The Amerks finish the third quarter of their season tonight at home vs Bridgeport Sound Tigers, a team they’ve already defeated twice this season. A 4-1 road win on December 10, 2017 and a 3-2 overtime win at home on January 5, 2018.

Danny O’Regan will play in his first game tonight for the Amerks after the Sabres acquired him in a trade from the San Jose organization. He found out he was traded while on the ice for practice and it turned into a quick turnaround to get to Rochester.

For more on O’Regan and what he brings read this: Amerks Improved at AHL Trade Deadline

Throw any ideas out the window that a guy traveling from San Jose to Rochester could be out of place. He’s from Boston and already has connections to many within the Buffalo Sabres organization.

• Colin Blackwell was his roommate during the 2016/2017 season when both played with San Jose Barracuda
• Kyle Criscuolo and Sean Malone went to Harvard and played with Tommy O’Regan, Danny’s brother. Colin Blackwell was known within that group as well.
• Jack Eichel and Evan Rodrigues is the connection most people are almost instantly aware with. The three were on a line together at Boston University and would love to reunite in the NHL.
• Hudson Fasching was a teammate on the USNDT where Sabres Assistant GM Steve Greely was a coach.

Chris Taylor said, “I heard he’s a great person off the ice, we want good people in our dressing room.” Taylor also said he’d heard that O’Regan is a smart player and can score goals – an area that the team has needed help with all season.

“If they like each other in the dressing room they’re going to like each other on the ice.”

We’ll find out just before the puck drops what line O’Regan will play on.

Five questions going into the game:

1. How well does Danny O’Regan step right into the lineup?
2. Does Justin Bailey continue after back to back great games vs Toronto?
3. Can the defense help Linus Ullmark? A goalie can only do so much and at times Ullmark hasn’t had much help.
4. Can they prevent turnovers? Mistakes cost them the game last Friday.
5. Can the Amerks play 60 minutes? Last Friday was a 55 minute game that cost them the game. Saturday night was a complete game and they found a way to come back and win.

One way that the defense can help out is playing a physical game down, an element to the game that Andrew MacWilliam brings. He’s a big defenseman that players stay away from down low and with a lot of offensive defensemen on the team it’s no surprise that the Amerks have played better with him back in the lineup.

In case you missed it, Seth Griffith was called up to the Buffalo Sabres and will be with them through the weekend. The other lineup change is that Adam Krause is back from an injury and Daniel Muzito-Bagenda will sit this one out. Arvin Atwal and Nathan Paetsch will be the scratched defensemen.