Amerks rally to down Crunch

Brayden McNabb banged the overtime game winner in off the crossbar as Rochester avenged Saturday night's loss with a 6-5 win over Syracuse. The OT tally was the first goal of McNabb's pro career. The 6'5 defender, who earlier was credited with a short-handed assist, was not named to the game's three stars.

Zack Kassian scored his fifth goal of the year on a breakaway and added an assist for the winners, while Alex Biega and Jacob Lagace also chipped in with helpers.

The Rundown:
McNabb: GWG, A, +1
Kassian: G, A
Lagace: A
Biega: A, +1
Szydlowski: A
Crawford: -1
Brennan: +2
Foligno: +1
Schiestel: 1 SOG
Boychuk: DNP
Parker: DNP

Amerks outworked by neighbors

In Saturday AHL action, Jacob Lagace and Marcus Foligno potted goals for the second straight night but Rochester was dominated at Syracuse, 5-2.

After former Kelowna Rocket Kyle Cumiskey gave the Crunch a first period lead, Lagace scored his fifth of the season at 8:49 to tie the game 1-1 heading into the first intermission.

It was all Crunch from there as Syracuse would net the game's next four goals, including the first three on the power play, to stifle an Amerks offense that would fire just 13 shots over the final 40-minutes. The Crunch, on the other hand, fired 31 shots over that span for a total of 42 on Amerks netminder Drew MacIntyre.

Marcus Foligno, skating for the second straight night with Paul Szczechura and Zack Kassian, scored his fifth goal of the season in the game's final minute.

Orchard Park native and former Lowell standout Nick Schaus was -1 for the Crunch.

The Rundown:

Foligno: 1G, +1, 1 SOG

Lagace: 1G, 2 SOG

Kassian: +1, 2 SOG

McNabb: +1, 4 PIM

Schiestel: +1

Crawford: +1

Biega: +1, 1 SOG, 2 PIM

Brennan: -1, 3 SOG

MacKenzie: -1, 2 PIM

Szydlowski: DNP

Boychuk: DNP

Parker: DNP

Persson: DNP

Winners just once in their last seven, the Amerks will look for a rebound when the two clubs head back to Rochester for Sunday's rematch.

Quick strikes key Amerks to victory

The Rochester Americans used quick starting abilities Friday, scoring all of their goals in the opening minutes of the first two periods to defeat Binghamton, 3-2.

Jacob Lagace and Zack Kassian put the Amerks in the drivers seat early with goals before the game was three minutes old. The tallies were the fourth of the season for each player.

With Rochester holding a 2-1 lead at the first intermission, Marcus Foligno would snatch the eventual game-winner just 1:39 into the middle frame. The marker was Foligno's fourth of the year and first game clincher of his professional career.

The game featured three fights, with Matt MacKenzie earning his second major of the season sandwiched between a Joe Finley-Francis Lessard double header.

Paul Szczechura made his Amerks debut, notching an assist on the Kassian goal. Maxime Legault (-1) also made his first appearance of the season.

The Rundown:
Foligno: GWG, +1, 3 SOG
Kassian: G, +1, 3 SOG
Lagace: G, +2, 2 SOG
Schiestel: 1A, +2, 3 SOG
McNabb: +2
Crawford: 3 SOG
MacKenzie: -1, fighting major
Brennan: 4 SOG
Biega: 4 PIM
Boychuk: DNP
Parker: DNP
Szydlowski: DNP
Persson: DNP

The Amerks square off with Syracuse on Saturday.

Tropp produces as Amerks drop pair

Corey Tropp and Jacob Lagace each scored a goal Saturday as Rochester lost to Toronto 5-4 in overtime. Derek Whitmore lit the lamp twice to pace the Amerks offense, while Zack Kassian garnered an assist to give him points in six of his first seven professional games.

David Leggio made 26 saves in defeat to slip to 2-2-0-1 on the year.

The Rundown:
Tropp: 1G, 3 SOG
Lagace: 1G
Kassian 1A, 5 SOG
MacKenzie: +1
Brennan: 3 SOG
Szydlowski: even
McNabb: even
Biega: 1 SOG
Crawford: -2, 2 SOG
Parker: -1
Boychuk: 2 PIM
Foligno (suspended)

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On Friday, Tropp bagged  a pair of goals as the Amerks opened their three-games-in-three-nights run with a 3-2 shootout loss to Hamilton. Tropp's tallies, the first off a wrister and the second a rebound tap-in, were the first of the season for the second year man.

