Apr 15, 2024
By Andrew Mossbrooks | @Mossbrooks48
After splitting a weekend series with the Belleville Senators, the Rochester Americans are playoff bound for a fifth straight year.
Despite a 6-3 loss Friday, the Amerks secured their place in the Calder Cup Playoffs that night, thanks to a Utica loss in Providence. The next day, a motivated Amerks team took to the ice to dominate Belleville by an 8-2 final.
Rochester built itself a 4-0 lead through 20 minutes Saturday against the Sens, but a recent cautionary tale proved to be a valuable lesson for the Amerks. Just six days prior, the team yielded a 4-0 advantage on Bridgeport, who are tied for the fewest point totals in the American Hockey League. Despite that, a lapse in play allowed the Islanders to tie the game and force a shootout, where the Amerks eventually won, 5-4.
“We talked about it,” said Amerks head coach Seth Appert. “You can get worried about bringing it up because it’s a bad memory, but I think it’s really important throughout the season that you learn from adversity and from failures and that you grow from it. We let Bridgeport back in that game because we were sloppy with the puck in the second period. That’s what we talked about (against Belleville). Let’s not give them free offense. We did a pretty good job with that.”
The Amerks went on to net two more in the second period, increasing the lead to six en route to an 8-2 win. In Bridgeport, the Amerks let off the gas. At home against Belleville, they hammered the peddle to the car floor.
Jiri Kulich led the charge in front of 8,560 Amerks fans at Blue Cross Arena Saturday night, scoring a hat trick as part of a four-point game for the Sabres’ prospect who turned just 20 years of age the following day.
“It’s great because yesterday (Friday) I had 11 shots and no goals,” chuckled Kulich when speaking after Saturday’s win. “It’s great to score a hat trick, but we played great as a team, too. That’s why I (was able to) score. Playoffs are coming, so we have to do the right things to play the right way. We have to be ready. It’s so important.”
Kulich leads the team in goals with 25 and is third on the team with 43 points, but Appert has praised the young star’s approach even on nights when he doesn’t find the scoresheet.
“Something we’ve been talking to all of our young guys over the last three…
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