After being swept in the first round last season, the Amerks need to earn more wins this year against their division rivals in order to better position themselves for a playoff run. This past Friday, they started the season on a high note, earning a 3-2 OT win against the Syracuse Crunch. Although last year’s leading scorer Victor Olofsson has moved up to the NHL, the Amerks were able to find goal scoring in this hard-fought matchup.
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Although the opening period saw no goals scored by either team, Tage Thompson scored the first goal of the year for the Amerks off an assist from Rasmus Asplund to give Rochester the lead. Former Sabre Cory Conacher tied the game on a power-play goal eight and a half minutes into the second, as both teams would alternate goals throughout the game.
Take a look at the first GOAL! @raasmusaasplunf ➡️ Tage Thompson 👊 pic.twitter.com/8nzgtOl9ec
— Rochester Americans (@AmerksHockey) October 5, 2019
After being tied at 1 after 40 minutes of play, Andrew Oglevie scored his first of the year just over a minute into the final period, with assists from Scott Wilson and Zach Redmond to regain the lead. However, after the Amerks took a bench minor penalty, Danick Martel tied it up once again and the game went to overtime with the score at 2. As the overtime period went on, the Amerks had a decisive shot advantage and resulted in Thompson burying the game-winner.
Tage Thompson's OT game-winning GOAL 🤩#UnitedWeROC pic.twitter.com/pliTieq5wl
— Rochester Americans (@AmerksHockey) October 5, 2019
After struggling in Buffalo for most of last year, Thompson was sent to Rochester near the end of last season. Continuing his hot streak from last year, Thompson scored two goals, including the game-winner in OT. If he continues to build off his play from last year, he may get a call up to the Sabres in the near future.
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Goaltender Andrew Hammond, who signed with the organization this past summer, earned his first win of the year, stopping 27 of 29 shots faced. While it’s just one game, a nice opening start could be a sign of another strong year of goaltending for Rochester, especially when Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen joins the roster once he comes off IR.
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Top ScorersGP Goals Assists Points 39 J.S. Dea 57 15 24 39 17 Sean Malone 58 12 18 30 22 Zach Redmond 59 5 25 30 15 Andrew Oglevie 55 15 14 29 19 C.J. Smith 50 12 15 27
Heading into the first full week of the season undefeated, the Amerks will head on the road for three games this week as they will play the Springfield Thunderbirds on Friday, then travel to Providence the following day to take on the Bruins. They will conclude the road trip in Hartford to face the Wolf Pack. While Springfield sports a .500 record, Providence won their first two games over Lehigh Valley and Hershey in OT. Last year, Providence made the playoffs after finishing fourth in the Atlantic Division, and the Amerks split their two matchups with the Bruins last year. Hartford, however, is coming off a season in which they finished last in their division, and are looking to build off their hot start to the season, with home wins over Charlotte and Bridgeport, which came in OT. Each of these teams will provide a unique challenge for Rochester in this young season.
The Amerks head out on their first road trip and will look to build off the momentum from their first win of the year over a top division rival. As they begin the year under interim head coach Gord Dineen, it will be interesting to follow the team and see if they can continue their success from the last few years despite the coaching change to start the season.