Tropp and Kassian, who along with Brayden McNabb earned assists in the loss, would later add shootout goals as the Bulldogs needed eight rounds to earn the extra point.

East Amherst native and former UNH standout Phil DeSimone scored a goal for Hamilton.

The Rundown:
Tropp: 2G, 4 SOG
Kassian: 1A, 3 SOG
McNabb: 1A, 1 SOG
MacKenzie: 2 SOG, 4 PIM
Crawford: 3 SOG
Brennan: 1 SOG
Biega: 1 SOG
Lagace: 1 SOG
Boychuk: 2 SOG
Szydlowski: even
Parker (suspended)
Foligno (suspended)

Drew Schiestel and Dennis Persson sat out both games due to injury.

Rochester closes the weekend with a Sunday night match-up with Adirondack.

Sundher in mix; Duo drop mitts

Kevin Sundher's hot start is garnering notice among world junior pundits including, according to his local paper the Times Colonist, Hockey Canada's Kevin Prendergast.

“Kevin is in the mix [to make the team for the world juniors],” said Kevin Prendergast, Hockey Canada head scout for national team programs.

“It’s safe to say he will play in one of the games in the Subway Series in November [when the WHL all-stars meet the Russian junior all-stars] and we will reevaluate all the players after that.

“Kevin is a good skater and knows how to score. I liked what he did last season [24 goals and 52 assists when the Royals were known as the Chilliwack Bruins] and like what he’s done early this season.”

Sundher admitted he was crestfallen over the summer when he was not invited to the Canadian national team prospects camp.

“I was disappointed but that added a fire in my belly,” said Sundher.

Read nothing into the summer invitations, said Prendergast.

“You can only bring so many guys into those camps,” he said.

So the puck definitely is on Sundher’s stick. Whether he makes the national junior side is up to him.

Wearing an "A" as part of Victoria's leadership core, Sunder has four goals and a WHL-best 17 assists through his first eleven games.

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Lastly for all you savages, here are the first professional scraps for Zack Kassian and Marcus Foligno - on the same shift - in Rochester's 7-2 win over Grand Rapids on Sunday. (courtesy of our friends at LetsGoAmerks.com).



Talk about a duo that needs a nickname. I would love to hear your ideas.

10/16 Recap: Kassian, Parker power Amerks onslaught

Zack Kassian scored two goals and Jonathan Parker added a single and two assists Sunday to power the Rochester Americans to a 7-2 shellacking of Grand Rapids. Marcus Foligno and Jacob Lagace also had goals for the winners, while ookie rearguard Brayden McNabb earned his first professional points with a pair of assists.

Parker continued his early season success with all three of his points in the first period as the Amerks jumped out to a 3-1 lead. Not surprisingly, a Red Wings prospect from Sweden (Gustav Nyquist) was able to get the Griffins on the board.

The Amerks would duplicate their three-goal output in the second period beginning with a backhand finish from Kassian at 9:12 to take a 6-2 advantage into the second intermission.

Things got chippy in the third period with the Amerks holding a comfortable lead. Three fights broke out involving Sabres prospects, highlighted by the Sabres rookie duo of Kassian and Foligno throwing at the same time.

Remember how when the Sabres drafted the pair in 2009, then-Sudbury coach Mike Foligno said that "Buffalo got the two toughest kids in the Ontario League"?

Kassian went toe-to-toe with former NHL vet Garnet Exelby, while Foligno took a decision over ex-WHLer Travis Ehrhardt. A minute after that double-feature, Corey Tropp was called to battle with former Amerk Doug Janik.

Tropp was given an interference penalty in the second period when he collided with/blew over Griffins center Landon Ferraro on a backcheck in front of the Amerks net. Tropp's shoulder seemed to make contact with the side of Ferraro's head, sending the Wings prospect hard to the ice and off to the dressing room.

The Rundown:

Kassian: 2G, 3 SOG, 15 PIM

Parker: 1G, 2A, +1

Foligno: 1G, +1, 12 PIM

Lagace: 1G, +1

McNabb: 2A, +3

Biega: 1A, +3

Szydlowski: 1A, +1

Crawford: 1A, +1

Boychuk: +1

Tropp: 3 SOG, 7 PIM

Brennan: 2 PIM

The Amerks will remain in Rochester for a game with in-state rival Syracuse on Tuesday.

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In the lone junior game Sunday, Cedrick Henley recorded three shots on goal and two hits as Val-d'Or earned a 3-2 overtime victory over Shawinigan. The 6'5 forward has yet to score in 10 games this season, and has just one goal in his last 20 since returning from wrist surgery last February.

