ROCHESTER – It was around 12:20 a.m. Thursday morning, nearly 40 minutes after the heartbreaking conclusion to his first pro season, when JJ Peterka walked into the interview room deep within Blue Cross Arena. And it was clear that despite all that lies in front of him with the Buffalo Sabres, the kid from Germany wasn't going to easily let go of what he had.
Peterka's grey Amerks hoodie was up over his head and his eyes were sunken. But you had to look down to notice the real statement as he stood at the dais. His hockey pants were still on. So were his socks. And even his skates.
Told he clearly didn't look like he was ready for this to be over, Peterka said quietly, "Yeah, I'm still in my gear."
But there are no more games to play. The Amerks' season ended in a three-game sweep at the hands of the speedy Laval Rocket, with the finale coming in a 6-5 triple-overtime crusher that ended on the visitors' 60th shot on goal. It came off the stick of former Sabres/Amerks forward J-S Dea on a power play at 1:51 of the sixth period.
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JJ Peterka admitted he’s not ready for this to be over. Still in skates nearly 45 mins after it’s over. #Amerks #Sabres pic.twitter.com/0aMDY8MjMG
— Mike Harrington (@ByMHarrington) May 26, 2022
The end came abruptly at 11:38 p.m. Wednesday. Less than a week ago, the Amerks were as high as they could be, celebrating their Game 5 win at Utica. Thursday morning, less than 12 hours after their final defeat, they were back in the arena cleaning out their lockers for the summer.
Brett Murray said the numb feeling in the immediate aftermath was slowly dissipating and turning into pride with the way the Amerks battled from a 4-2 deficit after 40 minutes. Things got wacky as the night went on for what turned out to be the third-longest game in franchise history. The '50s classic "Rock Around the Clock" played through the arena PA before to the third OT. West Seneca native Sean Malone was chuckling over the scene in the dressing room during OT intermissions as players scrounged for a little food.
"There were a couple of pizzas going around I think. Guys are eating pizza just trying to fuel their bodies for the foreseeable future," Malone said with a laugh. "We didn't know when it was going to end. Some guys are cramping. Some are trying to get hydrated. It was crazy. You basically played almost two games in one day.
"Those are the moments you remember ... even when I'm 40 years old, we talked about it how we'll be telling our kids about how we're playing Laval in Game 3 and it went to triple overtime."
Exactly. For all the disappointment, this is why Kevyn Adams, Jason Karmanos, Don Granato and anyone else with a hand in player development for the Sabres wanted to see the Amerks in the playoffs.
For games like this. For those rare moments in the postseason where night almost turns into morning and you're still on the ice battling as a team.
This game. These situations. The key names like Peterka, Murray, Jack Quinn, Peyton Krebs, Arttu Ruotsalainen and Casey Fitzgerald will never forget this game, no matter how long their NHL careers eventually last.
They won't forget the noise in Rochester's wonderful old barn of an arena. They won't forget the wild swings of emotion. From the early 2-0 lead. To giving up four goals in less than four minutes of the second period. To Murray getting two of the three goals in the third to produce a 5-4 Rochester edge. And then to the gut-wrenching offensive-zone slashing penalty Murray took with 1:58 left in regulation that led to Jesse Ylonen's game-tying goal with 1:07 to go.
Aaron Dell made 54 saves for Rochester, and 23 came in overtime before Dea's deflected wrist shot that came with Brandon Davidson in the penalty box. He was there on a delay of game call for sending a puck over the glass on a close one that replays showed the officials got wrong.
"Probably more disappointed that this particular group of men will never be a team again," said coach Seth Appert, who paid tribute to the way his club overcame adversity all season. "That's the way it goes. And I thought tonight was fitting. Down 4-2 in the third and don't quit, put ourselves in position."
The Amerks had so many chances in this game. A 2-0 first-period lead could have easily gotten to 3-0 late in the first or through the second. A 5-4 lead in the third could have been game over at 6-4, but Mark Jankowski somehow missed from in tight when he had deked Laval goalie Cayden Primeau to the ice.
Peterka, Quinn and Krebs were the Amerks' go-to guys in this one. A big responsibility for 19- and 20-year-olds in the AHL. Quinn and Krebs each had four shots on goal in the game and numerous other chances, including a post Quinn hit on a power play. Neither had a goal in the postseason, although Krebs had a team-high 11 assists.
Quinn, in fact, had 12 shots on goal in the final two games of this series and was snakebit. An aside: He has to learn to knock off the toe drags on every shot and get the puck off quicker. Tage Thompson used to have the same bad habit and broke it. You saw the difference it made this season.
Peterka's two goals Wednesday gave him seven in the playoffs, and he had 12 points in 10 games. But he was kicking himself that his line couldn't finish off this game, particularly when the Amerks started overtime on a power play and had another man-advantage chance later in the first extra period.
"They're our go-to guys," Appert said. "Most teams in the American League, their 19- and 20-year-olds aren't their go-to guys. For us, they were. And they succeeded with that pressure a lot. And they struggled with that pressure, at times. But both of those things will fuel for growth in their own development."
The Sabres needed to see development and winning in Rochester this season. It was a bumpy road filled, at times, with too much Covid-19 and too many injuries. It ended with lots of questions around goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who was injured again and never played in the postseason, although he said Thursday that Game 4 was a distinct possibility.
Still, a month ago it looked as if these guys were toast and not getting in the playoffs. Getting a chance to play hockey on May 25 doesn't come around too often. Let's see how many of these Amerks take the lessons they learned and graduate to full-time duty in Buffalo come fall.
"I think that's great for all of us," Peterka said of winning two playoff rounds. "You don't have that many chances to play playoffs and go that far. Just soak it in. In a couple days, we'll probably appreciate it a little more."
