The Amerks 3-2 shootout loss to the Bulldogs on Friday night felt like a tennis match at times, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.  It was much better than the first game of the season though when the Amerks lost 5-2.  One of the big differences in this game was the Amerks being down two top forwards due to suspensions, Marcus Foligno and Jonathan Parker.

Zack Fitzgerald got a lucky deflection to put the Bulldogs ahead 1-0 at 15:32 of the second period.  He had a clear opening and took the shot on Drew MacIntyre and as he did that Travis Turnbull reached with his stick and ended up deflecting the puck past MacIntyre.

Corey Tropp tied the game up 1-1 at 10:49 of the second when he took the puck down into the Hamilton zone along the boards, went around defender Zack Fitzgerald towards the bottom of the face off circle and then beat Nathan Lawson high on the opposite side of where he skated in from.  It was his first goal of the season.

The Amerks penalty kill had been perfect through three home games until tonight.  I blame the person sitting behind me who said, “they’ve been perfect on the PK so far at home.”  Way to jinx it buddy.

Shaone Morrisonn had gone to the penalty box for cross checking that created the power play opportunity that the Bulldogs scored on.  This penalty made sense but referee Geno Binda made some odd calls in the game.  The roughing penalty on Nick Crawford looked more like interference and the holding call on Bulldogs winger Mike Blunden didn’t look like any holding at all.  Other than the penalties he also seemed to have a way of getting in the play too often.  Those things wouldn’t have changed the outcome of the game but he made himself visible out there.

Phil DeSimone was by himself at the side of the net and put the rebound between MacIntyre’s pad and goal post to give the Bulldogs a 2-1 lead.  He was in perfect position behind the Amerks players and capitalized on the chance.

The Amerks tied the game up 2-2 on the power play at 14:58 of the third period off a goal by Corey Tropp, his second of the night.  Tropp was in a similar position that DeSimone was, to the side of the net ready for the rebound.

The game went into the shootout and you can watch the highlights of that below.  MacIntyre made some good saves and some bad reads.  Lawson was the difference for Hamilton in the shootout and they won the game.

Zack Kassian, Corey Tropp and Mark Voakes scored in the shootout for the Amerks.  Brock Trotter, Dany Masse, Frederic St Denis and Gabriel Dumont scored for the Bulldogs to win.

Michael Ryan was out of the lineup yet again and according to Rolston’s post game press conference he is just “injured.”  It was a headache last Sunday but he’s also been skating so it can’t be a concussion.  He looked fine in practice on Thursday morning.  I guess we’ll eventually find out.

Jonathan Parker will be back on the ice with the team after serving his one game suspension.  Marcus Foligno will be back on Sunday.

The Amerks took a bus to Toronto after tonight’s game where they’ll play the Toronto Marlies at 3pm.  They’ll be back at home on Sunday against the Adirondack Phantoms.

Scoreboard highlights:

—-

Hamilton Bulldogs 3 (SO) at Rochester Americans 2 – Status: Final SO
Friday, October 21, 2011 – Blue Cross Arena

Hamilton 0 1 1 0 – 3
Rochester 0 0 2 0 – 2

1st Period- No Scoring.Penalties-MacKenzie Rch (interference), 6:03; MacKenzie Rch (unsportsmanlike conduct), 12:21; Tropp Rch (high-sticking), 16:05.

2nd Period-1, Hamilton, FitzGerald 1 (Fast, Blunden), 15:32. Penalties-Crawford Rch (roughing), 7:57; Blunden Ham (holding), 8:32.

3rd Period-2, Rochester, Tropp 1 (Turnbull, McNabb), 10:49. 3, Hamilton, DeSimone 3 (Willsie, Blunden), 13:19 (PP). 4, Rochester, Tropp 2 (Whitmore, Kassian), 14:58 (PP). Penalties-Morrisonn Rch (cross-checking), 13:02; Conboy Ham (holding), 14:48.

OT Period- No Scoring.Penalties-No Penalties

Shootout – Hamilton 4 (Trotter G, Willsie NG, Avtsin NG, Blunden NG, Masse G, DeSimone NG, St. Denis G, Dumont G), Rochester 3 (Whitmore NG, Kassian G, Tropp G, Stuart NG, McNabb NG, Lagace NG, Voakes G, Szydlowski NG).
Shots on Goal-Hamilton 5-7-10-0-1-23. Rochester 12-11-8-0-0-31.
Power Play Opportunities-Hamilton 1 / 5; Rochester 1 / 2.
Goalies-Hamilton, Lawson 3-2-0 (31 shots-29 saves). Rochester, MacIntyre 1-1-1 (22 shots-20 saves).
A-4,854
Referees-Geno Binda (22).
Linesmen-Jeff Walker (28), Justin Prusak (70).