AMERKS WEEK 20 ROUND-UP
Closing out February in a big way, Goaltenders rising to the occasion and Hinostroza back where he belongs
Feb 28, 2023By Suzie Cool
Last week featured another three-in-three weekend for the Rochester Americans as they kicked off a span of six games over nine days, including a season-long, eight-day road swing. There were PLENTY of goals scored, which means run support for the Amerks netminders and a well-deserved recall to the Buffalo Sabres for forward Vinnie Hinostroza.
We cover it all here, and more, with Amerks head coach Seth Appert in our Week 20 Roundup.
GOALS, GOALS AND…MORE GOALS
The Amerks’ depth was, again, on full display this past weekend as the team went on to post 20 goals while limiting the opposition to only six through three games in as many days. There were 12 different goal-scorers between the games, while forwards Jiri Kulich (3), Michael Mersch (3), Isak Rosen (2), Linus Weissbach (3) and defenseman Jeremy Davies (2) all posted multi-goal weekends.
Not bad for a team that is trying to utilize its depth in the best way possible.
“It was beyond what I was hoping for,” explained Appert when asked about the depth in scoring this weekend. “I think this time of the year, we need depth scoring, but I also think that we are a team that’s built to score by committee more than score by a first line. When we’re playing our best hockey, we’re getting contributions up and down the lineup and from our defensive core and that certainly was the case this weekend.”
After opening the weekend with an 8-4 win over Laval on Friday, Rochester scored seven straight unanswered goals, including three on the power-play, on their way to a dominating 7-1 win over Springfield on Saturday. The Amerks then put the finishing touches on the 20-goal weekend by scoring four first-period goals and never looking back on their way to a decisive 5-1 win at Providence on Sunday.
RUN SUPPORT HELPING WITH CONFIDENCE BETWEEN THE PIPES
When the Amerks are amid a span of six games over nine days, it’s not shocking that both goaltenders are going to be used as much as possible and its certainly nothing that Rochester netminders Malcolm Subban and Michael Houser aren’t used to.
While Houser started two of the three games last weekend, it was Subban who was in-between the pipes for two of the three matchups this past weekend.
“They were both excellent,” started Appert when asked about the goaltending tandem he has in Rochester right now. “What they did really well was they kept it to a low number early and allowed us to build leads, and allowed us to get our offense going, and then shut the door in the third. When you can have that level of goaltending, it gives you a lot of confidence to play in front of.”
Houser went on to make 39 saves against Springfield on Saturday, his most since stopping 40 on April 16, 2016, to improve to 6-5-1 in his 14th appearance of the season. Subban, who’s 13-10-1 through 24 games with Rochester this season, carried a shutout into the final 20 minutes of regulation on Sunday against Providence, stopping 41 of the 42 shots he faced against his former team to earn his second straight win.
“It’s hard to play goalie when your team is only scoring one or two goals for you every night because you feel like you can’t make any mistakes. The run support that the guys (Houser and Subban) got this weekend allowed them to play more freely in net and they performed very well with it,” finished Appert.
HINOSTROZA HEADING BACK TO BUFFALO
On Sunday, right before the final game of another three-in-three weekend for the Amerks, Hinostroza was recalled to the Buffalo Sables ahead of the team’s afternoon game against the Washington Capitals.
“We’re really happy for him.” commented Appert when asked how it was to see Hinostroza attack his first game back in the NHL since Jan. 14. “He handled the assignment extremely well. It’s not an easy assignment, especially when you’re on a one-way (contract) and have been in the NHL as much as he’s been.”
With Rochester, Hinostroza went on to record nine points on five goals and four assists through 11 games, including two game-winning goals, since joining the Amerks on Jan. 24.
“He came down with a good attitude. His play got aggressively better. I think the last five to six games, he was excellent, and he was starting to look like himself with his pace and his energy and his competitiveness. It’s a lot easier to get inserted into the lineup when you’ve been playing 17 or 18 minutes a night for 10 straight games,” explained Appert when asked about Hinoztroza heading back to Buffalo.
The veteran forward went on to piece together a two-point performance with the Sabres on Sunday, including his first goal of the season at the NHL level. All of that ice time putting him right back where Hinostroza belongs, in the NHL.