GAME PREVIEW: AMERKS CLOSE OUT SEASON SERIES WITH COMETS
Amerks look to string consecutive wins together for first time in March
Mar 23, 2025
By Andrew Mossbrooks | @ Mossbrooks48
The Rochester Americans (36-18-3-3) are back at Blue Cross Arena to play four of their next five games, beginning Sunday afternoon with a matinee against the intrastate rival Utica Comets (24-28-5-2).
Rochester faces off against Utica for the 12th and final time this season. The contest also marks the end of a three-game weekend for the red, white, and blue, while the Comets were in action Saturday, but remained idle Friday night.
It has been a one-sided season series this year, with Rochester skating into the finale showing a 9-1-0-1 record. The trend predates the 2024-25 campaign and goes back to last year, where since October 2023 the Amerks have dominated Utica to the tune of a 17-4-1-1 mark.
LAST TIME OUT
Noah Östlund recorded his first professional hat trick Saturday night in Syracuse as the Amerks took down the Crunch by a 4-1 final. The hat trick came with three goals scored three different ways (shorthanded, power-play, even strength) by Östlund, while the Amerks’ opening goal of the contest was scored on the power-play by Mason Jobst.
By beating Syracuse, the Amerks are now 10 points clear of the Crunch when it comes to playoff positioning with both teams having 12 games to play in their respective regular seasons.
Felix Sandström made his first appearance in goal in 35 days, having a light night with 16 saves on 17 shots to secure his eighth consecutive win. The 10th-year pro has not lost since Dec. 6, 2024, and is 11-4-1 on the season.
For only the third time this season, the Utica Comets were unable to pull out a victory after leading through 40 minutes. Up 2-1 Saturday at home against Charlotte, the Checkers evened the score during the final frame to set up overtime, where Michael Benning would score on a one-timer to beat Isaac Poulter and lead the Checkers to a 3-2 overtime win.
Former Amerk Austin Strand and Jonathan Gruden scored for Utica, with Gruden’s goal being his first as a Comet after coming over at the trade deadline after five seasons with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
ROCKIN’ ROOKIE
With his three-goal performance Saturday, Östlund became the first Amerk since Jiri Kulich to score a hat trick. Kulich last did so with three goals on home ice against Belleville April 13th, 2024.
Östlund, 21, now has a matching 14 goals and 14 assists on the season. The Stockholm, Sweden, native has amassed 25 points (13+12) over his last 24 games, dating back to Jan. 17. The first-year pro is currently riding a three-game point streak with three goals and a pair of assists. Additionally, Östlund’s +16 rating leads all forwards on the Amerks and is second overall only to Nikita Novikov (+24). His plus/minus is third-best among all AHL rookies.
The rookie winger was taken in the first round of the 2022 NHL Draft when Buffalo selected him 16th overall, 12 spots ahead of Kulich that same year and a year following fellow Swede Isak Rosén being selected in the opening round of the 2021NHL Draft.
Östlund has four points (2+2) against Utica this season, including the overtime game-winner back on Feb. 15.
LEVI GETTING THE NOD
After staying back in Rochester Saturday, it is expected that second-year goaltender Devon Levi will make his 34th start of the season for the Amerks.
The 23-year-old shows a 20-10-3 record and most recently took the crease Friday in a loss to Charlotte. That said, Levi has never lost against Utica, posting a 7-0-0 record since first facing the team a season ago. This year alone, the Sabres’ prospect in-between the pipes has registered 2.52 goals-against average to go with a .905 save percentage in his four starts against the Comets.
Levi will become just the seventh goalie in the Eastern Conference to exceed 33 appearances this season. He is less than 28 minutes away from playing 2,000 for the Amerks this season, and his five shutouts are the most for an Amerks goaltender in a single season since the soon-to-be Hall of Famer Ryan Miller logged eight for the team in 2004-05.
GOOD RIDDANCE
Utica will be the first North Division team the Amerks finish up their season series against here in the 2024-25 campaign. Despite the one-sided results, the games between these intrastate foes have been competitive and close. Five of the previous 11 meetings have been decided by one goal, with four of those games going beyond regulation.
Rosén has led the charge with 13 points (7+6) against Utica this season. Brian Halonen has guided Utica along with five goals against Rochester this season, but has just one goal in his last seven overall games.
The Comets have remained at the bottom of the North Division standings all season, but have points in seven of their last 11 games. Sitting 13 points back of a playoff spot with as many games to go, the New Jersey Devils’ AHL affiliate will play just seven of its games left against opponents within their division.
Rochester has outscored Utica 47-27 in this year’s season series.