Alexander Nylander vs Hartford Wolf Pack 10/17/2017 (Grade B+)

Friday’s Military Appreciation Night clash against the Wolf Pack marked the second consecutive impressive home victory for the Amerks. Though the headlines going in were all about the return of Evan Rodrigues and Alexander Nylander, CJ smith stole the show with a massive night featuring two goals and two assists. Blackwell also impressed for the second game in a row notching a pair of assists himself to go along with a +3 rating. 

However, for many the most exciting moment of the night remained the return to action of Alexander Nylander. Although he looked to be shaking off a bit of rust on his first couple shifts Nylander looked amazing. He was able to showcase his lightning quick skating, supreme confidence on the puck and deadly shot. After watching him play it was clear that he was the most talented player on the ice. Im going to rate his performance a B+. 

Offensively, Nylander played very well, but I was bit disappointed his line featuring Rodrigues and Baptiste could not register a full strength goal. They did muster a few dangerous chances including a shot from Nylander in the slot that rung of the top corner of the post in the first period. I was most impressed with Nylander on the power play. As in the past he looked phenomenal in the role of point forward. The speed and vision he showcased while whipping pucks around the zone was exactly what this Amerk’s power-play has been missing so far. It was beautifully strung together combination of quick passes that spread Hartford out to create the chance for CJ Smith to score his second goal of the night. The only thing I worry about with Nylander is his ability to create when he doesn't have as much space. He took a a couple big hits on the night and had a couple turnovers behind the enemy net that looked to come from purely from a desire to avoid punishment on the boards. Though he is still extremely creative I worry that his toughness, (or lack there of) could negatively affect his decision making in certain situations.

Defensively, Nylander did not make much of an impact at full strength. I was impressed with what he was able to when called upon as a point forward though. He made a couple very nice plays under pressure to keep the puck in the zone and didn’t look uncomfortable defending the counter attack. He was called for a slashing minor trying to poke away the puck as a Wolf pack forward tried to skate the puck out of the zone; but I thought it was a terrible call and saw no wrongdoing.   

Overall, it’s only a mater of time before Nylander leaves Rochester for a permanent spot in Buffalo. I would not be at all surprised if that happens at some point this year. I think he possess elite playmaking ability even at the NHL level, and if he can become more accurate with that deadly wrister of his Nylander has the potential to be something really special.   

Colin Blackwell vs Albany Devils 11/16/2017 (Gade A)

Wednesday marked the Amerk’s first shutout victory of the year. And while Linus Ullmark did play fantastic, the story of the night was the 60 minutes of clean, conservative hokey played by the Amerks. Rochester took an early lead scoring two power-play goals in the first four minutes. It was a stark contrast from the way special teams have operated this year. I want to give a bit of credit to Coach Taylor because the team tried some quick zone entry plays tonight that seemed to catch the Devils off guard. On the theme of great special teams play, the Amerks only gave Albany one power-play opportunity, which should also be commended. 

On a night where conservative disciplined hockey took center stage, Colin Blackwell played a perfect game. With the first line of Fasching, Criscuolo, and C.J. Smith really humming and creating plenty of chances, mistake free hockey was exactly what should be expected from a third line center. Also, late in the game he did a fantastic job in the face off circle while the Devils were applying pressure. Blackwell won 4 of his 6 defensive zone face offs in the 3^rd period. Im going to rate his performance an A.

Offensively, Blackwell did not contribute anything special. He did create one chance as a forechecker when he won the puck behind the Albany net, and then delivered a nice centering pass, but it didn’t lead to a goal. Most of his time in the offensive zone, he was camped in the high slot or covering for a pinching defenseman. I was shocked to see how high in the zone 43 was for the majority of the game, but it did led to smart possession oriented hockey, so it was perfect. On the breakout, his passes were measured and always tape to tape resulting in no neutral ice turnovers. Even though Blackwell is not going to be the guy that provides a spark on this team, his conservative brand of hockey was exactly what was required against the Devils Wednesday night.


Defensively, Blackwell did a serviceable job on the forecheck, but I would have liked to see a bit more intensity. After all, the one time he really pushed the envelope it led to his best scoring chance of the night. Outside of that, I didn't have any issues. His man-marking was exceptional, even trying to fight off forwards in front goal at times. He also did good job of digging pucks out in the corner to create outlet passes. On the one power-play opportunity the Devils had, Blackwell did a great job and was able to kill off precious seconds in the corner before clearing the danger. For the most part he didn't have to spend much time in the defensive zone because he was playing such mistake free possession hockey on the other side of the ice.


Overall, Blackwell proved to be a valuable cog in what has been a much improved machine in Rochester. While he may not bring some of the sexy playmaking ability of other youngsters, solid mistake free hockey has been a rare sight in the Blue Cross Arena during recent years. 3^rd line center is the perfect spot for him on the roster, so If he can bring the same kind of workman like performance to the rink every night, Blackwell should be an ideal fit with the Amerks.

Barry Goers vs Hershey Bears 11/03/2017 (Grade B+)

Friday's shootout victory against Hershey was certainly a thriller by all accords. After a 6 goal second period for Rochester the Bears clawed their way back in to the game forcing overtime with only 5 minutes to go. And for the second night in a row Cornell played the role of hero in the shoot out with a game winning goal. I'm glad to see he is giving coach Taylor a reason to put him in the line up because he has been less than impressive during regulation. However, one player that continues to impress this year is top prospect Brendon Guhle. He took on some major responsibility on the power play taking the majority of the point shots. Most of them were low and generated long rebounds, but on one occasion he was able to pick out the top corner and tie up the game in the second frame.

