syracuse) a veteran older team. So this week, certainly we're going to have to prepare for the physicality and the heaviness that the games are going to require to try to give ourselves a chance to be successful.”
Both home puck drops are slated for 7:05 p.m. while Rochester’s lone road game of the week has a 7:00 p.m. start time.
All of the week’s action will be carried on The Sports Leader 95.7 FM/950 AM The Fan Rochester as well as AHLTV. Additionally, Friday’s game against the Phantoms will be aired live locally on CW Rochester.