ROCHESTER, HY – The Rochester Americans rode a season-high seven consecutive goals, including four from defensemen, and 13 different players recorded at least one point as the Amerks rolled to a 7-1 blowout win over the visiting Hartford Wolf Pack Friday at The Blue Cross Arena. Rochester has now won three of its last four and has collected points in four of its last five while improving to 13-12-1-1 on the season with one game to play before heading into the holiday break.
Tonight’s victory also moves head coach Randy Cunneyworth into sixth place on the AHL’s all-time coaching wins list, surpassing Terry Reardon with his 363rd career victory.
Amerks defensemen Matt Donovan, Bobby Sanguinetti, Chad Ruhwedel and Jerome Leduc scored the first four goals for Rochester before Justin Bailey, Jason Akeson and Jean Dupuy each tallied in the third period to round out the scoring. Cal O’Reilly returned from a two-game stint with the Buffalo Sabres in time to record two assists, while Jerry D’Amigo (0+2), Evan Rodrigues (0+2) and Akeson all finished with multi-point efforts. Andrey Makarov stopped 28 of 29 Hartford shots and was perfect up until 22 seconds remaining in regulation when a late Wolf Pack goal spelled the end for his shutout bid.
Leading point-getter Chad Nehring scored the lone Hartford goal, while Mackenzie Skapski and Jeff Malcolm combined for 25 saves in the loss.
A seamless breakout play from the Rochester zone and a slick finish by Donovan off a textbook give-and-go with Rodrigues put the home team in front at 14:20 of the opening period. After aiding in a great defensive effort to help the Amerks clear the zone, Donovan immediately joined O’Reilly, who was reassigned to Rochester just hours before the game, on the ensuing offensive rush. Streaking up the center of the ice, Donovan advanced the puck up to Rodriques, who made a quick return pass between two Hartford defensemen that Donovan steered past Skapski for a 1-0 lead.
The offensive contributions from Rochester’s blueliners continued into the second period with Sanguinetti and Ruhwedel each scoring their third goals of the season less than three minutes apart to provide the Amerks with a 3-0 advantage. Sanguinetti pushed the Amerks’ lead to a pair just 3:47 into the middle frame off a Hartford turnover, kicking a D’Amigo centering feed up to his stick before putting a backhander of the post and in for a shorthanded tally. The assist extends D’Amigo’s point streak to a season-high four games, while O’Reilly, who also earned his first point as a Sabre in last night’s win over Anaheim, notched his second point on the night.
Ruhwedel widened the gap just 2:44 later when he connected a one-timer from the point that found the inside of the left post through traffic, his first of three markers this season not on the power-play.
Rochester kept pouring on the goals in the third period, scoring twice in the first 1:36 of play to take a 5-0 lead. Leduc connected on a cross-ice feed from Akeson for a power-play tally at 1:14 and Bailey followed up just 22 seconds later after the Wolf Pack failed to clear their blueline.
Malcolm came in for relief thereafter and was quickly greeted on a goal by Akeson, who made it a 6-0 contest on a shot from the right of the slot. Dupuy put the finishing touches on Rochester’s seven-goal night midway through the frame, stripping the puck of Wolf Pack defenseman Kodie Curran and beating Malcolm with a high shot over the netminder’s shoulder.
Nehring spoiled Makarov’s shutout bid with just 22 seconds remaining in regulation to bring the score to 7-1.
With Amerks game report
