Mar 15, 2023
The Rochester Americans face the Laval Rocket for the final time this regular season tonight at 7:05pm at Blue Cross Arena.
Malcolm Subban gets the start in net tonight.
Ethan Prow will return to the lineup after missing Sunday’s game.
The Amerks will roll 11 forwards and 7 defensemen with Prow’s return. Defenseman Mitch Eliot, who played on Sunday in Prow’s place, will stay in the lineup tonight.
“We felt as a staff that Mitch Eliot played so good on Sunday, that it didn’t feel warranted to take him out of the lineup,” Appert said.
“Forget defensemen, I thought he was one of the best players in that game for both teams in a really good game. When a player performs to that caliber, you don’t want him out of the lineup the next night.”
Coach Appert also mentioned that going 11-and-7 will help free up Brendan Warren to play on the wing, his natural position. “He’s an effective center, but he’s a menace when he’s a wing because of his fore-checking ability,” Appert noted.
Michael Mersch will play on a line with Brett Murray and Lukas Rousek tonight, with Appert’s goal to maximize Mersch’s strengths. “He dominates the offensive zone,” Appert said. “I’m going to try to put guys around him to get him in the offensive zone more and hopefully get him on an offensive heater down the stretch.”
Murray and Jobst have both found the score sheet recently, and Appet thinks they’ll help spark Mersch: “Murray and Jobst are guys that win a lot of puck battles and get their line in the offensive zone a lot, and I think that’s where Merschy makes his money.”
Forwards Tyson Kozak (lower-body, week-to-week) and Carson Gicewicz (lower-body, long term) remain out of the lineup.
The Rocket are an opponent that Rochester knows well. “We know the challenges they post,” Appert said. “They’re fast, they’re competitive, tenacious. They make the game fast and chaotic against you, and they’re playing good hockey right now.”
The best way to settle the chaos: communication. And while increasing communication is something the coaches have focused on all season, it was really emphasized at practice yesterday.
“Communication and having calmness in chaotic moments is going to be critical against a team like this,” Appert explained.
“One player being assertive in his communication…
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