Nylander Powers Amerks To First Home Win
Sunday, 10.17.2010 / 9:36 PM
/ Recap
Florida Panthers
(Rochester, NY)… Veteran Michael Nylander’s four points led the Rochester Americans to a 5-2 win over the Adirondack Phantoms tonight at The Blue Cross Arena. Rochester earned its first back-to-back win of the season, while picking up its first win on home ice. The Amerks also finished their three-game in three-night stretch with a 2-1-0-0 record and 3-2-0-0 overall mark.
Leading the Amerks was Nylander, who had a hand in four goals, scoring two and assisting on two others. His first point of the night marked his 600th professional assist in his 20-year pro career. Winger Michal Repik (0+3) also shined in the contest assisting on three goals to extend his point streak to five games. The duo has developed an early chemistry after just five games.
“We are still working with each other. He is a good player,” said Repik. “I am just trying to find open space. We have only played five games together and hopefully we keep getting better and better.”
Goaltender Jacob Markstrom made his fifth consecutive start with Rochester, leading his team to victory by stopping 25 out of 27 shots. Meanwhile, Patrick Maroon (1+1) and Joonas Lehtivuori (1+1) led the Phantoms with two-point efforts. Netminder Brian Stewart made 20 saves in the losing effort in his first appearance with Adirondack this season.
The contest remained scoreless until the final minutes of the opening period. At 17:07, winger Michael Duco (1+0) slid the puck past Stewart for his second goal of the season. Nylander and Clay Wilson (0+1) both picked up assists. Wilson’s assist extended his point streak to five games.
The Amerks jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second period when Scott Reynolds (1+0) scored the first AHL goal of his career on the power play at 14:14. He converted his own rebound and fired the puck past Stewart. Reynolds was assisted by Repik and Nylander, who recorded his second point of the night.
Adirondack finally managed to get on the board early in the third. At 2:32, Maroon scored his fourth of the season, tipping the puck over the pad of Markstrom and into the net.
Rochester answered right back just minutes later with a pair of back-to-back goals by Nylander, for his team-leading fourth goal of the season. At 4:12, Repik moved around the Phantoms’ net and passed right to the Rochester center, who delivered. Not long after, at 6:50, both Repik and Colby Robak (0+1) helped Nylander when he backhanded it past Stewart for his second goal of the night.
“We are finding each other,” said Nylander of Repik. “We are creating scoring chances for each other and other players.”
Less than two minutes later, at 7:47, Adirondack responded and made the score 4-2. Lehtivuori scored his second of the season, with assists by Erik Gustafsson (0+1) and Maroon.
At 19:23, Amerks defenseman Mike Kostka banked the puck off the boards and down the ice, resulting in an empty-netter, which sealed Rochester’s first home win.
Rochester now heads north of the border on Tuesday, October 19th as it takes on Randy Cunneyworth and the Hamilton Bulldogs at Copps Coliseum. The 7:00 p.m. contest will be the second in four days between the longtime North Division rivals and the second of 10 meetings this season. Fans can tune into the live broadcast on SportsRadio 1280 WHTK and FM 107.3, Rochester’s Sports Talk.
The Amerks return home on Saturday, October 23rd as the Grand Rapids Griffins come to Western New York for the first of six get-togethers this season. Fans can tune into the live broadcast on SportsRadio 1280 WHTK and FM 107.3, Rochester’s Sports Talk. The game falls on the fourth annual “Sweets in the Suites” night. Go to amerks.com for more information on the Halloween celebration.
Leading the Amerks was Nylander, who had a hand in four goals, scoring two and assisting on two others. His first point of the night marked his 600th professional assist in his 20-year pro career. Winger Michal Repik (0+3) also shined in the contest assisting on three goals to extend his point streak to five games. The duo has developed an early chemistry after just five games.
“We are still working with each other. He is a good player,” said Repik. “I am just trying to find open space. We have only played five games together and hopefully we keep getting better and better.”
Goaltender Jacob Markstrom made his fifth consecutive start with Rochester, leading his team to victory by stopping 25 out of 27 shots. Meanwhile, Patrick Maroon (1+1) and Joonas Lehtivuori (1+1) led the Phantoms with two-point efforts. Netminder Brian Stewart made 20 saves in the losing effort in his first appearance with Adirondack this season.
The contest remained scoreless until the final minutes of the opening period. At 17:07, winger Michael Duco (1+0) slid the puck past Stewart for his second goal of the season. Nylander and Clay Wilson (0+1) both picked up assists. Wilson’s assist extended his point streak to five games.
The Amerks jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second period when Scott Reynolds (1+0) scored the first AHL goal of his career on the power play at 14:14. He converted his own rebound and fired the puck past Stewart. Reynolds was assisted by Repik and Nylander, who recorded his second point of the night.
Adirondack finally managed to get on the board early in the third. At 2:32, Maroon scored his fourth of the season, tipping the puck over the pad of Markstrom and into the net.
Rochester answered right back just minutes later with a pair of back-to-back goals by Nylander, for his team-leading fourth goal of the season. At 4:12, Repik moved around the Phantoms’ net and passed right to the Rochester center, who delivered. Not long after, at 6:50, both Repik and Colby Robak (0+1) helped Nylander when he backhanded it past Stewart for his second goal of the night.
“We are finding each other,” said Nylander of Repik. “We are creating scoring chances for each other and other players.”
Less than two minutes later, at 7:47, Adirondack responded and made the score 4-2. Lehtivuori scored his second of the season, with assists by Erik Gustafsson (0+1) and Maroon.
At 19:23, Amerks defenseman Mike Kostka banked the puck off the boards and down the ice, resulting in an empty-netter, which sealed Rochester’s first home win.
Rochester now heads north of the border on Tuesday, October 19th as it takes on Randy Cunneyworth and the Hamilton Bulldogs at Copps Coliseum. The 7:00 p.m. contest will be the second in four days between the longtime North Division rivals and the second of 10 meetings this season. Fans can tune into the live broadcast on SportsRadio 1280 WHTK and FM 107.3, Rochester’s Sports Talk.
The Amerks return home on Saturday, October 23rd as the Grand Rapids Griffins come to Western New York for the first of six get-togethers this season. Fans can tune into the live broadcast on SportsRadio 1280 WHTK and FM 107.3, Rochester’s Sports Talk. The game falls on the fourth annual “Sweets in the Suites” night. Go to amerks.com for more information on the Halloween celebration.
