GAME PREVIEW: AMERKS TRY TO GET BACK ON TRACK AGAINST BRUINS
Rochester hosts Providence in lone game of the weekend
Mar 13, 2025
By Andrew Mossbrooks | @ Mossbrooks48
The Rochester Americans (34-17-3-3) continue their three-game homestand Friday night when they entertain the Providence Bruins (32-19-4-2) at Blue Cross Arena.
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This is the second and final meeting of the season between Rochester and Providence. Their only prior contest took place in late January when Providence’s Michael DiPietro made 29 saves in a 3-0 shutout win for the Bruins.
LAST TIME OUT
Rochester’s troubles from its recent road trip followed the team home Wednesday night in a 4-3 loss to the Charlotte Checkers. For the fourth straight game, the Amerks skated into the third period either ahead or tied, but were unable to secure a win.
Erik Brännström was the highlight for Rochester with the newcomer scoring twice, while Kale Clague recorded his 10th goal of the season, becoming the ninth defenseman to reach double-digit goal totals in the AHL this season.
With the game tied, 2-2, Charlotte scored the go-ahead goal near the midway point of the third on their way to a 4-3 win. Devon Levi made 19 saves in his 31st game with Rochester this season.
Elsewhere Wednesday, the Bruins dropped their second game in a row, falling to the Marlies by a 4-2 final in Toronto.
Fabian Lysell and Frederic Brunet each scored for the Bruins, while DiPietro managed 23 stops in the loss. The loss was only the eighth in regulation for DiPietro this season. The 25-year-old leads the AHL with 21 wins.
THE BOYS ARE BACK
The Amerks have been without the services of Josh Dunne and Isak Rosén for each of their last three games as the pair of forwards were recalled to Buffalo. Thursday morning, the duo was returned to Rochester and expected to draw spots in Friday’s lineup.
Rosén continues to lead Rochester in both goals (26) and points (50). The third-year pro’s 26 goals are tied for fourth-most in the AHL. Prior to being recalled, the Stockholm, Sweden, native’s last four games where points were registered were multi-point outings. Earlier in the season, Rosén was named to the AHL All-Star Classic for a second straight year.
Dunne was recalled to the Sabres for the first time and appeared in his first NHL game since April 2023 with Columbus. The experienced centerman has eight goals and 24 points in an Amerks jersey, while serving as a complete player in all three zones on the ice.
In his Sabres’ debut, Dunne dropped the gloves for his first NHL fighting major against Florida’s A.J. Greer.
WALLY WORLD
Picking up an assist on Clague’s power-play goal in the second period was rookie forward Anton Wahlberg, who is having a productive rookie campaign in the Flower City.
The 19-year-old has nine goals and 23 points this season, with three points (1+2) over his last four games. In his brief sample size with Rochester at the tail end of last season, Wahlberg tallied a goal and three helpers across nine games as an Amerk.
Earlier this season, the Swedish forward represented his country at the World Junior Championship, logging four goals and eight points to finish third amongst his countrymen in scoring.
Wahlberg was selected in the second round of the 2023 draft by Buffalo with the 39th overall pick.
PLAYING PROV
The Bruins skate into Rochester with multiple pieces up with Boston, including their leading scorer Vinni Lettieri, who is playing above a point-per-game pace in the AHL. In addition to Lettieri, fellow veteran forward Patrick Brown is also up with the big club, as is Max Jones.
Even with their subtractions, the Bruins still yield one of the best goaltenders in the AHL with DiPietro, along with Georgii Merkulov on offense, who has 46 points (13+33) and has only been held off the scoresheet seven times since the start of 2025.
Providence also saw its lineup bolstered with Oliver Wahlstrom. The forward was claimed by Boston off waivers from the New York Islanders in December. He was reassigned to Providence earlier this month, returning to the AHL for the first time since the 2019-20 season. Wahlstrom has five goals in five games with the Baby Bruins.