TACO BELL WRAP-UP: AMERKS GET BACK ON TRACK
Rochester splits week ending with shootout win over Providence
Mar 17, 2025
By Andrew Mossbrooks | @ Mossbrooks48
The Rochester Americans (35-17-3-3) ended their week on a high note, rallying back from 2-0 and 3-2 deficits against the Providence Bruins to secure a 4-3 shootout win, thus ending the team’s season-long five-game winless skid.
It was a relatively tame week for the Amerks, who played only Wednesday and Friday, but rest can be a weapon and it’s going to have to come handy moving forward as the team enters the home stretch of the 2024-25 AHL regular season.
ERIK THE ELECTRIC
Wednesday night saw the Amerks debut of defenseman Erik Brännström, whom the Sabres acquired from the New York Rangers the week prior at the NHL trade deadline. Brännström already had stops in Abbotsford and Hartford this season, along with playing in 28 NHL contests for Vancouver.
The 25-year-old newcomer did not disappoint in his first week as an Amerk. Despite Rochester dropping a 4-3 final to Charlotte on Wednesday, the offensive defenseman stayed true to form, scoring twice for the red, white, and blue, including a goal in his first shift with the team. The multi-goal performance was Brännström’s first in the AHL since his debut in the league with the Chicago Wolves back in October of 2018.
The Eksjö, Sweden, native followed-up on Friday by posting another two-point performance, this time by way of a goal and an assist, giving him four points through two games with the Sabres’ AHL affiliate.
This season, Brännström has operated at over a point-per-game pace in the AHL, scoring six goals and 20 points in 16 games. Over the course of his career, the seventh-year pro has logged 294 NHL games under his belt and was one of the first draft picks taken by the Vegas Golden Knights ahead of their inaugural season in 2017.
MASON’S MOTORS
The Rochester Americans’ 64th captain is leading by example in an effort to bring his team back to the promised land come this spring.
Mason Jobst had an uncharacteristically slow start to the season after his MVP year in 2023-24, but has picked up the pace since. Jobst has eight points (5+3) over his last 11 games, including a goal and an assist Friday against the Bruins.
With 57 games played, the sixth-year pro needs to appear in eight more contests to surpass his career-high in games for a season after appearing in 64 last year. The Speedway, Indiana, native has 15 goals and 22 assists on the current campaign. He is seven goals shy of tying his career-high of 22 from a season ago.
Jobst has also been turning it up on home ice, scoring four of his last five goals at Blue Cross Arena. On the helping hand end of things, the veteran needs eight more assists to reach 100 for his AHL career.
PLAYOFF PUSH
The Amerks enter a new week of action firmly ahold of second place in the AHL’s North Division. With 76 points, Rochester is five back of first-place Laval, but also five ahead of third-place Toronto, and 12 points clear of teams chasing playoff positioning in the division.
That said, the Amerks did go through somewhat of a humbling process over the last couple of weeks, hitting a skid with an 0-3-0-2 mark prior to picking up the win against Providence.
Including their win against the Bruins, the Amerks have played six straight games decided by one goal with three of those going beyond regulation.
“It’s a different game,” said Amerks head coach Michael Leone last week when talking about playing opponents now compared to earlier in the season. “Teams are defending a lot harder. You’re going to have to earn your offense. There’s just more desperation. The teams we’re playing don’t give you much.”
This season, 25 of the Amerks’ 58 games played have been decided by one goal.
COMING UP NEXT
After a pair of two-game weeks, the pace picks up for the Amerks with only 14 games remaining in the regular season.
The team will play back-to-back three-game weekends, beginning this Friday when the team concludes its homestand with a rematch from last Wednesday against the Charlotte Checkers. The Amerks will wrap up their season series with both Charlotte and Utica this weekend, as the Comets come to town Sunday afternoon.
In-between those home games is a Saturday session in Syracuse where the Crunch, who have won four straight, host the Amerks.