ROCHESTER, NY – The Rochester Americans surrendered the deciding goal off of the stick of Daniel Carr with just 1:19 left in regulation on their way to a 4-2 loss to the North Division rival Hamilton Bulldogs in a physical affair Friday night at The Blue Cross Arena. With the loss, the Amerks fall to 25-30-5-1 as their point streak comes to an end at five games. 
Kevin Sundher scored his first goal of the season and Mikhail Grigorenko added his 12th tally for the Amerks, while Andrey Makarov stopped 28 shots in net to drop his record to 14-15-3 on the season. Rookie Allan McPherson finished with two assists for the first multi-point outing of his AHL career.
Eric Tangradi and Christian Thomas both scored for Hamilton, with Jake Dowell adding an empty netter in the final minute. Goaltender Joey MacDonald made 26 saves to earn the win.
The Amerks opened the scoring just 5:13 into the first period on Sundher’s first of the season. Sundher, playing in just 18th game of the season, crashed the net and chipped in a rebound from Evan Rankin’s shot to give Rochester an early lead.
Hamilton bounced back with two goals in a span of 1:54, with the first score coming on a man-advantage, to gain a 2-1 edge over the Amerks. Tangradi was the finisher on Hamilton’s initial goal after cleaning up during a scrum in front, while Thomas’ goal came after the puck ricocheted off of the end-boards right on the forward’s stick. Thomas collected the puck and beat Makarov to the near post to put Hamilton ahead by a goal.
Rochester earned two power-plays in the opening five minutes of the third period, but couldn’t capitalize with the man-advantage.
With the teams skating four-on-four midway through the final period, Grigorenko found some open space in Hamilton’s zone and shot the puck under the bar from the slot for his 12th of the season to even the score 2-2.
Brayden Irwin nearly put the Amerks in front with 5:48 left in regulation. The veteran forward gathered the puck behind the net and caught MacDonald out of position, but the goaltender dove across the crease to deny the wrap-around just as the net was knocked off its moorings.
Carr scored the deciding goal with just 1:19 left in regulation after jamming a rebound past Makarov’s left pad, putting Hamilton in front 3-2. The Amerks pulled Makarov for the extra attacker with one minute left, but Dowell would settle the game with a shot into the empty net to help the Bulldogs escape town with a 4-2 win.
With Rochester game report
