TACO BELL WRAP-UP: AMERKS EXTEND WIN STREAK AFTER ALL-STAR BREAK
Rochester takes five-game win streak into four-game week
Feb 10, 2025
By Andrew Mossbrooks | @ Mossbrooks48
The Rochester Americans (28-12-3-1) returned from the 2025 AHL All-Star Classic in winning fashion, topping the Belleville Senators by a 4-0 final Friday night on a rare week where the Amerks had just one game on the docket.
A busy stretch follows, but first, let’s look back at the standouts from the week that was.
SHOOTING STAR
While Amerks hockey resumed Friday night, the AHL’s brightest stars shined on Coachella Valley, California, where Amerks forwards Isak Rosen, Brett Murray, and goaltender Devon Levi represented the red, white, and blue at the start of the week for the league’s annual festivities.
Rosen appeared in Sunday’s Skills Competition, but was unable to compete in Monday’s All-Star Challenge as the third-year pro was promptly recalled to the Buffalo Sabres that afternoon. That left the offensive showcase up to the veteran Murray, who didn’t disappoint.
The sixth-year pro took the puck, dangled in-between and behind his legs to score a highlight reel goal that garnered national praise.
“There were some guys trying some pretty cool moves in the skills challenge the day before,” recalled Murray, “so I got the puck and there wasn't much time left. I thought, why not try something interesting for the fans there and it just worked out.”
Murray, 26, is one of eight AHL skaters to have reached the 20-goal mark this season. His career-best was 23 scored in 71 games during the 2022-23 campaign. Murray is second on the team in points with 36 (20+16) and has 13 points (6+7) in as many games since the turn of the year.
BEAST MODE
Fellow All-Star Levi impressed at the league’s festivities, but his star shined brightest back in the Flower City Friday night. The sophomore sensation pitched his third shutout of the season, turning aside all 29 Belleville shots in the team’s win over the Senators.
“I was ready to go,” said Levi following the win. “I just come to the rink ready to play every game and let the coaching staff make the decisions. I knew coming out of All-Star break I was going to get that first game, so being ready helps you stay in the swing of things.”
The 23-year-old prospect is one of 10 goaltenders with three or more shutouts on the season. Levi’s goals-against-average (2.22) ranks sixth in the AHL and is tops amongst all goalies with two or fewer seasons played. In 47 career games as an Amerk, Levi has amassed a 31-10-6 record and has won his last three starts.
THREE’S COMPANY
In the win over Belleville, Kale Clague, Konsta Helenius, and Anton Wahlberg each led the way in scoring with a goal and an assist apiece.
Clague is having a career season with nine goals and is two points shy of tying his career-high 29 points set during his rookie year in 2018-19 with Ontario. The seventh-year pro is second only to fellow blueliner Zachary Metsa in points by a defenseman for the Amerks. Clague has accumulated six points (2+4) over his last five games.
Rookies Wahlberg and Helenius continue making strides since their return from the World Junior Championships. The goal from Helenius snapped a 17-game drought for the Finnish forward, while Wahlberg’s two-point game was his second of the season and first since Nov. 1. Helenius leads all Rochester rookies in scoring with 20 points (7+13).
LOOKING AT THE WEEK AHEAD
The Amerks will handle a slate of four games over the next six days, beginning Tuesday in Cleveland as Rochester’s lone Tuesday game of the season comes against the Monsters. The Amerks have points in six straight games at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse dating back to Nov.18, 2023, posting a 5-0-1-0 record in Cleveland over that span.
Following that, the Amerks entertain their second set of three games in as many days this season, hosting Syracuse for a Valentine’s Day showdown, while visiting Utica Saturday night, then wrapping up the weekend back on home ice against the Laval Rocket, who are the only team ahead of the Amerks in the North Division standings.