ROCHESTER — A collective roar erupted at the Blue Cross Arena. Fans hit the glass pane. Others were spinning red, white, and blue towels. Many in the sold-out crowd of 10,622 watched the scoreboard for another highlight goal to be repeated.
Jiri Kulich, the Buffalo Sabers’ youngest contender for the role of playoff hero, clenched his fist as he ran toward the perimeter and waited for his Rochester Americans teammates to join in the celebration.
Twenty-four banners hung high above dejected Toronto Marlies goaltender Joseph Woll, each recognizing an achievement from the Amerks’ turbulent past. At least one more must be added as Americans are allowed to call themselves champions of the American Hockey League’s North Division.
Kulich and fellow Sabers first-round draft pick Isak Rosen scored impressive goals on Wednesday, helping the Amerks wrap up a three-game win over the Marlies with an 8-4 win and give Rochester a seat in the Finals of the Secure Eastern Conference.
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“Just incredibly proud,” said Amerks coach Seth Appert afterwards. “I love training here. i love this team I love what they fought for and what they’ve become over the year because this group’s success was not predetermined. They had to work to become it.” The group that we are and the guys had to evolve their games. The young children needed to develop their games. … All those things, just incredibly proud.”
The Hershey Bears, an offshoot of the Washington Capitals, await the Amerks for their first Conference Finals appearance since 2004. The series begins Tuesday at 7 p.m. in Hershey. Game 2 takes place in Hershey on May 25 before the Amerks return home for Game 3 on May 27. Game 4 takes place in Rochester on May 29th.
Any win in that six-game winning streak would not have been possible without the trusty keeper of Malcolm Subban, who made 34 saves for Rochester, surpassing Woll.
The scene from the first puck drop to the handshake line and the chance Rochester awaits in the next round was envisioned by Sabers General Manager Kevyn Adams and his staff, led by Associate General Manager Jason Karmanos, as they prepared and executed the plan to overhaul their AHL subsidiary.
Prospects featured prominently in the punchy Game 3. Lukas Rousek, a sixth-round pick in 2019, scored one of Rochester’s three goals in the first period. Kulich and Rosen extended their lead in the second half, with the latter using his exceptional shot to score on the power play to take a 5-2 lead.
The Amerks aren’t short of talent when it comes to their talents, though the roster boasts fewer high-priced two-way contracts than those under the previous regime.
Kohen Olischefski, an undrafted college free agent, beat Woll with a low shot in the first period. Defenseman Ethan Prow, a 30-year-old AHL contract, made it 1-0 with a wrist ball that went over the post and into the goal. West Seneca’s Sean Malone was a strong defensive end. Mason Jobst, another discovery of Karmanos and coach Seth Appert, played all night and set up Rosen’s second goal of the game, with 10:15 left in the third period.
The Marlies scored 17 seconds into the game, but the Amerks didn’t back down. Her depth rating made the difference in the series victories over Toronto and Syracuse.
“Your season is on the line,” Subban said. “We knew they were going to come out tough. … During this whole and final series, they score and we come right back. We keep pushing. It was great. We just have to keep building up.”
Top seeded Marlies didn’t come close to making a comeback as the Amerks pulled away. Pontus Holmberg completed a hat-trick with 59 seconds left in the second period and cut the Americans’ lead to 5-3. Toronto continued to push to close the gap in the third, and although Topi Niemela made it 6-4 with a quick shot, Subban stood his ground and Brett Murray added a goal on the power play to give the fans another reason to celebrate .
The Americans were sixth in the division on February 20, outside of the playoff picture. Now they are among the last four remaining teams in the AHL.
“Of course we think we’re not done yet,” said Appert. “But at the same time, this will be a banner that this group collectively deserved. That stays forever.”
Here are more observations from the game:
The Marlies have learned the hard way that allowing Kulich to quickly invade the zone is not wise. The 2022 first-round pick ran into two defenders and unleashed a wrist throw from the slot that defeated Woll for a 4-1 lead. 19-year-old Kulich extended his scoring streak to six games. He has 30 goals between the regular season and the playoffs.
“His game usually increases as the temperature rises,” Appert said of Kulich.
Rosen, who was ranked 14th overall in 2021, blasted a one-timer from the right circle in the second period to make it 5-1, adding his second goal of the game and fourth in the playoffs by scoring from a loose puck Capital struck The shot on target gave the Americans a three-goal lead in the third period.
“The regular season was the regular season,” said Kulich, who also had two assists. “Now it’s the playoffs and that’s why we’re playing hockey. This was crazy again. We are so lucky to have such amazing fans.”
Rousek has shown time and time again that he’s ready for an NHL opportunity. His shot doesn’t impress. He also doesn’t have the elite speed of a young talent like Rosen. But Rousek has exceptional vision on the ice and instincts that cannot be learned. He wins fights along the wall, essential for any effective winger, and plays in tight spaces. Rousek regularly hits the net, as he proved again with his power play goal.
Rousek finished the season with one goal and three assists, continuing his strong game into the postseason.
Rochester built this Sabers regime the right way. Prospects like Murray and Linus Weissbach have been key, and strong drafts have produced more young talent. But they’ve also signed players with the right depth, like Olischefski, who played college hockey for five years. Jobst was a Hobey Baker finalist at Ohio State and became the Amerks’ first-line center. Brendan Warren contributed two assists and has become a major role player in the last two seasons.
Subban has been the better keeper in each of the last two series, making saves when needed. He made 16 stops in the third period on Wednesday while his teammates tried to stem the Marlies’ push. Subban has a .910 save percentage in eight playoff games, and his excellent game in goal bought the Americans time to find their game.
His kick save to stop a Logan Shaw one-timer with nine seconds left in the first period gave Rochester a 3-1 lead. Subban used his stick to stop Shaw again in the second set, choking Toronto when he blocked Carl Dahlstrom’s right circle shot.
“I’m trying to stay as balanced as possible,” Subban explained. “Obviously that’s because of the experience I’ve gained over the years and I try to use that to my advantage. Keep calm for the team.”
Winger Linus Weissbach (upper body) missed the second game in a row but is showing improvement, Appert said. Weissbach sustained the injury in the Amerks’ Game 1 win in Toronto. They were also without striker Brandon Biro for the entire postseason due to an injury that ended the season.
Rochester’s healthy scratches were Aleksandr Kisakov, Matej Pekar, Olivier Nadeau, Josh Passolt, Carson Gicewicz, Austin Strand and Peter Tischke.
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