GAME PREVIEW: LEVI, AMERKS TRAVEL TO LAVAL LOOKING TO END SKID
Rochester 0-2-2-0 over last four games, including two against the Rocket
Nov 19, 2024
By Andrew Mossbrooks | @Mossbrooks48
The Rochester Americans (7-5-2-0) look to end a four-game skid as they venture to Place Bell for a midweek matchup against the Laval Rocket (12-2-0-0).
This will be the third of eight meetings against the Montreal Canadiens’ AHL affiliate and the third time in the last four games between the North Division rivals. Last week, Laval skated into Blue Cross Arena twice, winning 3-2 in overtime Wednesday, followed by being favored via a 4-1 outcome Saturday. With a. 857 points percentage and league-best 9-1-0-0 record over its last 10 games, Laval is the top ranked team across the AHL.
LAST TIME OUT
Brendan Warren scored the lone goal Sunday evening, while Felix Sandström backstopped Rochester to earning a standings point in a 2-1 overtime loss at Toronto. It was the second consecutive game the Amerks had only one goal and the goal being unassisted, with Jack Rathbone converting the only tally in the team’s loss to Laval Saturday night. Since winning six straight, Rochester has gone 0-2-2-0, though they remain in playoff position.
Laval saw its franchise-best eight-game win streak conclude Nov. 9, but have since strung together three consecutive victories, including two over the Amerks last week.
The Rocket have distributed scoring across multiple players, with Joshua Roy, Alex Barré-Boulet, Logan Mailloux, and Owen Beck each at double digit point totals. Mailloux, who scored the overtime game-winner in Rochester last Wednesday, is fifth in points by a defenseman with 12 (4+8).
Rocket goaltenders Jakub Dobeš and Connor Hughes each picked up wins over the Amerks and sit tied for fourth in the AHL with six wins. They co-share the lead for wins in the Eastern Conference.
Laval is also a perfect 6-0-0-0 at Place Bell this season.
LEVI IN LAVAL
Goaltender Devon Levi was reassigned from the Buffalo Sabres to Rochester earlier in the week and will start Wednesday’s game against the Rocket. It will be a homecoming of sorts for the Montreal, Quebec, native, who last played at Place Bell on Feb. 3 of this year. In that game, Levi turned away 32 of 33 shots to help Rochester secure a win.
The 22-year-old began the 2024-25 campaign in Buffalo, posting a 2-5-0 record in seven games.
“You look at his numbers when he's played in this league and they're really good,” said Amerks head coach Michael Leone. “I mean, he's quick. He reads. He's competitive. I think last year talking to our staff, I think when he got here, they went on a bit of a run later in the season. He's a really good goalie. We're excited to have him.”
To Leone’s point, Levi went on a run during his final reassignment to the Amerks in March. From March 1 through the end of the regular season, the now second-year pro boasted a 10-2-1 record through 13 starts. Overall, Levi went 16-6-4 as an Amerk. His .927 save percentage trailed only Hershey’s Hunter Shepard among AHL goalies with 20 or more appearances and led all rookies.
“I'm embracing the process,” said Levi. “I’m embracing being here and happy to be here. It's great to see the guys. I'm excited to go on the road and play against Laval. It's a great opportunity to play and go and do something great with this team, so the thoughts that are going through my head are just making sure that I'm present.”
While the Amerks received Levi, the team exchanged players with the Sabres, who called-up forward Isak Rosen, Rochester’s leading point-getter with 13 points (4+9) to begin the year. Rosen, in his third professional season, recently reached 100 points (38+62) as an Amerk, doing so in 147 games.
BLAST OFF
The Amerks will play the Rocket six additional times including Wednesday, with their next encounter coming on the road again in three weeks on Dec. 11. Laval has a three-point lead on second-place Cleveland and is eight points clear of the Amerks with 24 points to Rochester’s 16.
Laval and Toronto are the only remaining AHL clubs yet to lose a game in regulation on home ice. The Amerks have had success in Laval, earning at least a standings point in 16 of their first 22 games at the home of the Rocket.
Since entering the league in 2017-18, the Amerks have never had a losing season series record against Laval. Mason Jobst led the Amerks in scoring against Laval last season with five goals and 10 points, including a hat trick on Oct. 27. Kale Clague currently has five points (1+4) on the season, but led all Amerks defensemen in points against Laval last season with eight (1+7).