GAME PREVIEW: AMERKS LOOK TO RESPOND IN CHARLOTTE
Rochester seeking bounce back performance after rocky start to road trip
Dec 7, 2024
By Andrew Mossbrooks | @ Mossbrooks48
The Rochester Americans (11-8-3-0) will look to end the four-game win streak of the Charlotte Checkers (11-4-1-2) Saturday night at Bojangles Coliseum.
Saturday is the second meeting in as many days between Charlotte and Rochester, with the Amerks dropping a 6-0 decision to the Checkers Friday night. It will also be the final time the Amerks play in Charlotte during the 2024-25 season. The two remaining games against the Checkers will both come back at Blue Cross Arena March 12 and 21, respectively.
Saturday is the 26th all-time meeting between Rochester and Charlotte, with the Amerks holding an 8-17-0-0 record when facing the Checkers.
LAST TIME OUT
Rochester saw its three-game win streak come to a halt Friday night as the team ended up on the wrong side of a 6-0 final in Charlotte. After one goal in both the first and second periods, the Checkers busted the game open in the third, scoring four times, including three goals in under seven minutes.
The Amerks were outshot, 35-19. Felix Sandström made his eighth start of the season, recording 29 saves. Ken Appleby earned his second shutout of the year for Charlotte.
Riese Gaber scored twice (2+1) as he and Ben Steeves (1+2) each posted three-point nights. Wilmer Skoog, Oliver Okuliar, and Sandis Vilmanis each found the back of the net as well. Rochester went 0-for-4 on its power-play, while Charlotte, who boasts the league’s best man-advantage, went 1-for-3.
BRETT THE HITMAN
Sixth year pro Brett Murray has led all Amerks over the last two seasons against Charlotte with two goals and eight points. While kept off the scoreboard Friday, Murray’s chance was one of the team’s best, as the 6-foot-5 power forward deflected a shot that hit off the right post while on an Amerks’ power-play.
Six of Murray’s seven goals this season have come on the power-play. The Bolton, Ontario native is second in team scoring with 14 points (7+7) and has 80 career goals as an Amerk with 33 coming on the power-play. Four of his seven goals have come over the last eight games. Murray has 13 career game-winning-goals, including one against Charlotte back on Feb. 2, 2022.
The 2016 Sabres draft pick has reached 15 or more goals in each of his last three seasons.
LEANING ON LEVI
Second-year pro Devon Levi is expected to make his seventh start of the season for the Amerks after backing up Sandström Friday night. Levi, 22, skates into the crease at Bojangles Coliseum having won his last three starts, combining for 54 saves on 58 shots in that stretch.
The Sabres prospect has helped the Amerks in 25 of his 32 career games with Rochester. On the season, Levi owns a 4-1-1 record with a 2.28 goals-against-average and an .899 save percentage. He has yet to face Charlotte, though Levi was originally drafted by the Florida Panthers in the seventh round of the 2020 NHL Draft. Charlotte is the AHL affiliate of the Panthers.
FAMILIAR FACE
Former Amerk Rasmus Asplund notched an assist in Friday’s win over Rochester. The 11th-year pro has three points over his last three games (2+1) and is tied for sixth in team scoring with 11 points (7+4). The Filipstad, Sweden, native, who celebrated his 27th birthday earlier in the week, led Charlotte with 35 assists last season. He played 111 games over three seasons with the Amerks and another 164 games in Buffalo. Asplund has a goal and four assists in last year’s season series against Rochester.