(Rochester, NY) – After an improbable comeback victory on Wednesday night, the Rochester Americans mounted another third-period rally against the St. John’s IceCaps on Friday, but history did not repeat itself as the Amerks fell by a 5-3 score. With the loss, the Amerks stand at 32-30-2-1 on the season.
Jack Nevins, Dan Catenacci and Eric O’Dell each scored for the Amerks, while Justin Bailey extended his point streak to five games with an assist, moving him up to 12th in scoring among AHL rookies. Linus Ullmark stopped 19 of 24 shots he faced before being relieved by Andrey Makarov, who turned aside all eight shots he faced during the third period. Rochester outshot St. John’s 46-32 throughout the night, including 28-9 in the final frame.
Brandon McNally scored twice to lead the IceCaps while Max Friberg (1+1) and Mark MacMillan each notched two points in helping St. John’s snap a three-game skid. Charles Hudon and Morgan Ellis both found the net for the second straight game to round out the scoring while Eddie Pasquale made 43 saves in the loss.
After scoring five unanswered goals in the third period of Wednesday’s meeting with St. John’s, Rochester picked up where it left off on Friday, needing just 2:30 into the contest to open a 1-0 lead. A flurry of point-blank attempts by the Amerks were all turned away by Pasquale, but they would eventually capitalize on their fourth opportunity when an Alex Guptill shot from right of the crease pinballed its way through the net-front traffic. Nevins, who moments before had his initial offering denied by the IceCaps netminder, managed to spot the loose puck through the ensuing scramble and poked it home to put the Amerks in front. Patrick Kaleta also earned an assist on the goal, Nevins’ fourth of the season and first since Nov. 6.
Rochester’s lead would be short-lived, however, as St. John’s fired back just 2:20 later when Nikita Scherbak sprung Hudon on a breakaway for his team-leading 25th goal of the season that would even the score at 1-1. It was the fifth goal in three games for the second-year pro, who also scored twice on Wednesday for the IceCaps.
For the second straight game, a four-goal run by St. John’s staked the visitors to a 5-1 lead early in the third period, but much like Wednesday, the Amerks would begin to claw their way back. Ellis picked the upper corner in between a pair of tallies by McNally before Friberg swept in a rebound just 25 seconds into the final frame to cushion the IceCaps to a four-goal advantage.
Catenacci began the comeback bid at 7:49 after one-timing a centering feed from Evan Rodrigues and O’Dell added his team-leading 23rd goal of the season just 32 seconds later to make it a 5-3 game.
The Amerks more than tripled the IceCaps in the amount of shots in the third period, but were unable to complete the comeback despite having a 6-on-4 two-man advantage for nearly the final two minutes of regulation. Pasquale, who two nights ago yielded five goals in the same stages of the contest, atoned for it with 26 saves to hold off the final push from Rochester.
The Amerks make their way back to Syracuse for the second time in as many weeks on Saturday, Mar. 26 when they take on the Crunch in a North Division showdown at the War Memorial Arena. Game time is slated for a 7:00 p.m. start and will be carried live on FOX Sports 1280 Rochester. The Amerks are 6-2-0-0 through the first eight meetings against the Crunch this season and have won four straight, including all three of the previous get-togethers in Syracuse.
Goal Scorers
RCH: Nevins (4), Catenacci (12), O’Dell (23)
STJ: Hudon (25), McNally (6, 7), Ellis (14), Friberg (12)
Shots
RCH: 46
STJ: 32
Goaltenders
RCH: Ullmark – L (19/24) / Makarov (8/8)
STJ: Pasquale – W (43/46)
Special Teams
Amerks Power Play: 0-5
Amerks Penalty Kill: 4-4
