AMERKS GET BACK IN WIN COLUMN, TAKE DOWN ROCKET IN OVERTIME
Rousek nets game-winner, Levi makes 26 saves in season debut in 2-1 win over Laval
Nov 20, 2024A goaltending duel between Devon Levi and Jakub Dobeš ultimately ended in favor of the Rochester Americans (8-5-2-0), who prevailed with a thrilling 2-1 victory over the first-place Laval Rocket (12-2-1-0) after Lukas Rousek sealed the win in the final minute of overtime Wednesday night at Place Bell.
With the win, Rochester has earned at least one point in nine of its last 11 games dating back to Oct. 23. Additionally, the Amerks have picked up at least one point in 17 of their 23 road games in Laval, going 15-6-2-0 over that span.
Along with Rousek’s overtime goal from Ty Tullio, Brett Murray notched his fourth of the season on the power-play during the opening frame from Josh Dunne and Zachary Metsa. Rousek’s tally was his second of the year and first-career overtime-winner while Dunne notched his first assist with Rochester. Meanwhile, Metsa, whose 11 points tops all active Amerks skaters, is tied for the league-lead amongst all blueliners with 10 assists. Riley Fiddler-Schultz registered a pair of shots in his season debut.
Levi (1-0-0), who was reassigned earlier in the week by the Buffalo Sabres, also made his season debut for Rochester. The Quebec native stopped 26 of the 27 shots he faced to earn the win. The second-year netminder has held the opposition to three or fewer goals in all but four of his 27 appearances with Rochester dating back to the 2023-24 season and boasts a 17-2-4 record in those games.
FIRST PERIOD
After being held without an official shot for the first 8:36, Laval, which had an attempt bounce off the right post of Levi’s net, thought they broke the scoreless game at the 11:35 mark as Sean Farrell finished off a loose puck. Following a lengthy review, the officials waved off the would-be goal to keep the game 0-0.
Rochester gained the game’s first power-play chance of the night, however the Rocket scored while shorthanded on Florian Xhekaj’s third of the season before the Amerks countered back just 41 seconds later.
Following Xhekaj’s breakaway goal after a turnover at center ice, the Amerks gained possession inside the offensive zone and setup their man-advantage. After Metsa received Jack Rathbone’s pass, he patiently waited and drifted to the center of the ice before handing the puck off to Dunne at the left half-wall. Dunne fired a quick shot only to have Dobeš make the initial save. With the puck still loose, though, Murray tried to hit Anton Wahlberg at the back post, however, it glanced off a Rocket skate and into the net to even the score.
The two teams entered the first intermission deadlocked at 1-1 and Rochester held a 12-6 shot advantage.
SECOND PERIOD
In the middle period, the Amerks at one point had an 18-8 shot advantage, but following a flurry of chances by Laval, which included a pair of 2-on-1, odd-man rushes, they closed the gap and eventually gained a pair of power-plays.
While the Amerks were forced to skate down by two skaters for 1:30 near the midway point, Levi continued to make timely saves and keep the game tied at 1-1.
Prior to the completion of the second stanza, Rochester’s best chance to take a one-goal lead came off Konsta Helenius’s feed to the back post, but Dobeš denied Wahlberg with 1:32 on the clock.
THIRD PERIOD
The two clubs clamped down defensively during the final period as they combined for just 15 shots after totaling 29 in the middle frame.
Both Levi and Dobeš made several grade-A saves, including a left pad save by Rochester’s netminder in the final two minutes to keep the score tied.
Neither team could find a way to solve the opposition’s goaltender for the remainder of regulation, requiring overtime for the second time in the last three games between the two teams and the Amerks’ second consecutive overall.
OVERTIME
From the time of the opening draw in the extra frame, Rochester seized control of the puck and rarely allowed Laval to touch it as they held the home squad without a shot in the period.
As much of the play was inside the Laval zone, the Amerks patiently waited for their opportunity to test the Rocket and their netminder. Rochester tried to cycle the puck around the offensive zone, but as it looked like the home club was about to get a chance, Tullio and Rousek forced a turnover inside their own blueline.
As the puck was sitting just inside the stripe, Tullio grabbed it as a Rocket was sliding across the ice and lobbed it up the ice for Rousek to flag down. The latter sped towards the Rocket netminder completely uncontested, zipping the game-clinching goal past Dobeš with 44 seconds left in overtime to seal the victory.
UP NEXT
The oldest rivalry in the American Hockey League will be renewed on Friday, Nov. 22 when the Amerks open a four-game homestand against the two-time defending Calder Cup champion Hershey Bears for the only time this season at The Blue Cross Arena. The matchup will be the 467th all-time regular-season meeting between the league's two cornerstone franchises.
STARS AND STRIPES
Of Brett Murray’s 77 career goals with the Amerks, 31 have come on the man-advantage, including all four this season … The Amerks and Rocket have played beyond regulation at least twice in each of the last two seasons and in nine of the last 27 games dating back to the 2021-22 season… Including tonight, Rochester has scored at least once in the opening frame versus Laval in 10 of the last 11 meetings.
Goal Scorers
ROC: B. Murray (4), L. Rousek (2 – OT GWG)
LAV: F. Xhekaj (3)
Goaltenders
ROC: D. Levi – 26/27 (W)
LAV: J. Dobeš – 37/39 (OTL)
Shots
ROC: 39
LAV: 27
Special Teams
ROC: PP (1/4) | PK (5/5)
LAV: PP (0/5) | PK (3/4)
Three Stars:
1. LAV - J. Dobeš
2. ROC - L. Rousek
3. ROC - D. Levi