GAMEDAY NOTES & QUOTES: FRIDAY, MARCH 17
Mar 17, 2023The Rochester Americans open their Pennsylvania back-to-back against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins tonight at Mohegan Sun Arena. The puck drops at 7:05pm, and fans can tune in on AHLTV or The Fan Rochester.
LINEUP NOTES
Based on morning skate, it appears that Malcolm Subban will likely start between the pipes tonight for the Amerks. Subban posted a shutout against the Laval Rocket on Wednesday, saving 29 shots in the contest.
“That was one of our better defensive efforts,” Amerks head coach Seth Appert said after the game. “And to have a good defensive effort, you need good goaltending. Subban was really strong for us.”
The Amerks played 11 forwards and 7 defensemen on Wednesday night, and Coach Appert was pleased with the outcome. “I liked how much I could play Brandon Biro,” Appert said. “Because he just continues to be fabulous.”
Biro tallied a short-handed goal to crack the scoreboard on Wednesday night. The Amerks went four-for-four on the penalty kill against the Rocket.
Lukas Rousek found the back of the empty-net with just 22 seconds left in the game, securing a Rochester victory. Rousek has goals in back-to-back games for the Amerks and four goals + four assists in his last four games.
With Biro’s assist on the empty-netter, he becomes the first member of the squad to tally 50 points this season. What has been so impressive about his season, however, is not just his offense.
“He’s our best defensive forward. Our number one penalty-killer. And he’s our leading scorer. And that’s a rare combination.”
Appert add that the difference he’s seen lately is that Biro has been more physical and has “a little bit more bite to his game.
The seventh defenseman on Wednesday night was Mitch Eliot, who returned to the lineup on Sunday and played so well that Appert felt he just couldn’t take him out of the lineup. After another stellar game on Wednesday, Eliot might remain the lineup tonight.
WORTH MENTIONING
Brandon Biro is on a five-game point streak and leads Rochester skaters in scoring. Biro has logged 11 points (2 goals, 9 assists) since March 4.
Rochester has gone 8-0-0-0 against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in their last eight meetings, the team’s longest active win streak against any opponent.
Since 2017-18, the Amerks have out-scored the Penguins 38-15. In their last meeting, at Blue Cross Arena on January 25, the Amerks beat the Penguins 3-2, powered by goals from Jeremy Davies, Lawrence Pilut, and Vinnie Hinostroza, who was making his Rochester debut that night.
The Belleville Senators have moved ahead of the Laval Rocket into the fifth and final playoff spot in the North Division.
ABOUT THE OPPOSITION
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins enter tonight’s contest having gone 2-6-2-0 in their last ten games and riding a three-game losing streak. They sit in 8th place in the Atlantic Division with 55 points.
Forward Alexander Nylander leads the Penguins with 50 points (25 goals, 25 assists) in 54 games this season. Nylander is currently with the Pittsburg Penguins.
Following Nylander, Valtteri Puustinen has recorded 47 points (21+26) and Drake Caggiula with 40 points (14+26). Caggiula appeared in 29 games for the Buffalo Sabres between the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons.
Another former member of the Buffalo Sabres organization, Dustin Toskarski, has been the main netminder for the Penguins, playing in 27 games and accumulating a 10-11-5 record.
The rookie goaltending duo of Taylor Gauthier and Filip Lindberg have combined to appear in 35 games for the Penguins, recording seven and six wins, respectively.
ROCHESTER RETURNS HOME NEXT WEEK
The Amerks return to Blue Cross Arena on Tuesday, March 21 for a rescheduled match-up against the Syracuse Crunch. The game was originally scheduled for Friday, December 23, but was postponed due to weather. All tickets purchased for the original game date will be honored on Tuesday.
The Amerks are hosting their annual Women in Sport Night, presented by Zweigles, on Friday, March 24! Hear from panelists Meghan Chayka (Stathletes), Anna Dua (NHL, NHL Fantasy), Hayley Moore (AHL), and Jackie Nicholson (RIT) before the game against the Hershey Bears. Use code WIS to access a special $10 ticket!
