GAME PREVIEW: AMERKS HOST CRUNCH HOPING TO EXTEND WIN STREAK
Amerks return home riding four-game win streak
Dec 17, 2024
By Andrew Mossbrooks | @ Mossbrooks48
The Rochester Americans (15-8-3-0) begin their final stretch of games before the holiday break, starting with the first of two consecutive meetings against the Syracuse Crunch (10-8-4-3). Both Wednesday and Friday’s games against the Crunch see the Amerks hosting at Blue Cross Arena.
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It’s round three of 12 in the season series between the Amerks and Crunch, with Rochester winning the previous two encounters when the two sides closed out November with a home-and-home series. After Devon Levi pitched a 20-save shutout back on Nov. 29 against Syracuse, the Amerks survived a shootout against the Crunch 24 hours later when Viktor Neuchev scored the game-winning conversion in a contest the Amerks trailed 2-0 at one point.
LAST TIME OUT
A season-long five-game road trip ended with the Amerks winning their final four of the set, pushing a 4-1-0-0 record across to climb near the top of the North Division standings. The trip concluded over the weekend in Belleville, with Rochester tagging the Senators for 15 goals against in 7-4 and 8-2 wins, respectively.
More than a dozen different Amerks collected points in Saturday’s 8-2 win, which matched a season-high in goals scored for the team, tying their eight from a win in Utica on Nov. 1. Levi, along with Felix Sandström, posted wins on back-to-back nights, with Sandström stopping 29 shots Saturday and Levi making 27 saves Friday evening.
Syracuse began its weekend by getting a win spoiled over the Hershey Bears, who tied the game with under two minutes to play before going on to win the contest in overtime.
The next night, Crunch goaltender Brandon Halverson shut the door on Utica while Connor Sheary scored the lone goal in Syracuse’s 1-0 victory against the Comets. The Crunch have won just three of their last 10 games but have points in eight outings over that stretch.
EIGHT FOR 81
Brett Murray returns to the Flower City on the heels of consecutive two-goal games in Belleville. The Bolton, Ontario, native has eight points (6+2) over his last eight games and is tied with fellow Amerks forward Isak Rosen for the team lead in goals with 11.
Three of Murray’s four goals over the weekend came on the power-play, giving the sixth-year pro a league leading eight power-play conversions. Murray’s eighth power-play scored Saturday tied a previous career-high set in the 2022-23 season, though this year he reached that number in 45 fewer games.
“Sometimes it comes down to luck and positioning,” said Murray. “A lot of the time it comes down to great passes from guys like (Konsta) Helenius and (Isak) Rosen and good shots from the points. Quite a few of them have gone off my skates, so I can't take full credit.”
Murray scored in the opening game of the season series against Syracuse on Nov. 29. Last spring, the power forward netted the Game 4 game-winning-goal in overtime against Syracuse.
HAIL KALE
Another Amerk that found success in Belleville was defenseman Kale Clague, who in back-to-back games scored a goal and an assist. The veteran blueliner has scored five goals over his last 11 games. Clague’s six goals on the season tie him for fourth in league scoring by a defenseman.
“I really just like watching my games back and watching other players like Quinn Hughes,” said Clague. “I like to see where they go to like the spots they go to. I just like watching offensive defensemen play and just try to pick up on little tendencies that they do. I think you can always learn something there. You're always trying to find ways to get better. We’re all chasing to get back to the NHL. Continuing to try and get better here gives me a chance to do that.”
The second-round draft selection by Los Angeles in 2016 is amid his seventh professional season and third with Rochester since being acquired via trade late in the 2022-23 campaign. In 81 games as an Amerk, Clague has scored 10 goals and 34 assists for 44 points. The Regina, Saskatchewan, native has one goal against the Crunch this season from Rochester’s shootout win in Syracuse bac on Nov. 30.
CAPTAIN CRUNCH
For an eighth straight season, Crunch forward Daniel Walcott wears a letter for his team. The longest tenured player in team history, Walcott has skated in 451 games for the longtime Tampa Bay Lightning affiliate. In that time, the Ile Perrot, Quebec, native has accrued 139 points (53+86), including a personal best 14-goal season from a year ago.
Walcott had a goal and an assist against Rochester in Game 1 of last season’s North Division Semifinal series. Walcott was recognized by the AHL at the end of last season as the recipient of the Yanick Dupre Memorial Award, given to the player who is deemed to be the best in the community.
Walcott has been limited to one goal and five points to start this season.