Another day. Another goal for Mikhail Grigorenko. Another Quebec victory.
The recipe for success is pretty simple.
Grigorenko potted his 18th goal of the season and the Remparts forced OT vs. the Victoriaville Tigers. Logan Shaw would win it in the shootout. Twisted wrister from the high slot. Grigo gained the zone on right wing wall and used his speed to beat the Dman down the wall for his eventual hard cut to the high slot. He looked like a man playing with boys on the play.
thanks, remparts.ca
Grigo missed on his attempt in the skills competition.
Matters not. A win is a win.
Grigorenko is now tied for fifth place in the QJHL scoring race. His 38 points (18 goals and 20 assists in 21 games) tie him with Jean Sebastian Dea of the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies.
Alexandre Lavoie and Andrew Carrier of the Cape Breton Screamin Eagles are tied with 40 points apiece. Ben Duffy and Josh Currie of the P.E.I. Rockets are tied with 43 points.
The Amerks lost their second straight game on Saturday night. Robin Lehner and the Bingo Senators proved to be one goal better than Rochester.
After the loss, Amerks head coach, Ron Rolston, told the media that the Luke Adam injury happened on a first period hip check by Abbotsford rear guard, Joe Piskula.
Rolston's squad is suddenly very thin down the middle of the ice.
Kevin Oklobzija of the Rochester D and C reported that Adam was seen walking with a "pronounced limp". Adam gutted it out and he finished the game on Friday night.
Adam sat out Saturday's game in Bingo.
Adam was making the most of his second chance to impress his coaches and the Sabres brass.
Just like the Buffalo squad, Rochester is chock full o'centres right now with Kevin Porter, Cody Hodgson, Phil Varone, Rick Schofield and rookie Kevin Sundher all fighting for ice time. Varone is playing right now, however, I'm told that he is not at 100%. Hodgson is 2-3 weeks away from playing again. Adam had been getting valuable minutes that Hodgson and Varone would normally have gotten. Adam's time to shine is right now. Its not known right now if this injury is long term or a day-to-day thing. However long it takes him to get back to good health, Adam has to take charge. He cannot struggle. He must impress right off the hop if he has any designs of sticking and staying in Buffalo for the long term. It wasn't that long ago that Adam's name was being mentioned in Bobby Ryan to Buffalo trade talks. He'd certainly make excellent trade bait once the lockout comes to its eventual conclusion. Adam has to know that the Sabres are looking forward to an expeditious end to the NHL lockout. When training camp doors swing open in the near future, Buffalo will boast a centre rotation that consists of Cody Hodgson, Tyler Ennis, Mikhail Grigorenko, Steve Ott, Cody McCormick, and Matt Ellis.
Where will Adam fit? He's proven that he is not comfortable on the wing in the AHL. The Sabres are too deep on the depth chart on both wings. If Adam plans on staying in Buffalo, he'll have to beat out a centre. Healthy or not, he has is work cut out for himself.
At the time of his injury, Adam was ranked 14th in scoring on the Amerks (2 goals, 3 assists in 15 games). Foligno, Brennan, Flynn, Porter, Rankin, Mancari, Hodgson, McNabb, Schoefield, Biega, Pysyk, Tarnasky and Varone have more points than Adam has. Tarnasky plays spare pocket change for minutes on the fourth line, however, he has twice as many goals (4) thus far than Adam has.
Its now or never, in my opinion, for Luke Adam.
Through 27 games in Buffalo last season Adam had 9 goals and 10 assists for 19 points. He was on his way to rookie of the year award contention when his game fell over the precipice of Niagara Falls. Either he hit the wall, or the wall hit him. Adam looked lost and confused in December and January. He would leave Buffalo for Rochester after 52 games played with 10 goals and 10 assists. Not bad production for most rookies, however, Ruff and Regier were left wondering what happened to Adam between games 28 and 52 in Buffalo? Its as if the kid was abducted, tied up, taken away and held for ransom.
He would only score 4 goals and 9 assists in 27 games with Rochester after his demotion.
Adam's injury could not have come at a worse time. For him, and his Amerks team.
* ***Update: I spoke with a Rochester source today who tells me that Adam's injury is not considered a long term issue. He should return to action this week.
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