AMERKS ERUPT FOR FIVE POWER-PLAY GOALS IN WIN OVER BELLEVILLE
Johnson scores first pro goal, Rosen and Helenius each record three points in 6-3 win over Sens
Feb 21, 2025On the strength of five power-play goals from five different goal-scorers, the Rochester Americans (32-14-3-1) doubled up the Belleville Senators (21-18-3-4) by a 6-3 score Friday night at The Blue Cross Arena.
GAME SUMMARY PHOTO GALLERY POST-GAME REPORT
With the win, Rochester has outscored Belleville 27-12 through the first five games of the head-to-head series and have won five of the last six games against the Senators dating back to the 2023-24 campaign. Rochester has scored eight, seven, six and four goals, respectively, in its four victories against Belleville this season after dropping the 2024-25 season opener.
For the second time in as many games, Isak Rosén (0+3) and Noah Östlund (0+2) both produced a multi-point outing for Rochester while Konsta Helenius (1+2) and Kale Clague (0+2) added their sixth and ninth, respectively. Helenius’ three-point effort was career-high through his first 44 games of his AHL career.
Zachary Metsa, Mason Jobst, Brett Murray, Josh Dunne, and Ryan Johnson all found the back of the Belleville’s net. Johnson’s third-period tally was his first professional goal and the only one of the night not scored on the power-play for Rochester. Murray, meanwhile, matched a personal-best with his 23rd of the season and league-leading 12th conversion on the man-advantage.
Lukas Rousek and Nikita Novikov closed out the scoring with one assist each while goaltender Michael Houser (5-4-1) made his first home start since Nov. 23, 2024. The veteran netminder finished with 28 saves to pick up his first AHL victory in the AHL since Oct. 23, 2024.
FIRST PERIOD
Less than five minutes into the game after serving a too-many-men penalty and gathering a loose puck to the left of Houser, Helenius delivered a long-range pass to the far blueline from deep within his own zone. Shortly after stepping onto the ice himself for the start of a Rochester power-play, Jobst was on the receiving end of Helenius’ outlet pass and immediately sped away on a partial breakway. The Amerks captain carried the puck behind the Senators defense and roofed a shot from atop the crease of his former teammate Malcolm Subban to give Rochester a 1-0 lead.
While Belleville evened the score four minutes later, Rochester struck two more times on the power-play before the end of the frame to inflate its lead to 3-1.
Exactly one minute into a Belleville holding infraction, Murray backhanded a pass to Östlund from the right of the Senators net. Östlund exchanged a few passes with Metsa before sending a cross-ice pass to Rosén. The latter waited for the perfect time to snap a shot-pass to the back post for Murray to steer in behind Subban as he was on a knee at the 12:34 mark.
To close out the stanza, Rochester doubled its lead as Dunne also steered in his eighth of the campaign with just under five minutes to play on a redirection with Helenius and Clague logging the assists.
SECOND PERIOD
Midway through the second period, the Amerks drew another power-play, their fourth of the contest.
On the man-advantage, Jobst attempted to set-up a teammate as he received Metsa’s pass near the penalty boxes, however, his stick broke in the process. Skating up the ice behind the play, Östlund carried the puck into the offensive zone then gave it to the point for Metsa. The second-year defenseman handed it to his left, only to have Rosén return it to Metsa, who wired a shot inside the lower-right post for his fifth of the season with 10:06 left in the period.
The goal, which was Metsa’s second in as many games, served as the only tally in the frame as Rochester carried a 4-1 lead into the break.
THIRD PERIOD
In the first minute of play in the final stanza, Rosén scooped up the puck in the defensive zone before turning the play into a 3-on-2 rush going the other way. As the Swedish forward skated across the blueline with Murray and Östlund, he sent it back to the left point for Johnson. The defenseman avoided a sliding Senator before finding a seam through Subban for his first-career goal, extending the score to 5-1.
Ten minutes later and after a high-sticking infraction on Belleville, Rousek had the puck in the right dot of Subban. The speedy forward tucked a pass to top of the zone while allowing Helenius to step into a shot for Rochester’s fifth power-play marker of the night at the 10:18 mark.
Belleville added two goals in the final two minutes of regulation, but it would be as close as the Sens would come as the Amerks claimed the 6-3 win.
STARS AND STRIPES
Tonight’s five power-play goals were Rochester’s most since the club went 6-for-9 on the man-advantage on Feb. 16, 2018 in a 12-3 win over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton … In the last 29 games against Belleville, the Amerks have gone 38-for-139 on the power-play, which is good for a 27.3% success rate … Mason Jobst (2+1) Ryan Johnson (1+2) and Josh Dunne (0+3) have points in three straight games while Zachary Metsa and Brett Murray have each have scored in the last two contests.
UP NEXT
The Amerks continue their season-long five-game homestand on Saturday, Feb. 22 as they welcome the Toronto Marlies back to The Blue Cross Arena for the first time in over four months. The 5:05 p.m. matchup will be carried live on The Sports Leader 95.7 FM/950 AM The Fan Rochester as well as AHLTV on FloHockey.
Goal Scorers
BEL: A. Crookshank (18), P. Daoust (3), K. Washkurak (7)
ROC: M. Jobst (12), B. Murray (23), J. Dunne (8), Z. Metsa (5 – GWG), R. Johnson (1), K. Helenius (8)
Goaltenders
BEL: M. Subban – 22/28 (L)
ROC: M. Houser – 28/31 (W)
Shots
BEL: 31
ROC: 28
Special Teams
BEL: PP (1/4) | PK (1/6)
ROC: PP (5/6) | PK (3/4)
Three Stars:
1. ROC - R. Johnson
2. ROC - K. Helenius
3. ROC - I. Rosén