**This Week’s Storylines**
**The Amerks enter the final week of the 2017-18 regular season two points ahead of the Utica Comets for third place in the AHL’s North Division standings with just three games remaining. Rochester will either face the Toronto Marlies or Syracuse Crunch in the opening round of the 2018 Calder Cup Playoffs.
**Saturday’s 6-5 overtime win of the first-place Marlies was the 29th game this season – and 16th since Jan. 1 – that went beyond regulation for the Amerks, the most by an American Hockey League team since the Milwaukee Admirals did so in 2006-07. With three more games on tap this week, Rochester can potentially set the new AHL record for the most overtime games in a season. Coming into week, Rochester shows a 10-10 mark in overtime while going 3-6 in shootouts.
** Named to the 2017-18 AHL Second All-Star Team on Thursday, Zach Redmond, comes into the week with points in eight of his last 12 games after scoring his 15th goal of the season last Friday night against Charlotte to take over the team lead in points. He’s also one of just three AHL defensemen to lead his respective team in scoring. Redmond is also just three goals away from tying the single-season franchise record for the most goals by a defenseman of 18, set by Amerks Hall of Famer Rick Pagnutti during the 1972-73 campaign. In 65 games so far this season, the veteran blueliner has recorded career-highs in all offensive categories with 15 goals, 31 assists and 46 points, placing him fourth in scoring among all AHL defensemen. He also ranks third in goals by a defenseman with 15, including a team-best eight power-play tallies, and is tied for fifth among all defensemen in assists. Additionally, Redmond has the third-most shots among any other defenseman this season with 177.
**Sahir Gill enters the week with a team-high 18 goals following a two-goal outing against Toronto on Saturday. Gill opened the scoring just 50 seconds into the contest and then capped a come-from-behind win for the Amerks by scoring 1:45 into overtime to give Rochester its third straight win over the Marlies.
**Red-hot Colin Blackwell has been Rochester’s top point-getter for the last month, showing 21 points (10+11) and a plus-14 on-ice rating over his last 12 games for the Amerks. The second-year pro has totaled 15 points (9+6) during his career-long seven-game point streak and has recorded seven multi-point outings dating back to March 11, including another three-point performance in Saturday’s win over Toronto to move into second on the team in scoring. Since Jan. 1, Blackwell has been scoreless only eight times.
**Friday’s regular season home finale against the Belleville Senators falls on Fan Appreciation Night. Prior to the game, the team will hand out its year-end awards, including Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year and Unsung Hero and Most Popular Player.
