(Rochester, NY)… Two goals in 14 seconds and 38 saves from goaltender Linus Ullmark proved to be the difference as the Rochester Americans held on for a 2-1 win over the defending Western Conference champion Utica Comets Saturday night at The Blue Cross Arena. The wins snaps a six-game losing streak to the Comets dating back to Feb. 14 of last season and vaults the Amerks into a first-place tie in the AHL’s North Division standings with a perfect 2-0-0-0 record through the first two games of the young season. It’s also Rochester’s first two-win start of the season since the 2006-07 campaign.
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Jack Nevins’ first professional goal held up to be the game-winner while Ullmark was impressive in his North American debut, stopping 38 of the 39 shots he faced en route to his first win as an Amerk. Jerry D’Amigo also finished with a goal while Tim Schaller, Matt Ellis and Jean Dupuy each recorded assists in the win, Rochester’s first over Utica since Feb. 11 of last season.
Nicklas Jensen provided the lone goal for Utica off assists from Mike Zalewski and Hunter Shinkaruk and Joe Cannata made 20 saves in the loss for the visiting Comets.
After a scoreless, but physical first period, Rochester came to life in the early stages of the second, scoring twice in a matter of 14 seconds to take a 2-0 lead over the Comets.
D’Amigo struck first 2:05 into the middle frame when he dug out a loose puck at the top of the crease and flipped it past Cannata for his first of the season. The play began and ended with D’Amigo, who stepped in front of a Jordan Subban pass and sped off on a 2-on-1 rush into the Utica zone. After several point blank saves by Cannata, D’Amigo was able to locate the puck in the ensuing scramble and bury the rebound for the go-ahead goal. Schaller picked up his first point of the season with an assist while Bailey also earned an assist for the first point of his pro career.
Nevins then doubled the lead for the Amerks just 14 seconds later on a nifty goal-mouth setup from Ellis and Dupuy. Dupuy worked the puck out of the right wing corner to Ellis, who in turn moved it to a wide-open Nevins at the far post for the easy tap-in and a 2-0 advantage. With the assists, Ellis (3+1) and Dupuy (0+4) each have four points through the first two games of the season.
Ullmark made a flurry of saves to begin the third, but the Comets would eventually solve Rochester’s netminder 5:53 into the third. Zalewski forced a turnover deep in the Amerks zone and made a slick, no-look drop pass from his knees to a trailing Jensen, who wired a well-placed shot to the upper right corner of the net.
That was as close as Utica would come, though, as 16 more saves from Ullmark allowed the Amerks to hang for the 2-1 win.
Rochester begins the road portion of its 2015-16 schedule on Friday, Oct. 16 when the Amerks travel north to take on the St. John’s IceCaps in the first of a two-game road set at the Mine One Centre. The 6:30 p.m. ET will be the first of eight meetings between the new North Division rivals this season and will be carried live on FOX Sports 1280 Rochester.
