BUFFALO, NY – The Rochester Americans and St. John’s IceCaps carried a 2-2 tie all the way through the third period and overtime, but three goals on three attempts in the shootout were the deciding factor as the Amerks closed out their season-long five-game homestand with a 3-2 victory Wednesday at the First Niagara Center in downtown Buffalo. The Amerks have now won each of the last four meetings with the IceCaps dating back to Nov. 27 and improve to 15-14-1-1 heading into the New Year.
Jerome Leduc and Brady Austin each scored in regulation before the Amerks went a perfect 3-for-3 in the shootout with goals from Jason Akeson, Justin Bailey and Cal O’Reilly. Nathan Lieuwen was solid from start to finish for Rochester, making 25 saves on 27 shots to pick up his eighth win of the season. Tim Schaller, Nick Baptiste and Akeson all recorded assists in the win, which snapped a brief two-game skid for the Amerks.
Gabriel Dumont and Charles Hudon provided the scoring for the IceCaps, while Dustin Tokarski turned in a 28-save effort for the visitors.
The Amerks failed to convert on their first power-play of the game, but made sure to capitalize on their very next man-advantage as Leduc opened the scoring with his fourth of the season for a 1-0 lead. Akeson and Schaller teamed up to win a loose puck battle in the right corner and kicked it up to the high slot to Leduc, who after side-stepping a St. John’s defenseman, fooled Tokarski with a long range wrist shot from just inside the blueline at 7:07 of the first period.
St. John’s needed only 21 seconds into the middle frame to even the score on a shorthanded tally from Dumont. The IceCaps captain gained the Rochester zone with speed, cut to his right to avoid a confrontation with Amerks defenseman Chad Ruhwedel and finished the rush by beating Lieuwen short-side.
Rochester was quick to rally back from the IceCaps goal, however, as only 1:21 later Austin was able to score his second goal of the season to retake the lead for the Amerks. Baptiste recorded an assist on the play after stealing the puck away from St. John’s forward Mac Bennett and floating a cross-ice pass to a streaking Austin, who picked the upper left corner for the go-ahead goal.
The IceCaps fought their way back later in the period as Hudon snuck a shot through Lieuwen during a 5-on-3 opportunity for St. John’s to send the game into overtime.
Lucas Lessio nearly put the game away for St. John’s in the closing seconds of overtime on a partial breakaway, but Schaller was able to catch up with Lessio and sweep the puck away as time expired.
Lessio answered Akeson’s first-round try in the shootout, but goals from Bailey and O’Reilly would seal the 3-2 win for the Amerks.
With Amerks game report