10/13 Recap: Shipley dishes pair; Amerks again sloppy

Steven Shipley collected a pair of power play assists Thursday as Niagara rode the momentum of Ryan Strome's return to a 5-0 shutout of Belleville. The 6'3 Shipley now has two goals and nine points in eight games this season. The Dogs return to action Friday at Plymouth.

Dan Catenacci saw a two-game point streak snapped as Owen Sound lost to Peterborough, 4-2. Owen Sound heads to Kitchener Friday.

In the AHL, the Sabres returned to the city of Rochester with great fanfare, but the Amerks were embarrassed by the Baby Pens, 5-1.

Marcus Foligno scored his first professional goal for the only Amerks marker. Zack Kassian, who earlier turned the puck over to create a shorthanded 5x3 goal against, picked up an assist for the second straight game.

The Rundown:
Foligno: 1G, -3, 2 SOG
Crawford: +1
Kassian: -1, 2 SOG
Boychuk: -1
Biega: -1, 4 SOG
Szydlowski: -1, 1 SOG
McNabb: -1
Tropp: -2, 1 SOG
Brennan: -2, 5 SOG
Parker: -2, 1 SOG

The Democrat & Chronicle recaps the fun:

The undercard was stirring and memorable, from the red-carpet entrance of players, and then some 50 alumni, to on-ice ceremonies before the opening faceoff with new owner Terry Pegula.
The main event was a colossal flop. The Amerks did their best to feed off the energy in the building by creating even more excitement with their play.
Instead, they made mistakes, flubbed passes, got carried away with trying to do too much, and were embarrassed. Again actually.

They were 5-2 losers at Hamilton on Saturday night in the season opener. So in two games they have been outscored 10-3.
"When you've got this many new faces on a team, one word comes to mind: Simplify," left winger Derek Whitmore said. "There's no reason to hit the panic button yet."

Jochen Hecht is expected to miss a few more games for the Sabres, but there's no question that Matt Ellis will make the Amerks a better team once he is sent back tp the AHL. The Amerks will continue looking for their first win on Friday at Lake Erie.

Amerks fall in opener

Newly signed Jonathan Parker scarfed up a rebound for his first professional goal, but the highlights were few as Rochester opened the 2011-12 campaign with a 5-2 loss at Hamilton.

T.J. Brennan and Zack Kassian, his first AHL point, earned assists, while Corey Tropp also added a helper while logging his first fighting major of the year. Tropp topped all Sabres prospects last season with nine tussles.

Drew Schiestel, playing his first game since last January, appeared to have injured his knee in the third period after falling awkwardly but early signs suggest that no damage was done.

Defensemen Matt MacKenzie and Nick Crawford were among the healthy scratches.

The Rundown:

Parker - 1PPG, 2 SOG, -1

Kassian - 1A, 5 SOG

Tropp - 1A, 2 SOG, -1, fighting major

Brennan - 1A, 2 SOG, -1

McNabb - 2 SOG (paired w/ Morrisonn)

Biega - even

Persson - 1 SOG

Szydlowski - even

Boychuk - 1 SOG

Foligno - 2 SOG, -1

Schiestel - -2

We'll turn it over to Kevin O. of the Rochester D&C for the game story:

Rochester Amerks open season with 'sloppy loss'

"The easiest lesson from tonight: We've got a lot to work on," said veteran left winger Colin Stuart, who wore the captain's "C."

"In order to be the team we want to be, we need to do a lot of things better."

Of course, with eight rookies in the lineup and just one preseason game against a collegiate team from Canada, the Amerks weren't exactly in real-game mode.

"It was pretty sloppy, that's pretty safe to say," defenseman T. J. Brennan said. "We have a lot of guys still getting their feet wet. It's a change. That's why it's Game 1 of 76, not the Calder Cup already."

Rochester kicks off the home schedule Thursday against Wilke-Barre.

THN catches up with Kassian at Rookie Showcase

Check out this video interview with Zack Kassian from the NHL Rookie Showcase in Toronto.

While speaking with Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News, Kassian quickly tocuhes on topics such as:

- thoughts on playing on a loaded Windsor lineup
- what he brings to the Sabres lineup
- things the Sabres have told him to work on
- how his toughness translates to the NHL
- his thoughts on Buffalo and playing for the Sabres organization

A decent quick hit worth watching even if it's just to see how large he looks next to an average-sized human.