**This Week’s Storylines**
**Despite going winless over their three-game trek through New England, the Amerks can potentially lock up a playoff spot as early as this weekend. Coming into the week, Rochester maintains a 20-point lead on the fifth-place Laval Rocket in the North Division standings and need just three points to secure a postseason berth for the first time since 2014. The top four teams in the Division are guaranteed a playoff spot with the Toronto Marlies and Syracuse Crunch the only two teams to have clinched.
**The Amerks, who have earned at least one point in 20 of their last 30 games dating back to Jan. 1, enter the week having appeared in 13 games that went beyond regulation since Jan. 1. Overall on the season, Rochester leads the AHL in games decided after the third period with 26, showing a 7-10 mark in overtime while going 3-6 in shootouts.
** Rookie forward C.J. Smith returned to the lineup this past weekend after missing 12 games due to injury. After being held without a point in the first two games of the New England trip, Smith made up for lost time in a big way, recording his first-career hat trick to regain the team lead in both goals (17) and points (42) in 53 games this season. With his three-goal outing last night in Hartford, he became the first Amerks rookie to score a hat trick since Tim Schaller at Toronto on Apr. 5, 2014. The Des, Moines, Iowa native is currently tied for seventh in scoring among all AHL rookies while his 25 assists are tied for fifth-most between all first-year skaters.
** With his assist in Friday night’s 5-3 loss to the Providence Bruins, Zach Redmond reached the 40-point mark for the first time in his professional career while also notching career-highs in goals (13) and assists (27) in 57 games this season. The veteran blueliner leads the club with 27 assists and ranks second on the team with 40 points, which is good enough for fourth among all AHL defensemen in overall scoring. In addition, he is tied for second in goals by a defenseman with 13, including seven that have come on the power-play. His seven power-play tallies lead the team and are tied for third among league rearguards.
** With seven points (3+5) over his last 10 games, forward Kevin Porter ranks third on the team in scoring with 38 points (16+22) in 59 contests this season. Rochester’s team captain is also second on the team in goals with 16 and is on pace to record the first 20-goal season of his pro career after scoring 19 during the 2013-14 campaign in his previous stint with Rochester. He also need just two more points to pick up his second straight 40-point campaign.
**Alexander Nylander continues his hot stretch of late as he chipped in a career-high three assists Sunday at Hartford. Over his last 15 games, the second-year forward has posted 15 points (4+11), including six points (1+5) in the last three outings. Nylander has equaled last season’s total with 18 assists in 22 fewer games this season and is on pace to break his career-high 28 points as he shows 24 (6+18) so far this year.
**Forward Sahir Gill is this year’s Iron Man for the Amerks as the fifth-year forward is the only player to have appeared in all 65 games thus far for Rochester.
**The Amerks return home to The Blue Cross Arena, where they have earned at least one point in the last four games (2-0-2-0 record over that span), to open a four-game homestand on Friday, Mar. 23 when they host the intrastate rival Binghamton Devils. After Friday’s contest with the Devils, the Amerks will take on Springfield on Saturday before hosting Utica and Charlotte the following week. All four games begin at 7:05 p.m.