Another Amerks defenseman who continues to impress is Barry Goers. The new addition has been a very important cog in the machine with the absence of Paetsch, Faulk, and Fedun in the lineup. It's difficult to say a defensemen fulfilled their duties in a game where 6 goals were allowed, but his grade is a B+.

Offensively, I thought Goers did a great job and was able to make a positive impact on the game. While on the point, he chose not to take many shots opting to let his partner do most of the heavy lifting. Considering he was partnered with Guhle it was probably the right choice. Barry also picked all the right times to aggressively pinch and kept the puck in every time. He even skated the puck behind the opposing net at times (reminiscent of Fedun last year). What I liked most about his game was his ability to sneak forward during the opposing breakout and cut off passing lanes. He forced a couple turnovers early that led directly to instant offense.

Defensively, Goers was certainly busy. His first call to action came only 44 seconds into the game. Sadly, he was not up to the task. On a 2 on 2 he gave his man too much space and he was able to get off a shot from the high slot. Goers was unable to get his body in front of it and served more as a screen than anything else on the play. The result was a quick opening goal for the Bears. Fortunately, he learned from his early mistake and in similar situations for the rest of the game his man didn't come close to getting off a shot. Goers also did a serviceable job in front of net tonight. Outside of his first mishap he actually blocked a lot of shots and angle control was phenomenal, especially when shorthanded. The only area he struggled with was fending off the the 6ft 7' 235 pound Mathius Bau in front of goal. Goers did his best to lift Bau's stick but he was an immovable object on Friday (Hudson Fasching actually did his best impression and notched a great net front goal).

Overall I love what Goers has been able to do since he has arrived in Rochester. Even when others return I think he has the capability of a top 4 defensemen and I love the way he is gelling with Brendan Guhle. He would have to become a bit more consistent and incorporate more shooting into his game if NHL aspirations are in his future, but regardless he is a fantastic piece to have in Rochester.  

Kyle Criscuolo vs Syracuse Crunch 10/28/2017 (Grade A-)

In what was a reversal from the previous night (10/27) in every way, the Amerks played two great periods of hockey, but let a win slip away with a disappointing third period. As it should have been, playing a complete 60 minutes was a major theme in the post game press conference. Although it was a very disappointing divisional loss, there were definite positives. I thought Goers and Guhle played fantastic, and Sahir Gill extended his goal-scoring streak to 3 straight games.

Among others, I was extremely impressed by the performance of Kyle Criscuolo. The new addition has been a big time player for the Amerks, and was even sporting the Alternate Captain patch against the Crunch. Fittingly, I am going to rate him an A-.

Offensively, Criscuolo had a good night, extending his own goal-scoring streak to two. He did so after making a phenomenal forechecking play that directed a breakout pass on net. He drove the net hard and elevated the rebound over a sprawled goaltender. The net front turned into a place of residency for him on the night as he was designated to set up screens on the first power play unit. Despite his small stature, I thought he did a great job, even though he wasn’t able to tip anything past the goalie (it would be nice to see Fasching able take advantage of his size in that role). Kyle also did a good job in the face-off circle going a combined 12 for 18.

Defensively, Criscuolo was absolutely amazing. He was a complete pest in the forechecking game, creating countless turnovers. 51 was equally impressive backchecking, and was able to poke a few pucks right back to defenders and then start the breakout in the opposite direction. While short handed, he won several key draws and was able to make zone entry difficult by cut off shooting lanes on the point. Unfortunately, he did have a couple of lapses in the defensive zone where he lost track of his man, and Syracuse was able to punish those mistakes.

Overall, Criscuolo has turned into a massive piece with the Amerks this year. He is centering a top 6 line and contributing to both sides of special teams. Hopefully, when some skill players return to the lineup, he won’t need to handle such a heavy load on both sides of the puck. One thing is for sure; he is earning the A that has been placed on his sweater.

Sahir Gill vs Laval Rocket 10/27/2017 (Grade B)

On Friday night, for two periods the Amerks looked exactly like like a team that was dominated in consecutive appearances on home ice last weekend. By the end of the first two frames, the Amerks had officially been outscored 14 to 6 while on home ice. Fortunately, what followed was a magnificent 3rd period and an overtime win. Even though the Amerks heaped on 29 shots and a power play goal, the teams special teams issues are far from resolved as they only converted one of their six opportunities.

Sahir Gill played a solid game for the most part, and even kick started the comeback with an opening goal in the historic final period. However, there was certainly room for improvement so I’m going to rate his performance a B.

Offensively, I love what Gill brings to the table. He is a speedy winger who is strong on the puck and does an amazing job on the boards. I was shocked to see how good he was with the puck in traffic, especially under heavy pressure behind the net. Gill was consistently able to win the puck in dirty areas of the ice and get off clean passes to teammates. He plays every bit as hard and physical on the boards that Hudson Fasching should (and does it with a much slighter build). On the breakout, he also did a good job of stretching the defense and creating space for Moses and Porter to skate the puck.

Defensively, Gill was less consistent. He did a decent job in the forechecking game, but still wasn’t a game changer. And for the most part, only applied token pressure. Then again, major forechecking effort isn’t something that normally goes hand-in-hand with playing first line minutes. Inside his own blue line Gill was much more active. In fact he was all over the ice. It was great to see his high energy level, but positional discipline was an issue for him. The empty spots he created led to a lot of switching and chaos in front of Linus. It was a major factor in the first two goals that Laval scored.

Overall, I don’t think that Gill is exactly a first line talent, but he does enough things well to make him a fantastic complimentary piece. You could easily plug him into any spot on the roster, and I have now doubt that he will be successful. Going forward I would like to see more positional discipline out of him and a continuation of his ability to hit small windows shooting the puck.