By: Brayden Peters
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - The Rochester Americans came out of Blue Cross Arena with a dramatic win on Friday, beating the Providence Bruins 4-3 in the shootout to snap the team's season-long five-game losing skid.
"We needed this win because of how we've been playing against prior to this game divisional opponents," Rochester assistant coach Vinny Prospal said. "We have not been scoring enough on five-on-five."
Defenseman Rathbone picked up the lone goal for Rochester in the second round. He beat goalie Brandon Bussi low-blocker side on a wrist shot. Devon Levi recorded saves in all three rounds to help secure the victory for Rochester.
Forward Mason Jobst (one + one) and defenseman Erik Brännström (one + one) led the Amerks with two points each. Brännström, who the Buffalo Sabres acquired from the New York Rangers in exchange for forward Nicolas Aubé-Kubel before the trade deadline, has scored three times across his first two games with the Amerks.
"It's always a different feeling coming to a new team and the best way to get him over [the struggle] is to get him on the scoresheet and he's been doing that," Prospal said. "He's really a good playmaker on the point. He's chipped in some goals...he's a kid that is able to run the power play...he's a smart hockey player, he's another Swede. We got four already that have been getting to the net. Those are really good players, good kids to have around, so fit right in and he's producing. That's what you need from a guy that came in with those offensive numbers that he's got."
Levi got the start at goalie for the Amerks. He recorded 26 saves for a .897 save percentage. Just like every game, Levi was found meditating in the crease during commercial breaks to stay focused during the back half of the game.
"It was a check in," Levi said. "I do it all game, try to treat the overtime and shootout just like it's the first period or second period. Every moment in the game has equal value, so just trying to be even keeled when I'm out there. Not play the score, not play the situation. Just play the shooter with the puck."
Both teams went one-for-five on the power play.
Providence opened up the scoring in the game with 16:15 left to go in the first period. Left winger Jeffrey Viel picked up the puck after it was rebounded off the wall behind the cage. He went on to bury a backhand shot backdoor into the top-right corner of the net.
The Bruins started to build off that early momentum, generating more scoring chances than Rochester as Providence was outshooting the Amerks four-to-two with 15 minutes left in the period. That and lockdown defense from the Bruins helped them add onto their lead with just under 10 minutes in the frame. Right after Providence won a face-off in the offensive zone, Levi coughed up a rebound off his stick and Viel secured the puck to bury a backhand shot that beat Levi glove-side.
Rochester struggled to generate scoring chances consistently due to turnovers in the offensive zone and inaccurate passing.
"We were not happy with our effort, all of us," Prospal said. "As a team, we didn't start on time and even though we had some good shifts in the first period, we let two goals from the face-off go in...we needed to pick ourselves up a little bit."
The Amerks were held scoreless in the first period. They outshot the Bruins 10-to-nine in the frame.
Rochester came out guns blazing to start the second period. With 17:02 left in the frame, the team was outshooting the Bruins five-to-one. Eventually, one of their shots was able to find the back of the net. While on the power play with 14:22 on the clock, Brännström buried a one-timer slapshot into the top right corner of the net to cut the lead to 2-1. Forward Noah Östlund and Jobst were credited with assists. Östlund has 22 points in his last 23 games with the assist.
Rochester continued to put pressure on the Bruins, as they created numerous high quality scoring chances and tightened things up on defense. The Amerks only allowed seven shots on goal in the period thanks to their physical play on defense, especially from forward Jagger Joshua.
"It's an area that we have talked about a lot," Jobst said. "I think we're at our best when we're forechecking and playing really physical. Having Jagger adds a big element. He brings it every night, brings the guys into the fight. When we work hard and we have our second guy in there and he's laying the body on a kid, that helps a lot. That's when we really start finding our game, creating turnovers and using our skill after that."
Bussi recorded 20 saves on Rochester's 21 shots on goal in the frame. He went on to make 40 saves for a .923 save percentage.
Similar to the start of the second period, Rochester got off to a hot start in the third to tie the game up at two apiece. With a little over a minute into the frame, Jobst got the puck off a rebound that Bussi gave up and flipped the puck over him into the net. Rathbone and defenseman Ryan Johnson were given assists on the goal.
Halfway through the period, the Bruins started to find their groove on offense, as they were outshooting the Amerks six-to-four with 10 minutes left in the frame. This progress for Providence translated to their tie-breaking goal with 6:08 left in the period. While on a five-on-three power play, right winger Oliver Wahlstrom fired a one-timer slap shot from the high slot into the top right corner of the net.
Rochester struggled throughout the period to maintain a consistent rhythm on offense as they recorded five shots on goal with five minutes left in the frame. However, a switch flipped and the Amerks generated higher scoring chances with three shots on goal the rest of the way. One of them Rochester cashed in on to tie the game at 3-3.
Forward Lukáš Rousek drove up the left wing in the offensive zone and completed a cross-ice pass through traffic to fellow forward Isak Rosén. He found the top right corner of the net on a one-timer wrist shot. Brännström picked up an assist. Rosén was loaned back to Rochester from Buffalo on Thursday.
"You just know it's going come at you," Rosén said. "He's [Rousek] the best passer I've ever seen."
Both sides weren't able to settle the contest in regulation and the game was sent to overtime.
There were high quality scoring chances from both teams, especially the Bruins who were on a power play during the overtime. However, they couldn't convert and only recorded three shots on goal in the frame compared to the Amerks' four. Levi and Bussi stayed strong in net to force a shootout, where Levi stayed strong and Rathbone scored the lone goal to give Rochester the win.
The Amerks improved to 35-17-3-3 with the win and remain in second in the North. Providence dropped to 32-19-4-3 and are third in the Atlantic.
Rochester will host the Charlotte Checkers next Friday. Rochester fell to Charlotte 4-3 in their last contest on Wednesday. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
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