For weeks, Buffalo Sabres prospects Jiri Kulich and Isak Rosen have been some of the best players on the ice during the Calder Cup Playoffs
The Rochester Americans have defied the odds and are now staring down the Hershey Bears as their final obstacle in reaching the Calder Cup Final. And they are doing so on a six-game winning streak. During their illustrious streak, the Amerks scored 36 goals, or six goals per game, with Jiri Kulich and Isak Rosen pitching in for 10 of those scores.
And at this point, if you had to choose an MVP for the Amerks, it’d be none other than Kulich, who’s been making plays all over the ice, regardless of the game situation. Rosen has become the Amerks best asset on the power play next to Kulich, and now the two rookies get to face their next challenge: the Conference Finals.
Can the duo keep playing well for the Amerks, or will the big stage finally be too much for them? My answer? This duo will be absolutely fine.
Buffalo Sabres prospects Kulich, Rosen will keep up their high-octane ways
One reason Kulich and Rosen will keep it up? The presence of seasoned veterans Mason Jobst (pictured in the image above), and Michael Mersch. While I’ve talked extensively about Kulich and Rosen, Jobst has been arguably the most exciting player on the team who is under contract with the Amerks, having logged nine assists and 11 total points, which leads the team.
Mersh is also second on the team with five goals, and he’s tied for second with nine points total along with Kulich and of course, Lukas Rousek. But it’s the leadership displayed by Mersch and Jobst that makes me confident that our rookies, plus another dynamic prospect in Rousek, will keep playing their game at a high level in the Conference Finals.
The series begins Tuesday, May 23rd at 7:00 pm. And if not only Kulich, Rosen, and Rousek, but the Amerks as a unit, keep playing the way they are, they will punch a ticket to the Calder Cup Final. While I can’t see anyone preparing the brooms this time around, they will win the race to four games, nonetheless.
(Statistics provided by theAHL.com)