GAME PREVIEW: AMERKS CLOSE OUT HOMESTAND AGAINST PENGUINS
Rochester trying to secure fourth straight win on home ice
Feb 25, 2025
By Andrew Mossbrooks | @ Mossbrooks48
The Rochester Americans (33-14-3-1) put a bow on their season-long five-game homestand Wednesday evening as they welcome the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (28-13-6-1) to Blue Cross Arena for their lone visit of the season.
This will be the second and final meeting of the season between the Amerks and Penguins. Their only other game was back on Nov. 9, 2024, when Filip Larsson stopped all 36 Rochester shots in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s 5-0 win. It is one of only six regulation losses the Amerks have sustained on the road this season.
LAST TIME OUT
Rochester picked up its third consecutive win Saturday evening, as Devon Levi outdueled Toronto’s Artur Akhtyamov in goal, helping the Amerks to a 1-0 shootout win.
Levi made 30 saves, plus five more in the shootout to secure his fifth shutout of the season and third in the month of February alone. Konsta Helenius netted the game-winner in round five of the sudden-death skills competition, scoring his second shootout goal of the season and helping improve Rochester’s record to 4-1 in shootouts this year.
While gaining a point for the eighth time in their last 10 games, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton saw a 3-0 lead vanish Sunday afternoon in Providence, ultimately falling to the Bruins by a 5-4 final in overtime.
The game saw former Amerk Colton Poolman, who was traded to Pittsburgh from Buffalo earlier this season, score his first goal in a Penguins’ jersey. Emil Bemström scored his team-leading 21st goal of the season as well, while Larson took the loss with 27 saves in goal.
The Penguins have won eight of their last 14 games and rank second in the Atlantic Division.
WHAT A WEEK
The masterfulness of Levi did not go unnoticed. The second-year pro was named the Howies Hockey Tape/AHL Player of the Week for Feb. 17-23.
Levi has gone 125 minutes without surrendering a goal, posting back-to-back shutouts Wednesday and Saturday, respectively. Across his starts against Cleveland and Toronto, the 23-year-old made 56 saves.
Levi is now tied with Charlotte’s Ken Appleby for the league lead with five shutouts.
The Quebec native has gone 18-6-2 in 26 games for Rochester this season. Across his two seasons as an Amerk, Levi is 34-12-6 with a 2.29 goals-against-average and a .923 save percentage. His 2.17 GAA this season ranks third in the AHL while his .918 save percentage is sixth across the league.
NEW TEAM, WHO DIS?
The Amerks have three former Penguins on their roster, including the recently acquired Jagger Joshua, whom Rochester picked up earlier this season. In the offseason, the Sabres signed Jack Rathbone, who played 67 games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last season. Additionally, Ethan Prow, who is amid his fourth season with the Amerks, had spent the first four years of his professional career in a Penguins jersey.
“We had a good group,” said Rathbone when reflecting on his time with the Penguins. “That was a really good experience there. We had a good team and obviously, you know, you wish you went farther every year. But it was fun. I made friends for life.”
“I've got a lot of friends on that team,” said Joshua. “But I’ve already let them know I'm not taking it easy on them tonight. If anything, it makes my job easier because I think they're a little scared of me, so I don't have to worry about any retribution. Everybody can still get it for sure.”
Additionally, Ethan Prow, who is amid his fourth season with the Amerks, had spent the first four years of his professional career in a Penguins jersey.
All told, the trio combined for 319 games as Penguins. Joshua and Prow both began their pro careers in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Joshua has since appeared in six games with Rochester, registering an assist. Prow has seven points (1+6) this season, and in his first season with Rochester, led all defensemen with 49 points (10+39) in 2021-22.
Rathbone has had a standout season. The fifth-year pro is third among Rochester blueliners with five goals and 19 points this season. He is also third among all AHL defensemen with 126 shots on goal.
FLYING PENGUINS
Wednesday’s meeting features two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference colliding as the North Division’s first-place Amerks take on the Atlantic’s second-place Penguins.
The Penguins come to Rochester boasting the league’s top rookie in Ville Koivunen, who leads all first-year AHL skaters with 44 points (16+28). Koivunen trails only Bemström in overall points for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, as the fourth-year pro has 45 points (21+24) in 42 games.
Rochester is first overall in the AHL, while the Penguins are tied for the seventh-best record. The Amerks lead the AHL in goals at 178. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton isn’t far behind with 168, good for fifth in the league.
The bread and butter of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s goal-scoring comes through its power-play, which tops the league at 23.4%. Rochester owns the best penalty kill on home ice at 89.4% and is fourth-best in the league overall.
“They’re really skilled,” said Amerks head coach Michael Leone. “They’re really fast in transition and this is going to be a big test for our group tonight, especially away from the puck. You look at their roster and they’ve got a really good lineup. We just have to make sure we’re ready tonight from the start of the puck drop.”