The Amerks had to trudge through adversity to arrive in the postseason. They were without goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen for much of the season, who was called up to Buffalo and never looked back. But Rochester was also without key contributors Brandon Biro and Sean Malone for significant stretches.
"I think that gives more credit to the guys for staying together through those things," Appert said.
The absences in the Amerks lineup have opened a door for players like Jiri Kulich and Isak Rosen, who have established themselves as a force on the AHL and are looking to glean more from a playoff run. Rosen scored 37 points in 66 games this season while Kulich leads the team with 24 goals in 62 games.
"There's going to be failure and success in this playoff experience, but both will be great learning moments," Appert said.
Part of development is opportunity, and the Amerks' young core is relishing the chance to learn another lesson thanks to postseason hockey. Appert said the team has bought into the club's identity and it showed over the final 30 games as they made a push.
"Overall, we just try to get our guys bought in on habits," Appert said. "I'm a huge believer that habits define who you are as a person, but certainly who you are as a hockey player.
"I can point to with guys I worked with at USA, guys that were here last year, the (Jack) Quinns and (JJ) Peterkas and (Peyton) Krebs and (Mattias) Samuelssons, that doing these things are going to pay off and here's why."
Players like Rosen and Kulich hope to see themselves in a similar position as guys like Quinn and Peterka, who graduated to the NHL this season after making their own AHL playoff run last spring. Postseason hockey is different, and gritty goals can make the difference in a series. But the preparation to go into those difficult areas of the ice has already been put into practice.
"In the start of the season I think I did it sometimes and was maybe afraid a little bit," Rosen said. "Then (I) have grown throughout the year. I'm really skilled in the middle of the ice with the puck, now I just keep going to the hard areas and try to do that and become more comfortable there to score goals in front of the net."
The Amerks enter the postseason in relatively good shape health-wise and should be getting reinforcements before the weekend. Appert said Kulich (lower body) and Tyson Kozak (upper body) are both trending towards probable.
"There's a pretty good chance we could see them over the weekend," Appert said.
Having Kulich available adds a different dynamic to the Amerks offense. He and Rosen entered the league together as teenagers and have leaned on each other to acclimate to North American hockey. Rosen said he expects Kulich to pick up right where he left off in the regular season.
"He's got a teriffic shot. He's just been so good and he's just going to keep going during the playoffs," Rosen said. "I think we had some tough times, but we are also growing from those tough times. I think that's why you see he's playing so good because he's comfortable here."
There will be no secrets when the two teams drop the puck this weekend. Rochester and Syracuse met 12 times this year, with each team taking away six victories.
"We know what we're facing, and we know they also have some high-end talent," Appert said. "We have a stiff test. We're better prepared. More thoroughly than a regular season game but not in a way that feels abnormal to our players."
Here's how you can catch the Amerks series with the Crunch:
Game 1 - Fri., Apr. 21 - Rochester at Syracuse, 7:00 p.m. AHL TV
Game 2 - Sat., Apr. 22 - Rochester at Syracuse, 7:00 p.m. AHL TV
Game 3 - Fri., Apr. 28 - Syracuse at Rochester, 7:05 p.m. AHL TV
\Game 4 - Sun., Apr. 30 - Syracuse at Rochester, 3:05 p.m.
\Game 5 - Sat., May 6 - Rochester at Syracuse, 7:00 p.m.
\Denotes if necessary*
