WEEKDAY PREVIEW: Aviators set to travel to Rochester for midweek clash
After taking three of four possible points over the weekend, the Elmira Aviators (18-24-5-4) get another crack at their in-state rivals, the Rochester Jr. Americans (36-15-1-0), on a midweek trip to Rowdy Town.
The Aviators are currently 10 points out of the final playoff spot in the East Division with three games in hand and eight games to go in the regular season.
Elmira is well within the stretch run now and will have to overcome its demons with the Rochester Ice Center to keep the fight alive.
HOUSE OF HORRORS
The theme of the Aviators and Jr. Americans rivalry has been that no matter the records, any team could win on any night. The first series between the sides in Elmira this season was fiercely competitive, with the purple and black picking up three points, only losing in shootout fashion.
However, the last two trips to the Rochester Ice Center, a series in late February and a one-off affair on March 3, have been devastating. The Aviators lost all three of those contests and have now lost four straight to Rochester.
Elmira is now 1-6-0-0 all-time at the Rochester Ice Center and has allowed five-plus goals in six of those seven matchups. The one outlier? The Aviators’ 6-0 thrashing of Rochester early last season.
The Aviators managed to grab the lead in the last matchup, but three unanswered scores were too much to overcome. Elmira scrapped back, but ultimately fell 5-4.
Away from Rochester, the Aviators are starting to put things together.
They have taken points in three of their last four games and picked up their first shutout of the campaign this past Saturday.
Jake Shingles got the job done in net, earning his first career shutout. Shingles registered 23 saves behind great defense and disciplined play in front of him.
After putting up an astounding 77 penalty minutes in Friday’s shootout loss, Elmira dialed it back and had just four penalty minutes in Saturday’s win.
The Aviators have found their identity on special teams. Their power play is one of the best, scoring in seven straight contests and converting at 22.5%.
Meanwhile, their penalty kill is one of the worst at 75.1%, but if Elmira remains disciplined, it can avoid this weakness as much as possible.
Stay out of the box, get a lead and convert on power play chances, and the Aviators will have a good chance to get back in the win column at the Rochester Ice Center.
THE JR. AMERICANS
Unsurprisingly, the Rochester Jr. Americans are still an elite team. They may not be winning back-to-back East Division regular-season titles, but they will very much be in the mix for the playoffs.
Rochester is one win away from clinching a bye as the No. 2 seed in the East Division. The Jr. Americans have separated themselves from the spiraling Nordiques, who have lost seven straight.
Overall, the Jr. Americans have won three straight games and are 7-2-1-0 over their last ten. They have flashed their outstanding team defense and goaltending across the win streak, conceding just four goals in their last three games.
The Aviators are 4-8-0-1 against the Jr. Americans all-time and 1-3-0-1 this season. As mentioned previously, Rochester is rock solid 6-1-0-0 when hosting Elmira and 3-0-0-0 this season.
The Jr. Americans have no distinct weaknesses. Goaltender Jensen Carlstrom has a sub-.900 save percentage, but even he has won four straight starts, and he’s captured victory in all three of his starts against the Aviators this season.
The purple and black actually have the better numbers against veteran netminder Florian Wade. Wade is 1-2-1-0 against Elmira in his career with a 4.02 goals against average and a .837 save percentage.
No matter which goaltender the Aviators face, they will have to be on their toes and on their A-game to stop the hot Jr. Americans.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Rochester: Ryan Shaw (‘05 F)
Shaw is the league’s leading goal scorer and fourth in the NAHL in points. He’s racked up 37 goals and 38 assists so far this campaign, setting new Jr. American records for goals and points in a single season.
However, Shaw has been snakebitten lately, failing to score a goal in six straight games.
He will try to get back to lighting the lamp against an Elmira squad he has excellent numbers against. In 11 career games against the Aviators, Shaw has five goals and nine assists.
Elmira: Evan Dantas (‘05 F)
Riding a three-game point streak, Dantas still found a way to light the lamp multiple times in a low-scoring series against the Philadelphia Rebels.
Dantas is up to 20 goals on the season, with 18 of those scores coming as an Aviator. He needs just two more goals to tie the single-season record set by Curtiss Sturgeon last season.
The centerman has been a big-time performer against the Jr. Americans, putting up four goals and six assists in seven games against Rochester this season.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
The Aviators and Jr. Americans will battle it out on Tuesday, March 17, at 6:30 p.m. at the Rochester Ice Center.
Fans unable to make the trip can stream the games on NATV or listen on WINGZ93. Fans can also keep tabs on the games by following the Aviators on social media @Elmiraaviatorsnahl.
Mac Young is the play-by-play voice of the Elmira Aviators. To contact him, email [email protected].