**This Week’s Storylines**
VIEW FROM ABOVE
The Amerks come into the week sitting atop the AHL’s North Division standings with a three-point lead, having earned 18 out of a possible 26 points in their last 13 contests, including eight of a possible 10 in their last five outings. Among all AHL teams, only the Charlotte Checkers have more wins (31) than the Amerks (26), who are second overall in the Eastern Conference with a .651 points percentage going into February.
C.J. PILING ON THE POINTS
Second-year forward C.J. Smith extended his career-long point streak (5+8) to nine straight games, which is tied for the second-longest active streak in the AHL. The Amerks’ reigning Rookie of the Year ranks second among all Amerk point-getters with 38 points (16+22) in 39 games this season and has posted 19 points (9+10) dating back to Dec. 14.
RECORD BELONGS TO REDMOND
Veteran defenseman Zach Redmond broke the 46-year-old single-season franchise record for most goals by a defenseman last Wednesday night, scoring his team-leading 19th goal of the season in a 7-5 win over the Binghamton Devils at The Blue Cross Arena. The 30-year-old blueliner surpassed Amerks Hall of Famer Rick Pagnutti, who set the original mark with 18 goals during the 1972-73 campaign, He’ll also become the first defenseman in the 63-year history of the franchise to reach the 20-goal mark on his next goal. Redmond also remains on pace to tie the AHL record of 30, set by John Stanley during the 1990-00 with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
RED-HOT REDS
Redmond has scored a team and career-high 19 goals this season, including nine on the power-play, good enough for third in the league in that category. Redmond, who had an AHL-best nine-game point streak to end the month of October, enters the week tied for 11th in the league in goals (19) and leading all AHL defensemen with a team-high 39 points, while his eight game-winning goals are tops in the AHL. His 19 goals and 138 shots are also the most by an AHL blueliner this season.
OLOFSSON OFF AND RUNNING…AGAIN
With 13 points (4+9) in his last 12 games, Victor Olofsson is one of three Rochester skates with 30 or more points on the season. A year after pacing the SHL with 27 goals, Olofsson has been nearly a point-per-game player for Rochester, leading the team with 23 assists and ranking third with 37 points through his first 40 games. Olofsson, who earned CCM/AHL Player of the Month honors for October, is also ninth in the league with 13 power play assists
IRON MAN SIMPSON
Forward Wayne Simpson is the AHL’s current leader in consecutive games played with 230. Prior to joining the Amerks, the Boxborough, Mass., native appeared in all 76 regular-season games with the Hershey Bears and Providence Bruins over each of the last two seasons, in addition to 35 straight appearances for the Portland Pirates dating back to the 2015-16 campaign.
STAYING BUSY BETWEEN THE PIPES
Rochester goaltender Scott Wedgewood (15-7-1) has gotten the nod in 11 of the last 16 games for the Amerks, going 8-3-0 over that span while winning seven of his last eight dating back to a 31-save shutout at Cleveland the day after Christmas. After dropping his first two games of the season, the sixth-year netminder won a season-long five straight to close out the month of October, matching the career-best mark he set while backstopping the Albany Devils during the 2015-16 season. He enters the week tied for fourth among all AHL goaltenders in wins (16) while his three shutouts are tied for third. He’s also 11th in games played (26) and 16th in minutes (1446).
ROAD WARRIORS
At 12-4-3-1 (28 points), Rochester has the fifth-best road record in the AHL and have the fourth-most regulation wins away from home with 12. The Amerks remain one of just two AHL teams this season with only four regulation losses on the road having collected at least one point in 16 of their 20 contests away from The Blue Cross Arena. Coming into this week, the Amerks have won six of their last nine road contests dating back to their 4-3 win at Syracuse on Dec. 8 while also outscoring the opposition 32-24 over that span.
