(Toronto, ON) – After the Rochester Americans and Toronto Marlies traded goals throughout the first two periods of Saturday’s game at Ricoh Coliseum, Toronto pulled away in the final frame to defeat the Amerks, 10-5. With the loss, the Amerks are now 26-26-2-1 on the season heading into the month of March.
Toronto took the lead on four different occasions over the first 40 minutes of Saturday’s contest, but Rochester battled back to tie the score three times, ultimately making it 5-5 with just over five minutes to play in the second period. But a goal by Sam Carrick in the final minutes of the second gave the Marlies a 6-5 lead, and they went on to add four more in the third period to seal the victory.
Phil Varone led the way for the Amerks, recording a goal and two assists for a three-point game. Bobby Sanguinetti scored two goals for his first multi-goal game of the year, while Evan Rodrigues and William Carrier each tallied a goal and an assist. Tim Schaller and Matt Donovan chipped in with two assists apiece. In goal, Linus Ullmark and Nathan Lieuwen combined to stop 24 of 33 shots.
The Marlies were led by defenseman T.J. Brennan’s five-point night (2+3) and four points (2+2) from Colin Smith. Viktor Loov added two goals while Carrick, Brett Findlay, Matt Frattin and William Nylander rounded out the scoring. Goaltender Antoine Bibeau stopped 35 of 40 shots to record the win in goal.
Brennan, the former Amerk, opened the scoring less than three minutes into the game when he sent a shot fluttering on net that tipped off something in front, eluding Ullmark and finding the net. That lead was short-lived, however, as the Amerks answered less than 90 seconds later.
With the puck deep in the Toronto zone, Schaller made a strong move to take the puck to the net and attempted to stuff it in past Bibeau. The goaltender was able to kick out Schaller’s offering, but Sanguinetti skated down from the point, picked up the puck in the high slot and fired a shot through a pile of bodies in front of the crease and in to knot the game at one.
Nylander gave the Marlies their second lead of the period with a pinpoint shot at the 11:38 mark. Skating across the high slot from left to right, the Toronto forward snapped a shot back against the grain and banked it in off the left post to put his team up, 2-1.
Again, the Amerks had a quick response, this time on the power play. Varone controlled the puck along the left half-wall and sent a cross-ice pass through a seam to Sanguinetti, and the Amerks defenseman beat Bibeau with a quick shot for his second goal of the game.
A wild second period that saw the teams combine for seven goals began with Toronto scoring two quick ones in the opening three minutes. First, Smith knocked in a rebound off a shot by Brennan to break the tie, then Loov made it a 4-2 game when his shot from the point made its way past Ullmark.
The Amerks kept responding, however, thanks in large part to the power play. Rochester got back to within a goal when Rodrigues was able to locate a rebound off a shot by Donovan and push it through the Toronto netminder. Toronto was then the recipient of a fortuitous bounce when a puck was flipped softly toward the net and Frattin was able to swat it out of midair and into the net, putting the Marlies up 5-3.
Rochester quickly stormed back with Varone scoring the team’s third power play goal of the night on its third opportunity for his third point of the night. Carrier then tipped in a long shot by Ruhwedel just under a minute later, tying the score at five goals apiece.
Before the second period came to an end, however, the Marlies would re-take the lead one final time as Carrick’s shot from the right circle beat Ullmark to give Toronto a 6-5 lead after 40 minutes.
Toronto extended its lead to 7-5 early in the final period and never looked back, scoring four unanswered goals in the frame, including an empty-netter, to come away with the 10-5 victory.
The Amerks kickoff a three-game homestand on Friday, Mar. 4 when they welcome the Springfield Falcons back to The Blue Cross Arena for the only time this season. Friday’s 7:05 p.m. matchup will be the second and final meeting of the season between the two teams and will be carried live on FOX Sports 1280 Rochester. The game will also be televised live locally on Time Warner Cable SportsChannel 26 as well as 323 for viewers in the Buffalo market. It will also be Hall of Fame Night as Richie Dunn, Daren Puppa and the Booster Club will be inducted into the Amerks Hall of Fame prior to the game.
Goal Scorers
RCH: Sanguinetti (5, 6), Rodrigues (8), Varone (13), Carrier (10)
TOR: Brennan (21, 22), Smith (14, 15), Loov (2, 3), Nylnder (18), Frattin (10), Carrick (7), Findlay (5)
Shots
RCH: 40
TOR: 34
Goaltenders
RCH: Ullmark – L (14/20); Lieuwen (10/13)
TOR: Bibeau – W (35/40)
Special Teams
Amerks Power Play: 3-5
Amerks Penalty Kill: 0-1
