By: Sharvani Regmi
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The Rochester Americans fell short against Laval Rocket by a score of 3-2 in an overtime battle at the Blue Cross Arena. Although the Amerks outshot the Rocket 31-to-25, they failed to capitalize on numerous scoring chances, especially on the power play, which they went 0-for-4 on.
"I just think we got to do a better job of playing faster on the power play," Amerks head coach Michael Leone said. "We got to do a better job of moving their pieces around, because they sit really tight in a diamond and just a little bit more pocket movement. I thought our entries could have been better."
Penalties were problematic for the Amerks in the loss. Rochester had a player go to the sin bin six times and put the Rocket on the power play four times, two of which resulted in power play goals with one of them being the game winner.
Centers Graham Slaggert and Anton Wahlberg recorded the goals for Rochester. Center Jiri Kulich, along with wingers Brendan Warren and Brett Murray, were able to record assists on the night for the Amerks.
Michael Houser got the start in between the pipes for Rochester and recorded 22 saves on 25 shots (0.88 save percentage).
The Amerks had control of the game in the first period. They were all over the puck offensively, creating numerous scoring opportunities while forcing turnovers defensively. Both teams got two power play opportunities, but neither of them was able to make the most out of them.
Rochester nor Laval were able to find the back of the net before the first intermission. At that point, the Amerks outshout the Rocket 14-to-four.
“We’ve got off to a really good start in the first period, but it’s having numbers around the puck, especially with our team,” Leone said. “I thought we did a really good job allowing them to get in the transition and just getting on top of them allows them to keep a gap.”
Rochester was able to break the seal in the second period. With a little under seven minutes left in the frame, center Graham Slaggert beat Jakub Dobeš on a one timer that was buried in the top left corner of the cage to give the Amerks a 1-0 lead. Warren was credited with the assist.
Slaggert's goal would be the only goal of the period. Although the Rocket amped up their efficiency on offense, they still got outshot 10-to-seven in the frame.
Momentum began to shift to Laval early on in the third period. Almost three minutes into the frame, left winger Luke Tuch, who is the younger brother of Buffalo Sabres winger Alex Tuch, sniped a wrist shot through the five-hole of Houser to tie the game up at one apiece. It was the spark Laval needed as they started to dominate the Amerks in time of possession of the puck in the period and were able to pepper Houser with shots.
Laval continued to ride their wave of momentum throughout the period. With a little under 10 minutes, the Rocket took advantage of a power play opportunity as center Alex Barré-Boulet buried a one timer to give Laval their first lead of the game.
The Amerks weren't going to go down with a fight and it showed. 13 seconds after Barré-Boulet's goal, Wahlberg received the puck from Kulich after Dobeš had trouble controlling it and scored on an empty netter.
“Great approach by Kulich,” Wahlberg said. “He got the puck before the goalie got it. I was just trying to find it and shoot it.”
For the rest of the period, both teams stayed in a groove offensively, creating countless scoring chances. However, they weren't enough to determine a winner in regulation, forcing the game to go to overtime.
"I just thought in the third period, the first 10 minutes we got to be more engaged and make hard plays,” Leone said.
After 3:16 passed by in overtime, Amerks center Konsta Helenius was penalized for interference. The Rocket seized the opportunity, as defenseman Logan Mailloux sniped a wrist shot in the lower left corner of the net while Houser was screened to give Laval the 3-2 win.
With the loss, Rochester dropped to 7-4-1 on the season and they remain in fourth in the North. As for the Rocket, the win improved their record to 10-2 and they sit in first in the North.
The Amerks will look to bounce back from the loss as they host Rocket again this Saturday on their Hockey Fights Cancer Night. Puck drop is scheduled for 4 p.m.
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