Date Opponent Time/Result 10/04/19 
vs. Syracuse CrunchW 3-2 (OT) 10/11/19 
@ Springfield ThunderbirdsW 2-1 10/12/19 
@ Providence BruinsL 3-2 10/13/19 
@ Hartford Wolf PackW 3-2 (SO) 10/18/19 
vs. Cleveland MonstersL 4-3 (SO) 10/19/19 
@ Utica CometsL 7-1 10/23/19 
vs. Hershey BearsW 5-1 10/26/19 @ Syracuse CrunchW 7-6 (OT) 10/27/19 @ Springfield ThunderbirdsL 2-1 (OT) 10/30/19 vs. Providence BruinsL 4-3 11/01/19 
vs. Binghamton DevilsW 4-2 11/02/19 @ Utica CometsW 6-0 11/08/19 vs. Binghamton DevilsL 4-3 (SO) 11/13/19 vs. Syracuse CrunchW 4-3 11/15/19 vs. Cleveland MonstersW 4-3 (OT) 11/16/19 @ Utica CometsW 4-3 11/22/19 vs. Hartford Wolf PackW 4-0 11/23/19 @ Binghamton DevilsW 4-2 11/29/19 
vs. Toronto MarliesL 3-2 (OT) 11/30/19 @ Cleveland MonstersW 3-2 12/04/19 vs. Toronto MarliesW 4-0 12/06/19 
vs. Charlotte CheckersW 4-0 12/07/19 vs. Charlotte CheckersL 3-1 12/11/19 
vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton PenguinsW 4-2 12/13/19 
@ Laval RocketW 3-2 12/14/19 @ Laval RocketW 5-0 12/18/19 @ Binghamton DevilsL 2-1 12/20/19 vs. Binghamton DevilsW 3-0 12/21/19 vs. Utica CometsW 4-3 12/27/19 
vs. Belleville SenatorsW 4-3 12/28/19 @ Binghamton DevilsL 2-0 12/31/19 @ Utica CometsL 3-2 01/03/20 @ Belleville SenatorsW 4-3 (OT) 01/04/20 @ Toronto MarliesL 5-2 01/08/20 vs. Binghamton DevilsL 4-3 (SO) 01/10/20 vs. Belleville SenatorsL 5-1 01/11/20 @ Syracuse CrunchL 5-4 01/17/20 vs. Cleveland MonstersL 4-3 (SO) 01/18/20 
@ Lehigh Valley PhantomsL 4-0 01/19/20 @ Hershey BearsL 4-1 01/22/20 @ Cleveland MonstersW 3-2 (OT) 01/24/20 vs. Laval RocketW 5-2 01/25/20 @ Syracuse CrunchW 3-2 01/31/20 vs. Syracuse CrunchW 4-2 02/01/20 @ Binghamton DevilsW 3-2 02/05/20 @ Cleveland MonstersW 4-2 02/07/20 vs. Syracuse CrunchL 5-2 02/08/20 @ Toronto MarliesL 4-0 02/11/20 @ Charlotte CheckersL 4-2 02/12/20 @ Charlotte CheckersL 5-2 02/15/20 @ Syracuse CrunchW 4-3 (SO) 02/16/20 vs. Utica CometsW 3-2 02/19/20 vs. Belleville SenatorsL 3-2 (OT) 02/21/20 vs. Lehigh Valley PhantomsW 3-2 (OT) 02/22/20 vs. Cleveland MonstersL 3-2 (OT) 02/26/20 vs. Utica CometsL 3-2 (SO) 02/28/20 vs. Laval RocketW 4-2 02/29/20 @ Syracuse CrunchL 4-2 03/04/20 vs. Utica CometsL 3-1 03/06/20 @ Belleville SenatorsW 5-3 03/07/20 @ Belleville SenatorsW 4-2 03/11/20 vs. Binghamton DevilsL 5-2 03/13/20 vs. Syracuse Crunch7:05 PM 03/15/20 @ Cleveland Monsters3:00 PM 03/17/20 @ Toronto Marlies1:30 PM 03/20/20 vs. Springfield Thunderbirds7:05 PM 03/21/20 vs. Springfield Thunderbirds7:05 PM 03/25/20 vs. Toronto Marlies7:05 PM 03/28/20 @ Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins7:05 PM 03/29/20 
@ Bridgeport Sound Tigers3:00 PM 04/01/20 vs. Utica Comets7:05 PM 04/03/20 vs. Syracuse Crunch7:05 PM 04/04/20 @ Syracuse Crunch7:00 PM 04/08/20 @ Utica Comets7:00 PM 04/10/20 vs. Bridgeport Sound Tigers7:05 PM 04/11/20 @ Binghamton Devils7:05 PM
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