Rochester had been rolling red hot for quite some time now, but a cool down was to be expected at some point.

This past week saw Rochester drop two out of three games, which has become a rare sight so far this season.

Despite their two losses, Rochester found themselves putting up a halfway decent fight.

Results

December 18 – Binghamton 2, Rochester 1

ROC: B. Murray (4)
ROC: A. Hammond – 23 saves (L – 10-3-2)

December 20 – Rochester 3, Binghamton 0

ROC: J. Gilmour (2), T. Randell (4), L. Pilut (3)
ROC: J. Johansson – 40 saves (W – 9-2-2)

December 21 – Utica 4, Rochester 3

ROC: T. Leier (1), J. Gilmour (3), T. Leier (2)
ROC: A. Hammond – 22 saves (L -10-4-2)

Three Big Things

1: Another Big Shutout

Jonas Johansson continued his strong start to the 2019-20 American Hockey League season on Friday night.

Facing the Binghamton Devils, Johansson feasted on the team’s overall lack of offensive firepower.

When all was said and done, Johansson walked away with his ninth victory of the season and his second shutout of the season.

2: Casey in Rochester

The big news of the week was forward Casey Mittelstadt being demoted from the Buffalo Sabres to the Rochester Americans.

While this move felt like it had been needed for a little while, seeing Mittelstadt’s come across the computer screen was a small jolt.

Mittelstadt played in all three games this past week, tallying zero points on five shots with a -1 plus/minus rating.

With his confidence all but shot, one can expect Mittelstadt to sputter for a few games while he tries to get comfortable with his new teammates and new surroundings.

3: Welcome Back Leier

For the first time since returning from major offseason surgery, forward Taylor Leier found the back of the net –  twice – on Saturday night.

Not only was this Leier’s first and second goals of his season, this went in the books as his first regular season goal since April 14, 2019.

Following the game on Saturday, Leier told the assembled that “shooting the puck more” led to his on-ice success.

If it is as simple as that, maybe Leier will continue to put the puck in the back of the net.

Standings

Coming Up

Friday, December 27 – Rochester Americans vs Belleville Senators
Saturday, December 28 – Rochester Americans at Binghamton Devils