The Rochester Americans will try to win consecutive games for the first time this season when they host the Cleveland Monsters at 7:05 p.m. Wednesday at Blue Cross Arena, opening a stretch of three games in four days.
Rochester enters at 5-4-0-1 after a 6-3 win over Lehigh Valley on Friday, while Cleveland is 6-4, according to the Americans' game preview. Wednesday is the first of eight meetings between the teams.
The game also is Rochester's inaugural ASL Night, with sign language interpreters and enhanced in-arena features for fans who are deaf or hard of hearing. Pregame coverage begins at 7 p.m. on WGR Rochester and AHLTV on FloHockey.
The Amerks scored twice on the power play and had five players record multiple points against the Phantoms. That win followed a 3-2 loss to Hershey and kept Rochester unbeaten on Fridays this season.
Injuries create openings in Rochester's lineup
Coach Michael Leone used 11 forwards and seven defensemen against Lehigh Valley because of injuries up front. The shortages grew during the game when veteran Carson Meyer was punched after the whistle in the first period. Jason Polin also missed part of the game before returning to the bench.
Leone has ruled out Meyer, Conor Sheary, Red Savage, Gavin McCarthy, Thomas Bordeleau, Jack Rathbone and Matteo Constantini against Cleveland.
With forward depth and center options limited, general manager Stacy Roest signed Ryan Sandelin to a professional tryout Tuesday. Sandelin led the ECHL's South Carolina Stingrays with five goals and six points in six games.
The Hermantown, Minnesota, native brings 149 games of AHL experience. He spent the past two seasons with the Iowa Wild, recording 11 goals and 13 assists, after a rookie season with the Colorado Eagles.
Leone said Tuesday that the injuries offer players opportunities for more ice time and larger roles. The team identified Matthew Peca, Caleb Jones and Dennis Gilbert, who returned to the lineup after a stint in Buffalo, among the players who could help set the tone.
Fast starts have fueled the Amerks
Rochester has outscored opponents 21-13 at home, compared with an even 12-12 on the road. Its first-period advantage is 12-4, tying Abbotsford for the AHL's largest goal differential in the opening period.
The Amerks are 5-1 when scoring first. Their only loss in that situation came Oct. 17 in Syracuse, when they gave up a 2-0 lead.
Cleveland also benefits from early leads, going 3-0 when scoring first. But the Monsters are 0-4 when trailing after one period and 1-4 when behind after two.
The Monsters started 4-1-0-0 before losing three of their next five games. Their five-game road trip brings them to Rochester without having faced a divisional opponent during the season's first month. Cleveland went 3-1-0-0 against the Atlantic Division and 3-3-0-0 against the Central.
Close finishes favor Cleveland
The teams have found different ways to win through their first 10 games. Cleveland is 4-0-0-0 in games decided by two goals or fewer, while Rochester is 2-4-0-1 in those contests.
The Monsters have scored at least three goals in every victory. They also lead the league with three wins beyond regulation, two in overtime and one in a shootout.
Rochester's offense has produced several wider margins: a 4-1 win over Hamilton, a 6-3 win over Lehigh Valley and a 7-1 victory over Syracuse. Cleveland is 2-4-0-0 in games decided by three goals or more.
In nine of Cleveland's 10 games, the winning team has scored at least four goals. Both teams bring top-10 offenses into Wednesday's matchup, while Rochester also has the league's seventh-ranked scoring defense.
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