GAME PREVIEW: AMERKS SEEK PAYBACK ON SENATORS
Amerks can secure home-ice for North Division Semifinal round
Apr 5, 2025
By Andrew Mossbrooks | @ Mossbrooks48
After being shutout for only the third time all season, the Rochester Americans (40-19-4-3) look to bounce back Saturday night in their rematch with the Belleville Senators (31-25-4-5) at CAA Arena.
It’s meeting seven of eight in the season series and the final meeting between the two North Division adversaries taking place north of the border. Rochester yields a 4-2-0-0 series lead thus far, but their four-game win streak against the Sens was snapped on Friday.
This is game two of three in a row against Ottawa’s AHL affiliate. The setting shifts to Blue Cross Arena next Wednesday for the final regular season encounter with the Senators.
LAST TIME OUT
After Rochester had clinched a Calder Cup Playoff berth Wednesday, the team fell flat in their return to ice two nights later, getting jumped on by the Senators early and often in what finished as a 5-0 setback for the red, white, and blue.
The loss saw the end of multiple streaks and potential situations. The team’s six-game point streak (5-0-1-0) came to a close, as did goaltender Felix Sandström’s career best nine-game win streak which started back in December. With the loss, Rochester can reach no more than 24 road wins this season, falling one short of tying the franchise record-25 set twice during the 1998-99 and 2018-19 seasons, respectively.
Wyatt Bongiovanni and Oskar Pettersson led the way with two goals each for Belleville, while Leevi Meriläinen quietly pitched a 20-save shutout for his fourth of the year. The win keeps Belleville in the conversation as they remain four points back of a playoff spot with seven games left in their season.
LOCKING UP HOME ICE
While the Amerks remain five points behind Laval for first in the North Division, the team can still lock up home-ice advantage for the North Division Semi-Final round, guaranteeing they would finish no lower than second in the division Saturday night.
For this to happen as soon as Saturday, Rochester needs to either win in regulation over Belleville while Syracuse must lose in any fashion to Toronto, or the Amerks need to win in any fashion and the Crunch must lose to the Marlies in regulation. If either of these scenarios happen, Rochester will at minimum have home-ice advantage through a best-of-five North Division Semi-Final series.
On another note for positioning, if Rochester were to lose in overtime or a shootout to Belleville and the Crunch would lose in regulation, it would guarantee the Amerks would finish no less than third in the North Division, securing them exemption from the fourth seed versus five seed play-in round, which is a best-of-three.
I WOKE UP IN BEAST MODE
Devon Levi traveled with the Amerks to Belleville, but did not dress for Friday’s game. If the last couple of weeks are any indication, all signs point to the 23-year-old drawing the net Saturday for what would be his 39th start of the season. Levi shows a 23-10-4 record and helped Rochester clinch a playoff berth with his 26-save performance against Springfield at Blue Cross Arena Wednesday night.
The Sabres’ prospect made his AHL debut against Belleville back on December 1st, 2023, making 40 saves in a 3-2 shootout win for Rochester. Levi is 5-4-0 lifetime against Belleville, including a 2-0 mark against the Sens this season. The Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec native is 3-2-0 lifetime at CAA Arena.
Levi continues to lead the AHL with six shutouts, including one against Belleville on Feb. 7.
THE SENS OF TIME
Despite the convincing win on Friday, Belleville’s victory got them no closer to jumping into playoff positioning, though they managed to keep pace with the pack of teams in front of them. Thanks to wins for both Syracuse and Cleveland, the Senators remain four points from fifth place in the North Division. Last season, Ottawa’s affiliate snuck in late, then bounced Toronto in the play-in round before bowing out to the Monsters in the North Division Semi-Finals.
Belleville has one of the best goaltenders in the league as seen on Friday. Meriläinen owns the sixth lowest goals-against average in the Eastern Conference with a 2.36, along with being one of only 10 AHL goalies to record four or more shutouts.
The team’s physical style is reflected in their size, with Belleville boasting the second heaviest team in the AHL with an average weight of just under 199 pounds. That said, they are the fourth-youngest team with an average age of 24 years old.