Observations: Arttu Ruotsalainen is a standout but Amerks drop series opener in Utica

Now, it should be noted that the 24-year-old Finn is playing on an expiring contract. And he took pains last month to shoot down reports out of Sweden that he had already signed next year to play in Switzerland.

But eyebrows throughout the Buffalo organization have to be raised with Ruotsalainen's performance in Rochester, particularly in the Amerks' three postseason games to date.

In a disappointing 6-3 loss to the Utica Comets in Tuesday's opener of the best-of-five North Division semifinals, Ruotsalainen scored two slick goals and was easily Rochester's most dangerous offensive player. He scored the overtime winner in Game 1 of the first round against Belleville and leads the AHL in postseason goals (5) and points (7). 

"He's one of the better players I'd say within this organization prospects-wise," said Amerks defenseman Casey Fitzgerald, just down from Buffalo. "He's a hell of a player and you get him the puck, he's gonna score goals. He's doing that right now and it's great to see. We've just got to do our part to help him out because he's been doing great."

The Amerks had a 2-0 lead after just 6:03 on a pair of one-timers as Ruotsalainen whipped home a Brett Murray pass on Rochester's first shot at 2:21 and JJ Peterka then scored on a power play off a Mark Jankowski feed.

Utica got goals in a 59-second span early in the second period to tie the game but Ruotsalainen put Rochester ahead again, 3-2, at 11:37 of the second period by whipping home a snapshot that deflected off the stick of a Utica defenseman and into the top corner of the net. How confident does the 5-foot-9 Ruotsalainen feel on the ice at this point?

"My confidence is pretty high right now," he said. "It's just good to play and it's good to be on the ice."

Ruotsalainen had 18 goals and 33 assists for the Amerks this season that included AHL Player of the Month honors in March. The breakthrough came after a frustrating 18-game stint in Buffalo that finished with just two goals and two assists in largely fourth-line duty.

"Probably like all goal scorers, they're inherently a little streaky and when you're feeling it, you're feeling it," said Rochester coach Seth Appert. "But he's doing so many little things. He's competing so hard. He's on the puck so much, that he's putting himself in good position."

The Amerks were overpowered by the North Division champion Comets over the final 40 minutes. Utica snapped a 3-3 tie on Joe Gambardella's rebound goal with 10:31 left and put the game away when AJ Greer scored two goals in the final six minutes, the latter on a breakaway. Utica outshot Rochester, 40-22, and the count was 35-13 over periods 2-3.

Here are some other observations on the game:

1. Complete turnaround

Utica woke up from its 10-day (plus one period) break with a blistering middle period. The Comets outshot the Amerks, 20-5, and scored three goals to erase the Amerks' early lead.

Tyce Thompson – Tage's younger brother – got Utica on the board at 4:31 by banging in a loose puck in the crease and defenseman Robbie Russo tied the game 59 seconds later as Aaron Dell was late pushing to his right and couldn't stop Russo's one-timer.

"We turned too many pucks over and they won too many puck battles and that started allowing them to play downhill on us," Appert said. "Their depth of strong, heavy forwards started to kind of lean on us."

Ruotsalainen's second goal gave the Amerks the lead again but Peterka then took a ticky-tack slashing penalty at 15:33 and it took only 20 seconds for Utica to tie it on the power play.

That goal came as Comets captain Ryan Schmelzer – the Buffalo native and former Canisius College captain – banged his own rebound past Dell to make it 3-3. Schmelzer had career highs of 18 goals and 32 points this year, his fourth in the Devils' organization.

"If we get the goal, it's like we're changing the momentum on the game," Ruotsalainen said of his second tally. "We just need to put the pucks behind their D, get the forecheck going on and I think we are best when we when we play like that."

2. The Amerks' lineup

Appert utilized a prospect-laden top line with Peyton Krebs centering Quinn and Peterka. Ruotsalainen was at right wing with Murray and center Mark Jankowski. West Seneca native Sean Malone centered Ryan MacInnis and captain Michael Mersch while forwards Lukas Rousek and Brandon Biro saw limited duty as Rochester went with an 11-7 lineup.

On the injury front, Appert said goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (lower body) remains out for at least the first three games of this series and probably longer. 

"I think it'd be a stretch for him to be back (in this series)," Appert said. "But he is getting better and doing well."

Defenseman Mattias Samuelsson (lower body) remained out Tuesday but Appert said he has "a higher potential" of playing in the series.

3. The setting

Adirondack Back Center, long known as the Utica War Memorial, dates to 1959 but has had several upgrades over the years. Also known as "The Aud" like its much larger former counterpart in Buffalo, the building was the site of scenes of the 1977 movie classic "Slap Shot" starring Paul Newman.

A roaring, chanting crowd of 3,917 all in white T-shirts howled through the final 30 minutes.

"We've got to be able to manage that crowd," Fitzgerald said. "That's how it's gonna be  the rest of playoffs, whatever building we're in."

4. Next

The teams had a pair of scrums in the final 18 seconds, including an extended one at the horn as plenty of messages were sent for Game 2 here Saturday night. 

"The temperature doesn't rise right away. And then as I thought as the game went on, it kept rising and rising, and obviously it boiled over at the end," Appert said. "But that's fine. That's playoff hockey. That's where it should be. They have a competitive team, we have a competitive team."

Game 3 is Sunday at 5:05 p.m. in Rochester's Blue Cross Arena.