Mar 13, 2023
The Rochester Americans had another 3-in-3 weekend, their third in four weeks, and came away with just one win on Friday night against the Hartford Wolf Pack.
Despite two back-to-back losses, it was nothing to get worked up about, according to Amerks head coach Seth Appert.
“I thought we did a lot of good things today,” he said after Sunday’s game. “We’re in a 3-in-3 and they’re not. They’re one of the best teams in the whole league. I thought we did about everything you could do except for win the hockey game.”
And while frustrating, there’s no need to panic just yet: the Amerks still control their own destiny.
Forward Filip Cederqvist returned to the Amerks lineup on Sunday after missing four games.
Defenseman Ethan Prow, who did not suit-up on Sunday, is listed as day-to-day (upper-body).
Newcomer Carson Gicewicz, who left Friday night’s game, is “probably out long-term (lower-body), unfortunately,” according to Coach Appert.
Austin Strand, who was acquired from the San Diego Gulls ahead of the trade deadline, made his Amerks debut on Friday night, and he made a huge impression on the home crowd.
Strand, a 6’3” and 193-pound defenseman, demolished Will Cuylle of the Hartford Wolf Pack just 24 seconds into the third period.
“He’s a big, hard defenseman,” Appert said after the game. “He gave us hard minutes, he competed, he managed the puck well. Obviously to jump in there and have that kind of fight — and handle himself so well in that fight — and get the crowd going afterwards, I think that says a lot.”
It just might say that Strand already fits in very nicely with the Rochester squad.
MARCH 10: HARTFORD 4 — ROCHESTER 8
While the Wolf Pack struck first, the Amerks responded with two goals from Lukas Rousek and one from Jeremy Davies. Leading by two at the start of the second, Ethan Prow recorded a power play beauty just 34 seconds into the second.
Mason Jobst and Jiri Kulich would add goals of their own, giving Rochester seven unanswered goals on home ice. Anton Blidh, a new pick-up for Hartford, would add a Wolf Pack goal, but Isak Rosen added another on the power play for the Amerks.
Louis Domingue replaced rookie goaltender Dylan Garand to start the third period, but Strand’s early fight really set the tone. Brandon Biro, who leads Rochester in scoring, added a power play…
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