The Rochester Americans are in town for the first of two trips to Albany this season, not one as I thought, and as has been the case for the past several years. The Amerks will be back again on Jan. 24.
Albany (10-15-3-2) is looking to both end a three-game losing streak they took into the Christmas break, as well as some payback for a 4-0 loss at Rochester on Dec. 7. The Amerks have been on a roll since that win, winning six of their last nine games, all since the arrival of goalie Mike (Not Marty) Brodeur.
Brodeur won't be in goal tonight, however, as Chris Beckford-Tseu will be making his first start in 13 games, since Nov. 29 in Grand Rapids, Mich. He'll be opposed by Albany's Justin Peters.
Plagued by injury, the Rats brought in forwards Yannick Tifu and Brad Herauf from ECHL Florida. They came in from Duluth, Ga., where the Everblades play Gwinnett tonight, and missed all but two minutes of pregame warmups. Tifu played 11 games for Albany this season before being sent down Nov. 3; tonight will be Herauf's AHL debut.
Not in the lineup for Albany are defensemen Benn Olson, Brett Bellemore and forwards Dan LaCouture, Jerome Samson, Stefan Chaput, Bobby Hughes, Joe Jensen and Trevor Gillies, all hurt. Defensemen Steve Ward and Josef Melichar are also out; Ward is a healthy scratch. Melichar, who missed Friday's practice due to travel delays from the Czech Republic, was at today's morning skate but is not dressed.
The good news is that captain Tim Conboy and veteran forward Michael Ryan, both question marks heading into today's game, will both suit up. Conboy missed the past two games with a leg injury, while Ryan had been slowed by illness.
Line combinations from warmups: Ryan-Nick Dodge-Jakub Petruzalek; Harrison Reed-Dwight Helminen-Pat Dwyer (A); Nicolas Blanchard-Mike Angelidis (A)-Ryan Weston. Tifu, a center, and Herauf, a left wing, are expected to play together.
UPDATE: Tifu is playing left wing on a line with Helminen and Dwyer; Herauf is at left wing with Petruzalek and Reed.
Defense combinations: Casey Borer-Conboy (C); Bryan Rodney-Brett Carson; Jonathan Paiement-Mark Flood; Noah Babin.
Ward, who is featured in Sunday's AHL notebook, is sitting out for the first time since being recalled from ECHL Reading on Dec. 12. Figures.
Rochester is missing captain Rory Fitzpatrick, an Irondequoit native, and forwards Randall Gelech and Riley Emmerson. Line combinations: Karl Stewart-David Brine-Stefan Meyer; Kenndal McArdle (A)-Shawn Matthias-Michal Repik; Jacob Micflikier-Janis Sprukts (A)-Dan Collins; Tanner Glass (A)-Drew Larman-Michael Duco.
Defense combinations: Michael Caruso-Jordan Henry; Jason Garrison-Franklin MacDonald; Keaton Ellerby-Peter Aston.
Jason Rowe, son of former Rats head coach-GM Tom Rowe, is here tonight scouting for the San Jose Sharks.
