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Rochester, NY (WGR 550) -- What a pleasure it was to see hockey again. It’s not the NHL, but the AHL season opened for the Rochester Americans and it was fast paced and fun right off the bat.
As advertised, the league is going to be better as both teams skated very well.
Cody Hodgson spent 52 games in the AHL while with Vancouver and scored 17 goals and 13 assists. He came out in his first shift with Rochester and skated very well. He led a 2-on-1 down the left wing, waited for Corey Tropp to get to the net and laid a perfect pass on Tropp’s stick for the tap in. That’s the kind of skating and play the Sabres are expecting. Hodgson told me a few weeks ago he by far is in the best shape of his life after a full summer with Gary Roberts.
Hodgson also killed penalties with mixed results. He lost a draw, Luke Adam committed to the wrong point man leaving the right point wide open and it led to Syracuse’s first goal. After that he was fine and made a good break up back checking 5-on-5. He was real good at in the 2nd period. The Amerks had a lengthy 5-on-3 disadvantage and Hodgson was out for a lot of it with Tropp and Joe Finley.
Tropp wasn’t through in the first period as he bunted down an Adam shot, calmly turned on the rebound had scored his second goal of the period. He had a great chance for the hat trick early in the 2nd period leading a 3-on-1, but put his shot over the net. In the 3rd period Tropp got his leg hit along the wall and he couldn’t put any weight on it. Instead of going off he went to the front of the net on one leg. He finally thought better of it and somehow got to the bench just as Mancari was scoring. It didn’t look good for the Sabre winger who did get 3rd star honors.
Marcus Foligno played with Kevin Porter and Mark Mancari and found himself alone in the slot and he calmly blasted home his 1st of the season.
Zemgus Girgensons had a good hit on his first shift, but didn’t do much after. Being as young as he is, he has to learn intensity throughout.
Mark Pysyk was steady enough in his professional period, but he was unaware on a penalty kill and his man fanned while wide open. Pysyk’s game picked up as the nerves wore off. He was very steady on defense and in his own end after that with the exception of one shift where he had a bad give away. He scored a goal in his 1st professional game blasting one from the right point. It deflected off a Syracuse defenseman. Pysyk is on the 2nd power play and also kills penalties.
The kids were playing pretty well and then they gave it all back. Leading 4-1 the wheels came off and next thing you knew, Syracuse was up 5-4.
I wrote an article a few weeks ago on the return of Mark Mancari and bringing him back paid dividends. The Amerks got a 5-on-3 and Mancari playing the left point calmly walked down the slot, took a wrister and tied it.
It took us to a shootout and David Leggio stopped all five Syracuse shooters while the Amerks missed four including Hodgson. It was Mancari ripping a shot under the bar to send 8589 home with a 6-5 win.
Didn’t say much about Brayden McNabb, but he put in a pretty good night’s work. Cory Conacher, who played his college hockey at Canisius was the game’s 2nd star thanks to three 3rd period points. Conacher came down on McNabb with the game tied and looked like he had him beat, but McNabb got the long stick out to knock it away. Later, McNabb flew up ice to set up a scoring chance, he was deep in the zone, but got back quickly and again, knocked it off Conacher’s stick.
So overall, I liked Hodgson and the way he skated, he lost a little intensity in the 3rd as did others. Foligno didn’t hit a whole lot, but got the goal and was in on scrums. Didn’t get much of a forecheck going, but that was in part to his line mate Porter who had a real tough first game. He gave the puck away a lot and generated very little.
I think Pysyk could be a real good defenseman.
Luke Adam, appeared to be a step behind and was average.
Still, a good game to watch, the Amerks have some good players, but they learned in game one playing half a game can come back to get you. It didn’t this time, but they may not be as lucky next time.
As advertised, the league is going to be better as both teams skated very well.
Cody Hodgson spent 52 games in the AHL while with Vancouver and scored 17 goals and 13 assists. He came out in his first shift with Rochester and skated very well. He led a 2-on-1 down the left wing, waited for Corey Tropp to get to the net and laid a perfect pass on Tropp’s stick for the tap in. That’s the kind of skating and play the Sabres are expecting. Hodgson told me a few weeks ago he by far is in the best shape of his life after a full summer with Gary Roberts.
Hodgson also killed penalties with mixed results. He lost a draw, Luke Adam committed to the wrong point man leaving the right point wide open and it led to Syracuse’s first goal. After that he was fine and made a good break up back checking 5-on-5. He was real good at in the 2nd period. The Amerks had a lengthy 5-on-3 disadvantage and Hodgson was out for a lot of it with Tropp and Joe Finley.
Tropp wasn’t through in the first period as he bunted down an Adam shot, calmly turned on the rebound had scored his second goal of the period. He had a great chance for the hat trick early in the 2nd period leading a 3-on-1, but put his shot over the net. In the 3rd period Tropp got his leg hit along the wall and he couldn’t put any weight on it. Instead of going off he went to the front of the net on one leg. He finally thought better of it and somehow got to the bench just as Mancari was scoring. It didn’t look good for the Sabre winger who did get 3rd star honors.
Marcus Foligno played with Kevin Porter and Mark Mancari and found himself alone in the slot and he calmly blasted home his 1st of the season.
Zemgus Girgensons had a good hit on his first shift, but didn’t do much after. Being as young as he is, he has to learn intensity throughout.
Mark Pysyk was steady enough in his professional period, but he was unaware on a penalty kill and his man fanned while wide open. Pysyk’s game picked up as the nerves wore off. He was very steady on defense and in his own end after that with the exception of one shift where he had a bad give away. He scored a goal in his 1st professional game blasting one from the right point. It deflected off a Syracuse defenseman. Pysyk is on the 2nd power play and also kills penalties.
The kids were playing pretty well and then they gave it all back. Leading 4-1 the wheels came off and next thing you knew, Syracuse was up 5-4.
I wrote an article a few weeks ago on the return of Mark Mancari and bringing him back paid dividends. The Amerks got a 5-on-3 and Mancari playing the left point calmly walked down the slot, took a wrister and tied it.
It took us to a shootout and David Leggio stopped all five Syracuse shooters while the Amerks missed four including Hodgson. It was Mancari ripping a shot under the bar to send 8589 home with a 6-5 win.
Didn’t say much about Brayden McNabb, but he put in a pretty good night’s work. Cory Conacher, who played his college hockey at Canisius was the game’s 2nd star thanks to three 3rd period points. Conacher came down on McNabb with the game tied and looked like he had him beat, but McNabb got the long stick out to knock it away. Later, McNabb flew up ice to set up a scoring chance, he was deep in the zone, but got back quickly and again, knocked it off Conacher’s stick.
So overall, I liked Hodgson and the way he skated, he lost a little intensity in the 3rd as did others. Foligno didn’t hit a whole lot, but got the goal and was in on scrums. Didn’t get much of a forecheck going, but that was in part to his line mate Porter who had a real tough first game. He gave the puck away a lot and generated very little.
I think Pysyk could be a real good defenseman.
Luke Adam, appeared to be a step behind and was average.
Still, a good game to watch, the Amerks have some good players, but they learned in game one playing half a game can come back to get you. It didn’t this time, but they may not be as lucky next time.