TACO BELL WRAP-UP: GAMES HEATING UP NEAR END OF FEBRUARY
Feb 26, 2024
By Andrew Mossbrooks | @Mossbrooks48
The Rochester Americans completed their most daunting task of the season, playing seven games over an 11-day stretch. On the other side of that, the team emerged showing a 3-2-1-1 record, though the stretch ended last week with an 0-1-1-1 mark due to a pair of losses to Belleville (one in a shootout), followed by an overtime setback against Hershey Saturday night.
PLAYOFF-LIKE HOCKEY
As February nears its end, the Amerks find themselves in the thick of the playoff race inside the North Division standings. With each passing game, the intensity has ramped up, continuing to resemble that of what’s been seen in the Calder Cup Playoffs.
Following Wednesday’s 4-1 outcome, the Amerks fought in back-to-back 2-1 games: one ending in a shootout loss to the Senators Friday with the other being decided in overtime against the Bears the next night. Since Feb. 3, six of Rochester’s last nine games have been decided by two or fewer goals. Since January, six of Rochester’s 10 wins have also come in that fashion.
“It was a playoff game,” said Amerks head coach Seth Appert speaking after Friday’s contest. “They’re (Belleville) a big, heavy, physical team and there’s not a lot of space out there. It was a playoff-style game and I thought we defended hard.”
PK PERFECTION
Appert’s comments on defending hard has shown through on special teams for the Amerks with regards to their penalty kill. In the three games since Wednesday, the Amerks turned away each of their 10 power-plays faced.
The Rochester kill is in the midst of its best month all season, with the team allowing a power-play goal in just two games all of February thus far.
For much of the 2023-24 campaign, the Amerks penalty kill has ranked last or second-to-last across the 32-team AHL. They enter this week 25th-best, sitting just beneath 80% efficient (79.9%).
LINUS LOVES HOME
Amerks forward Linus Weissbach found the scoresheet in each of Rochester’s home games against Belleville, posting an assist in each. The Sweden native has been calling Blue Cross Arena his home away from home for much of the season, with his last nine points (5+4) coming on home ice.
Since Dec. 22, all but one goal of his seven goals and five assists have come away from the Flower City.
GOALTENDING GREATNESS
Devon Levi and Dustin Tokarski shared the crease over the last three games for the Amerks. While Levi has been the hot hand, playing in eight of the team’s last 11 games, Tokarski entered Friday against Belleville making just his fourth start in the last 54 days. Despite the layoff, the veteran churned out a quality performance in goal, carrying a shutout into the 57th minute of action and making 32 saves over 65 minutes to help the Amerks earn a point.
“I knew he was going to be great,” said Appert when asked about Tokarski’s game. “I said earlier in the day that he was going to give us a great game and he did.”
In Levi’s starts on Wednesday and Friday, the 22-year-old combined for 69 saves, including 37 against the league’s best in Hershey to end the week. His February numbers have reached otherworldly levels, showing a 2.67 goals-against-average coupled with a preposterous .938 save percentage. Levi has made 286 saves in his eight February starts and could be on his way to league honors for the month in the coming days.
COMING UP NEXT
Three games greet the Amerks in their week that switches from February to March. It starts with a home game Wednesday against Syracuse, whom Rochester has gone past regulation with in four of seven meetings, then concludes on the road in Belleville, where the Amerks will play a pair of games against the Senators on the weekend, kicking off the final full month of the regular season.