Article Written By Aidan Charde
Recap: Maryland Black Bears on Jan. 3 and 4
The top two teams in the NAHL East Division met last weekend for a clash that ultimately ended in a wash with both teams earning three points, both games ending 3–2 in shootouts.
The games were remarkably similar down to the starting goalies and lines. Rochester went with a more physical lineup to start both games rather than its typical first line, while both Maryland and Rochester started the same goalie both nights.
The progression of the games were also almost exactly the same. In game one, it took the Jr. Amerks nearly the entire period to find the back of the net, but forward Adam Gionta gave them the lead with under 15 seconds left in the frame. Forward Jaden Dyke extended the lead seven minutes into the second period, but Maryland would not wait long to cut into it, scoring their first four minutes later.
The Black Bears managed to tie the game in the final minutes of the frame, but goalie Danick Leroux stayed strong and held Maryland scoreless throughout the third period. Unfortunately, Rochester remained scoreless as well, sending the game into overtime. Another five minutes of scoreless play put the game into a shootout, where Rochester has historically struggled — one win in eight attempts across both seasons up to that point. They could not break the curse on Friday and fell, but earned a point to keep control of the division for at least another week.
Game two saw the Jr. Amerks score first again late in the first period, although this one came from their first even strength goal since Dec. 14 courtesy of defenseman Liam Chapman. This time, the second period was the scoreless one, but forward Calle Karlsson broke the drought with a second goal shortly into the final frame. Once again, though, Maryland found a way to score twice in the final 13 minutes to send the game to overtime once more.
Another scoreless extra frame meant Rochester had the chance to break a curse that had been haunting them since Sept. 23, 2023, the day of their last shootout win. Leroux stopped each of the first two Maryland attempts and had the chance to win it after Jr. Amerks forward Wyatt Stefan put one of his own in, but the Black Bears converted on their third try.
In round four, Maryland’s shot was blocked, leaving the door open for Gionta to score and break the streak of nine consecutive shootout losses. Rochester took home two points, resetting the division standings to the same gap it was at heading into the weekend.
The Jr. Amerks stay home this weekend for just the second back-to-back homestand of the season, welcoming the pesky Philadelphia Rebels for a pair of games.
Preview: Philadelphia Rebels on Jan. 10 and 11
WHEN: Jan. 10 at 7:30 p.m. | Jan. 11 at 7 p.m.
WHERE: Rochester Ice Center | Fairport, NY
PROMOTIONS: Jan. 10 – Movie Theme Night | Jan. 11 – Post-Game Skate
WATCH: NAHL.tv
FOLLOW: @JrAmerksNAHL
History
The Jr. Amerks are 6–3–1 all-time against Philadelphia, but the Rebels have been a thorn in the side of Rochester more than once: The Rebels won the Jr. Amerks’ inaugural game last season and were the first team to ever shut Rochester out. The Jr. Amerks did win both matchups earlier this season, though, so that narrative may have shifted.
Offense slowing down, but wins still coming
The Jr. Amerks offense has been among the best units in the NAHL this year, 112 goals scored being the 11th best in the league this season. However, over the last four games they have scored just six goals, good for 1.5 goals per game compared to 3.62 in the previous 29. Additionally, four of those goals have been on the powerplay. That is in part due to Rochester facing some of the better defenses in the league between Maryland and Maine — the 10th- and 11th-best scoring defenses this season, respectively — but it is a trend the team would like to turn around regardless.
Defense rises to the occasion
A big part of the reason that the Jr. Amerks emerged from the aforementioned four-game stretch with a record of 2–1–1 is because of stellar defensive play. After a rough 6–0 loss against Elmira on Nov. 16, the Rochester defense has allowed 2.5 goals per game, tallied two shutouts, and only allowed four or more goals three times. During that span, the team is an impressive 9–1–2 and it is a large part of the reason the squad has been able to keep control of the top spot in the division.
Gionta offers much-needed consistency
As opposed to last season, where the Jr. Amerks had several skaters vying for the most points in the league, this season’s team has had more balance with less separation at the top. But while the entire top line has been performing exceptionally, forward Adam Gionta has been the most consistent scorer of the season, especially lately. He suffered a five-game scoreless streak from Sept. 20 to Oct. 4, but since then he has failed to score in just four games — and two of those were games where the team was shutout. He has strung together the longest and second-longest scoring streaks on the team, an eight-game and six-game span, leads the team in points per game, and is one of five players on the team to have not missed a game this season.
Middling offense sinking otherwise solid Rebels
The Philadelphia Rebels currently sit in last place in the division, but it is not due to overall struggles. In fact, while their defense is not stellar, they have allowed fewer goals than five other teams in the division. Their offense, meanwhile, has left something to be desired. Their leading scorers, Caesar Björk and Ruslan Jamaldinov, have 11 goals on the season which is tied for the fifth-fewest for a team leader in the league. They have scored just one goal in each of the last three games, although, in a testament to the team’s defense, they did actually win one of those contests.
