GAME PREVIEW: AMERKS END ROAD TRIP AIMING TO SWEEP SENS
Rochester seeks fourth straight win
Dec 13, 2024
By Andrew Mossbrooks | @ Mossbrooks48
The Rochester Americans (14-8-3-0) put a bow on their season-long five-game road trip Saturday night as they look to sweep the weekend against the Belleville Senators (12-5-0-4) at CAA Arena.
It’s game three of eight on the season series and comes following Rochester’s 7-4 win over the Senators to start the weekend. Following tonight, the Amerks and Senators won’t meet again until Feb. 7 at Blue Cross Arena. Rochester won’t return to face the Senators again in Belleville until April 5, 2025.
LAST TIME OUT
The Amerks picked up their third straight win Friday night, subsequently ending Belleville’s five-game win streak with a 7-4 victory. More than a dozen different Amerks registered at least a point, while Konsta Helenius (0+2), Lukas Rousek (1+1), Isak Rosen (1+1), Tyson Kozak (1+1), and Brett Murray (2+0) produced two-point efforts. In goal, Devon Levi made 29 saves to tie his career best six-game win streak set last season in Rochester from March 8-April 6.
After a back-and-forth first period, the Amerks pulled away with three unanswered goals from late in the second, then early into the third period. Rochester found success in all situations, scoring even strength, shorthanded, and power-play goals, plus an empty net conversion from Rosen in the final minute of the game.
Despite the loss, Belleville forward Stephen Halliday extended his point streak to seven games with a career-best three-assist night. Halliday has three goals and nine points since beginning his point streak on Nov. 27. Angus Crookshank leads Belleville with 12 goals after scoring two against the Amerks Friday night. Both Senators’ prospect’s goals came on the power-play, and Belleville has scored multiple power-play goals against Rochester in each of its first two games this season. Crookshank and Rochester’s Murray are tied for the league lead with seven goals on the man-advantage.
KONSTA-NTLY IMPROVING
Sabres’ 2024 first-round pick Konsta Helenius is taking strides in his first professional season on North American ice. After going quiet through the middle part of November, the Finnish-born forward has found consistency of late, posting six points (1+5) over his last seven games. Helenius threaded two assists Friday in Belleville and finished with a plus-3 on-ice rating for the second time this season.
Helenius, 18, leads all Rochester rookies in scoring with 14 points (6+8) and is fourth-best amongst all rookie forwards in the North Division. His 61 shots on goal are second-most across all rookies and first among Eastern Conference rookies.
PROW’D OF YOU
Veteran defenseman and alternate captain Ethan Prow skated in his 200th game as an Amerk, becoming the 33rd all-time defenseman in the franchises’ 69-year existence to reach 200 games.
Prow, 32, celebrated the night with an assist, giving the Sauk Rapids, Minnesota, native points in three straight. Since joining the Amerks to start the 2021-22 season, Prow has amassed 112 points (21+91) and collectively has 228 points in 420 AHL games. In his first season as an Amerk, Prow led the team with 49 points and finished third in league scoring by a blue liner.
JABO FOR 250
Amerks captain Mason Jobst tallied an assist for his first point in six games Friday night. Like Prow, the Speedway, Indiana, native also celebrated a milestone, with the game against Belleville serving as Jobst’s 250th in the AHL. Since starting his career with Bridgeport in 2019, Jobst has scored 54 goals as part of a 136-point resume written over his six-year run in the AHL.
Ahead of this season, Jobst, 30, was named the 64th captain in franchise history. This comes a season after being named team MVP in 2023-24, when the centerman led Rochester (along with Isak Rosen) in points with 50 (22+28). So far in 2024-25, Jobst has 10 points (3+7) and leads his team with 28 penalty minutes. Seven of Jobst’s 10 points have come while on the road.
ROAD WARRIORS
With Friday’s victory, the Amerks now trail only the Hershey Bears with 10 road wins this season. Overall, Rochester owns a 10-3-1-0 mark when playing outside the Flower City. Excluding their two shutout losses, the Amerks have dominated their opposition on the road, outscoring opponents, 45-23. The Amerks are 3-1-0-0 on their current road trip.
Rosen, who leads Rochester this season with 20 points (9+11), has produced 12 of those points when playing on the road, including a goal and assist against Belleville Friday.