GAME PREVIEW: AMERKS START BUSY STRETCH FRIDAY AGAINST CHECKERS
Rochester ends three-game homestand and begins three-game weekend
Mar 20, 2025
By Andrew Mossbrooks | @ Mossbrooks48
The Rochester Americans (35-17-3-3) are back in action after a week off to wrap up a three-game homestand Friday night at Blue Cross Arena against the Charlotte Checkers (33-19-3-3).
Tonight is the fourth and final encounter between the Amerks and Checkers this season. Rochester will look to even the season series, currently showing a 1-2-0-0 mark against the Florida Panthers’ AHL affiliate. This is also the second meeting in nine days between the two sides, as Charlotte skated out of the Flower City with a 4-3 win back on March 12.
LAST TIME OUT
The Amerks had to persevere last Friday against the Providence Bruins, trailing 2-0 and 3-2 to ultimately rally and win 4-3 in a shootout at Blue Cross Arena. The win snapped a season-long five-game winless skid for Rochester, who rank second in the AHL’s North Division.
Erik Brännström and Mason Jobst scored to tie the game up for the Amerks, but a power-play goal put the Bruins back up by one until Isak Rosén scored during six-on-five play with just over two minutes remaining in regulation to even it back up and force overtime. Following five minutes of overtime, the contest would be decided in a shootout, where Jack Rathbone netted the game-winner while Devon Levi turned away each of the three shot attempts brought forth by Providence. Levi made 26 saves and is now one of seven AHL goaltenders with 20 wins this season.
After splitting a weekend with Toronto, Charlotte continued its six-game road trip this past Wednesday in Utica, where the Comets put up three goals in the first period on their way to a 4-3 win over the Checkers. Trevor Carrick scored a goal and an assist for Charlotte, while Kaapo Kähkönen made 19 saves in the losing effort. Kähkönen entered the game midway through the first period after starting goaltender Cooper Black allowed three goals on the first four shots.
SIXTH SENSE
The season nearing its end hasn’t stopped the schedule from picking up for the Amerks. Friday not only starts a three-day, three-game weekend, but also begins a stretch of six games over the next 10 nights for Rochester.
Following Charlotte, the Amerks play the remainder of their weekend against Empire State competition, venturing to Syracuse Saturday for a matchup with the Crunch before wrapping up the weekend (and season series) Sunday afternoon at home against Utica.
The following weekend, Rochester welcomes Bridgeport to town Friday, then play in Syracuse Saturday before another Sunday matinee back in Rochester to conclude March against the Crunch.
Nine of the Amerks’ 14 remaining games come on home ice. The red, white, and blue will play three games a week in four of the final five weeks of the regular season.
BLOSSOMING ROSE(N)
Rosén came up clutch again for Rochester with his late game-tying goal Friday against Providence. The third-year pro did the same thing one month prior on Feb. 15 in Utica, tying the game late with the goaltender pulled, eventually setting up Noah Östlund for the game-winner that night in overtime.
Rosén is tied with Brett Murray for the team lead in game-winning-goals with five and leads Rochester overall in goals (27) and points (51). The former first-round draft pick by the Sabres has dominated Utica all season, leading his team in the season series with seven goals and 13 points in 10 games this season. For his career, the Swedish winger has amassed 14 goals and 24 points in 31 career games against the Comets. He has only faced and produced more points against Syracuse for his career.
CHESS VS CHECKERS
When playing Charlotte, one must keep an eye on John Leonard, who leads his team and is third in the league overall with 28 goals, two of which came against Rochester a week ago.
Charlotte's current roster boasts four former Amerks in forwards Rasmus Asplund, Kyle Criscuolo, Zac Dalpe and 2018 AHL All-Star Challenge MVP C.J. Smith. Assistant coach Bobby Sanguinetti spent the 2015-16 season with Rochester, adding 15 points (7+8) in 40 games.
Levi has matched Ken Appleby with one shutout against the other, plus five overall on the season for each goaltender. Backup goaltenders Michael Houser and Felix Sandström have combined for an 11-9-2 all-time record against the Checkers.
Charlotte boasts the league’s best penalty kill and is third on the power-play in the AHL.