AMERKS WIN OVERTIME THRILLER IN TORONTO
Davies nets game-winner with 19 seconds remaining in OT, Levi makes 52 saves in 2-1 win
Feb 19, 2024Jeremy Davies scored in the final seconds of overtime and rookie goaltender Devon Levi turned in a brilliant 52-save performance as the Rochester Americans (24-17-5-1) prevailed with a thrilling 2-1 win over the Toronto Marlies (21-16-7-2) Monday afternoon at Scotiabank Arena.
With the overtime victory, the Amerks have recorded at least one point in 10 of their last 13 games dating back to Jan. 17 while also taking the first two meetings with the Marlies this season in the extra frame.
Mason Jobst scored his 14th goal of the season, which matches a career-high, in the second period before Davies sealed the win with his eighth. Lukas Rousek and Brandon Biro each added an assist to conclude the scoring.
After finishing with a then career-high 41-save effort on Feb. 16, Levi stole the show again as he had 52 on Monday afternoon in his 10th appearance of the campaign. The rookie netminder, who has back-to-back 40-save performances, has made 30 or more saves in seven of his 10 games with the Amerks this season.
Dylan Gambrell notched his ninth goal of the season for the Marlies, who are winless in their last four games. Kieffer Bellows and Matt Anderson, who made his AHL debut, both assisted on the goal.
Goaltender Dennis Hildeby (12-7-5) made his 25th appearance in the crease for Toronto. Despite turning aside 24 of the 26 shots he faced, the Swedish netminder suffered the overtime defeat, his fifth of the campaign.
Entering the third period tied at 1-1, the Amerks registered the first four shots of the frame but were unable to take their first lead of the contest. Toronto weathered the storm as they eventually outshot Rochester 20-8 in the final period, but Levi kept the score tied at one, sending the matchup to the extra frame.
The Marlies again pressured the Amerks in the first four minutes of overtime, but Levi stonewalled an attempt in the dying moments, including two game-saving stops from point-blank range.
The puck made its way the length of the ice, where Tyson Jost forced a Toronto skater to fumble before Davies barreled his way towards Hildeby. As the Amerk defenseman reached the top of the crease, he shimmied and faked a shot to freeze the netminder before tucking in backhanded shot past the glove to cap the 2-1 score with 19 seconds left on the clock.
After an extended shift midway through the first period kept Rochester skaters on the ice, Anderson dumped the puck into the Amerks zone from the left point. Gambrell gained possession and reversed it back to the opposite corner for the rookie defenseman. Anderson waited for Bellows to get behind the net and tapped the puck to the winger. The Minnesota native shoveled a pass in-front of Levi for Gambrell to lift over the Rochester netminder’s glove to open the scoring 11:13 into the contest.
During the first minute of the second stanza, Jobst drew Rochester’s first power-play of the contest before eventually evening the score at one on the ensuing man-advantage.
While the Amerks kept the puck inside the offensive zone, Biro and Rousek exchanged a series of passes on the left side of the ice. After Rousek retrieved the puck, he pushed it to the hashmarks for Jobst to snap inside the left post for his 14th of the season at the 1:34 mark.
The game remained tied until the final 20 seconds of overtime before Rochester completed the come-from-behind win.
The Amerks continue their grueling stretch of seven games in 11 days as they return home to host the Belleville Senators for a pair of home games beginning on Wednesday, Feb. 21 at 7:05 p.m. All the action from The Blue Cross Arena will be carried live on The Sports Leader 95.7 FM/950 AM The Fan Rochester as well as AHLTV.
Stars and Stripes:
By scoring Rochester’s first goal of the contest, Mason Jobst matched a career-high in goals (14) this season after scoring 14 in 61 games with the club in 2022-23 … Jobst has 17 points (7+10) over his last 18 games since the turn of the new year while Rousek has recorded a point in 20 of the last 24 games for Rochester, registering six goals and 18 assists dating back to Dec. 20 … Jeremy Davies scored his eighth goal of the season and first game-winning marker in the final moments of the overtime period … Davies had three overtime game-winners last season as part of a career-high 11-goal campaign.
Goal Scorers
ROC: D. Gambrell (9)
TOR: M. Jobst (14), J. Davies (8)
Goaltenders
ROC: D. Levi – 52/53 (W)
TOR: D. Hileby – 24/26 (OTL)
Shots
ROC: 26
TOR: 53
Special Teams
ROC: PP (1/2) | PK (2/2)
TOR: PP (0/2) | PK (1/2)
Three Stars:
1. ROC - D. Levi
2. TOR - D. Hildeby
3. ROC - J. Davies