TACO BELL WRAP-UP: AMERKS SWEEP CRUNCH TO CLOSE OUT NOVEMBER
Levi posts first pro shutout in four-point week for Rochester
Dec 2, 2024By Andrew Mossbrooks | @ Mossbrooks48
The Rochester Americans (10-7-3-0) bounced back from a mid-week loss to the Cleveland Monsters by sweeping the rival-Syracuse Crunch on a home-and-home weekend. After claiming a 3-0 shutout win on home ice Friday, the Amerks rallied Saturday in Syracuse, overcoming a 2-0 deficit to take a 3-2 shootout victory, courtesy of Viktor Neuchev, who posted the game-winning conversion.
Rochester went 2-1-0-0 on the week and finished November going 7-4-3-0 in what was the team’s heaviest schedule month of the 2024-25 AHL season.
BACK ON TRACK
The beginning and end of November showed promise for Rochester, but it wasn’t always smooth sailing for the red, white, and blue. From Nov. 9-27, the team won just once, going 1-4-3-0. The Amerks began the month winning the first four games, then followed at the end of the month with two wins against Syracuse.
“We've been talking a lot about playing winning hockey,” said Amerks head coach Michael Leone. “I think we did that. Everyone was bought in to do whatever it takes to win. I credit the group because we've been defending like that all year.”
On Friday, the Amerks limited Syracuse to 20 shots, yet only managed 15 shots of their own, registering as a season-low for a Rochester team that leads the AHL in average shots on goal per game (34.35). The next night, the Amerks trumped Syracuse by over a 3:1 margin, dominating with a 47-15 shot advantage. Along with leading the league in shots for, the Amerks are giving up the third-fewest shots at 25.35.
Rochester’s power-play also showed signs of life over the weekend, going 3-for-13, including two goals on the man-advantage Friday on home ice, marking the first time this season that Rochester scored multiple power-play goals at Blue Cross Arena.
On the other side of special teams, the Amerks posted a perfect penalty kill across their three-game slate, going 15-for-15. On Wednesday, Graham Slaggert scored his second shorthanded goal of the season for the Amerks, who are one of seven Eastern Conference teams with three or more shorthanded goals.
LEVI-LING UP
For the first time this season, Leone utilized the same starting goaltender on back-to-back nights, rolling 22-year-old Devon Levi out for both starts against Syracuse and all three starts on the week. The second-year pro dished 53 saves across his three starts, plus went 4-for-4 in Saturday’s shootout win over the Crunch.
The highlight of the week for Levi came Friday in front of over 7,000 fans at Blue Cross Arena, as the Sabres’ prospect stopped all 20 shots he faced, including 13 in the third period, to secure his first professional shutout.
“First of all, the fans tonight (Friday) were unbelievable,” said Levi following the shutout win. “You hear them chanting and screaming. I saw them. That support is huge. It keeps us in the game and wants us to win for them. The boys also have been great just being around the rink, being around the coaching staff; It's an unbelievable vibe and there’s an unbelievable culture here.”
Including his rookie season, Levi has earned the Amerks at least a point in 24 of his 31 games with the team. On the season, the Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec native is 3-1-1 with a 2.33 goals-against-average and a .896 save percentage. Levi’s shutout was his first since his time with Northeastern University where he logged six shutouts during the 2022-23 season.
ROSEN TURNING A CORNER
Rochester’s offense ran through Isak Rosen over the weekend. The third-year Amerk posted three goals and four points on the weekend against Syracuse, starting with tying a season high three-point outing on Friday (2+1).
Rosen had gone the previous five games without a point, but put eight shots on goal against the Crunch across Friday and Saturday. Last season, the Sabres 14th overall draft pick in 2021 led Rochester in the season series with nine points (2+7). Rosen leads the Amerks in scoring with 17 points this season (7+10) in as many games played.
COMING UP NEXT
The Amerks are back home, but not for long. After hosting Utica on Wednesday, Rochester departs town for a season-long five-game road trip that starts in Charlotte for games Friday and Saturday against the Checkers.