NEWARK, N.J. – The Rochester Amerks essentially have been in playoff mode for a couple of weeks, trying to squeeze into one of five berths in the AHL's North Division. But if the Buffalo Sabres' farm club falls short, coach Don Granato isn't simply marking the affiliate's season in the setback column.
"There's a lot of hype on making the playoffs for them,but the battle to the playoffs is something that's really good for guys," Granato said Thursday in Prudential Center before to the Sabres' game against the New Jersey Devils. "We're talking about development. So any adverse situation, any challenge you have to meet pushes that development. Whether the outcome is positive or negative, the result is positive because you have to face challenges.
Much of the team is expected to be back in the fall when training camp begins. The final two weeks present an opportunity to finish off an impressive run that dates to early March.
"Sometimes you fall short, but there's lessons in that. And for young guys, it's good. I do like that UPL (goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen) has to play under that pressure. And, obviously, the other guys as well that are there. So it's good."
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The Amerks (36-27-9) are clinging to the North's fifth and final playoff spot. Because of Covid-19-induced schedule quirks, the AHL playoff format is quite goofy this season, with teams' standing based on points percentage and not mere points because of uneven numbers of games. Utica has clinched the North, but nothing else is set.
Laval is second, with a .597 points percentage, followed by Belleville at .580, Syracuse at .579, Rochester at .563 and Toronto at .552. Only Cleveland (.438) has been eliminated. Rochester and Syracuse are playing a 76-game schedule, while the three Canadian teams are playing 72. Belleville has three games left, Rochester has four left while Toronto and Laval have five and Syracuse has six.
A goaltending problem has plagued the organization since Ryan Miller’s departure in February 2014.
"I don't think you can characterize anything as a setback right now for where we are as a franchise," Granato said. "I think not working, not playing passionately, not committing to practice every day, those are setbacks. I don't think an outcome of a game right now is a setback if you have those things in order. Because young players, when they approach it the right way, they're going to get better and better and that will flip.
"I've watched them through the whole year, I love what's going on down there. Every time I see them, they get better as a team, and they fight hard as a team. So lots of positives, regardless of result or outcome."
The Amerks' remaining slate starts this week with a grueling three-in-three weekend: Friday at Utica, Saturday against Cleveland in Blue Cross Arena and Sunday at Cleveland. The season finale is in Rochester on April 29 against Utica.
If the Amerks make the playoffs, they'll get some reinforcements from Buffalo. Defensemen Casey Fitzgerald and Mattias Samuelsson and forward Peyton Krebs are eligible for the AHL postseason. (It should be noted that Owen Power is not eligible because he joined the Sabres after the deadline for AHL roster inclusions had passed).
"I've been following them. Saw they got a huge win the other day and slid into the fifth spot," Fitzgerald said Thursday, referring to a 3-2 shootout win over Springfield. "There's four games left now, and every game counts. So I'll be keeping a close eye on them."
The 19-year-old is averaging 22 minutes, 2 seconds of ice time and looks every bit the part of a No. 1 overall pick.
Fitzgerald said, "absolutely," when asked if he's playing in the Calder Cup Playoffs if the Amerks qualify.
"I'm 100% if they make playoffs. I'll be there," he said. "And I think (Samuelsson and Krebs) will, too. It would be good to hopefully make a run down there, but you gotta make the playoffs first, so I'll be watching closely."
If the season ended Thursday, the Amerks would face Syracuse in a best-of-three first-round playoff series. It would be Rochester’s third consecutive postseason appearance. Because of the pandemic, the AHL has not had a postseason since 2019.
The Amerks are getting clutch performances from some of their top players during the regular season’s final weeks. Luukkonen has a .926 save percentage in his last five starts, Jack Quinn has at least one point in seven of his last 10 games and West Seneca native Sean Malone has eight goals with 12 points in his last 11 games.
Quinn, the Sabres’ first-round draft choice in 2020, has 25 goals and 57 points in only 41 games. Winger JJ Peterka, selected in the second round in the same draft, leads all AHL rookies this season with 63 points in 66 games. He has 24 goals during his first year in North America.
General Manager Kevyn Adams and assistant Jason Karmanos will spend time overseas watching and now their head coach will be behind one of the benches as well.
Malone, 26, has been limited to 35 games because of a lower-body injury that required surgery. But he has set career highs in goals (18) and points (35). Center Arttu Ruotsalainen, a pending restricted free agent, has 18 goals and 50 points in 53 games.
News Sports Reporter Lance Lysowski contributed to this report.Â
