**The Amerks enter the holiday week sitting just four points back of the Toronto Marlies for first place in the North Division and are among the top four teams in the American Hockey League after taking four out of a possible six points with both wins coming over Utica.
**Friday’s 3-2 loss to Toronto was the first in regulation for the Amerks in nearly a month, halting a season-long 10-game point streak. Just 24 hours later, however, Rochester bounced back with a thrilling come-from-behind win at Utica on Saturday, erasing a 2-0 third-period deficit in the final 6:33 of regulation to come away with a 3-2 overtime win. C.J. Smith set up both goals before scoring the game-winner just 17 seconds into the extra frame to complete the comeback for Rochester.
**The Amerks have earned at least one point in 14 of their first 15 road games this season with only one regulation loss, a 5-0 setback at Binghamton on Nov. 17. Coming into the week, Rochester owns the AHL’s third-best record on the road with a 9-1-3-2 mark and have outscored its opposition 48-42.
** The Amerks’ 3-2 overtime win at Utica on Saturday represented the 11th time in the last 22 games that Rochester was forced to play beyond regulation time. The Amerks lead the AHL in games decided after regulation with 12, showing a 4-3 mark in overtime while going 2-3 in shootouts.
**With five points (2+3) over his last three games, including another three-point outing Saturday in Utica, rookie forward C.J. Smith has jumped up to third overall in scoring in the AHL, sitting behind only former Amerk Phil Varone and leading point-getter Chris Bourque. He paces the team in all offensive categories with 10 goals, 20 assists and 30 points while being one of just four skaters to appear in all 28 games thus far this season. His 81 shots and plus-11 on-ice rating are also tops on the team. The Des Moines, Iowa, native currently leads all AHL rookies in scoring, while his 20 assists lead all first-year skaters and are sixth-most in the league.
**Three of Rochester’s top five scorers are defensemen, with Brendan Guhle (6+11) and Stuart Percy (3+14) tied for most amongst team blueliners with 17 points entering the week. Coming off a season-long five-game point streak, Guhle ranks third in scoring among all AHL rookie defensemen. He has six goals on the season, placing him tied for fourth in the AHL in goals by a defenseman. Guhle also leads all first-year blueliners with three power-play tallies and 73 shots. Percy, meanwhile, has recorded all 17 points in his last 19 games dating back to Nov. 3, including a career-best three-point night on Nov. 15 against Binghamton.
** Linus Ullmark boasts a 9-1-3 record over his last 13 games. Friday’s loss to Toronto was the first in regulation since Oct. 28 for the former Swedish Goaltender of the Year and reigning team MVP. Ullmark, however, has won 11 of his last 16 starts dating back to Oct. 25, including a career-best five straight to open the month of November. He currently leads the AHL in saves (558) and minutes played (1,121) and is tied for the league-lead with 12 wins. He also ranks 11th and 15th amongst all AHL goaltenders with a .921 save percentage and 2.57 goals-against average, respectively.
**This week’s slate of games continues a stretch in which the Amerks face-off against North Division opponents in nine straight games to close out the 2017 calendar year. On Wednesday, the Amerks welcome the inaugural visit from the Belleville Senators before traveling north of the border for back-to-back matchups with the Laval Rocket prior to heading into the Christmas break.
