The Rochester Americans are on the brink of elimination from the Calder Cup Playoffs.
Forwards Brandon Gignac, Louis Belpedio and Lucas Condotta scored Monday as the Laval Rocket defeated the Amerks 3-1 to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-five AHL North Division final.
Laval never trailed Monday at Place Bell – Gignac opened the scoring 5:17 into the game – and has outscored the Amerks 9-2 in the series.
Center Mark Jankowski scored the Amerks’ goal, breaking up goalie Cayden Primeau’s shutout bid 17:16 into the third period. Primeau made 31 saves.
Amerks goalie Aaron Dell made 29 stops. Winger Jack Quinn, one of the Buffalo Sabres’ top prospects, pumped a career-high eight shots on goal. Quinn, the AHL’s top rookie, is goalless in nine postseason outings.
Game 3 is Wednesday at Blue Cross Arena in Rochester.
Time to see what UPL can do. Not blaming Dell but it’s put up or shut up time for UPL to show he is capable of commanding the net.