Courtesy of AMerks.com
Rochester, NY – The Rochester Americans (29-21-6-2) used five different goal-scorers and a 41-save effort from Devon Levi as they defeated the Toronto Marlies (25-20-9-2) by a 5-3 score Friday at The Blue Cross Arena.
The victory, Rochester’s third straight and fourth in the last five games, keeps the Amerks in third place in the AHL’s North Division standings and gives them points in 17 of their last 24 games dating back to Jan. 17. The Amerks, who improved to 3-0-0-0 through the first three games in the season series against the Marlies, will look to complete the home-and-home sweep on Saturday in Toronto.
Nikita Novikov (1+1) and Jiri Kulich (1+1) each tallied a pair of points as they each scored a goal while also recording an assist. Mason Jobst, Isak Rosen, and Viktor Neuchev all found the back of the net while Joseph Cecconi, Jeremy Davies, Brandon Biro, Graham Slaggert, Michael Mersch, Riley Stillman, and Damien Giroux all notched a helper in the win.
Levi(11-7-5) earned his 17th start in the last 20 games since being reassigned to Rochester on Jan. 20. The rookie netminder stopped 41 saves to pick up his fourth straight win and fifth victory in his last six outings. Additionally, Levi, who has held the opposition to three or fewer goals in 15 of his 19 starts, boasts a 11-1-3 this season in those games.
Logan Shaw opened the scoring just 24 seconds into the first period while Roni Hirvonen and Josiah Slavin added markers in the second and third, respectively, for Toronto. Goaltender Dennis Hildeby (15-9-6) stopped 20 of the 25 shots he faced in his 31st appearance of the campaign.
Moments after allowing the Marlies to score on their first shot of the matchup, Rochester pushed back as they had several grade-A chances against Hildeby. While the home club was originally denied, they evened the game at 1-1 six minutes after Shaw’s 23rd marker of the season.
Stillmanand his defensive partner Ryan Johnson exchanged passes inside the Amerks zone before the latter moved the puck to the far blueline for Mersch. The Amerks team captain, who was skating in his 600th professional game, tapped it ahead to Giroux as he sped down the right wing. Giroux carried the puck down inside the circle before sending a cross-crease pass for Jobst to tap inside the back post.
Eight minutes later after each team was unable to capitalize on abbreviated power-plays, Rochester took its first lead of the night at the 14:37 mark.
Much like Jobst’s goal, the play began with an Amerks defenseman leading the rush out of the defensive zone as Cecconibroke the puck out from the left dot. Cecconi snapped a pass up through center ice for Slaggert, who then pushed it ahead to Biro. While Slaggert skated to provide a screen in-front of the Marlies’ net, Biro carried the puck across the blueline before dropping it for a trailing Novikov, who converted for his second goal of the season and a 2-1 Rochester lead.
While the Marlies heavily outshot the Amerks over the course of second period, not much happened for the first 19 minutes of the stanza.
To conclude the frame, the two clubs traded goals 20 seconds apart to keep it a one-score game going into the third period.
Novikov pinched down the wall from the left point before floating a perfect one-time feed for Kulich to hammer past the glove of Hildeby.
Prior to the horn, Hirvonen was the recipient of a wrap-around by Ryan Tverberg as he found himself all alone to the left of the Amerks netminder.
After the break, the Amerks quickly doubled their lead just 91 seconds into the third period as Rosen picked the corner for his 14th of the season from Kulich and Stillman.
Seven minutes later, Cecconi and Davies connected on a series of passes to jumpstart another offensive play inside the defensive zone.
While Davies provided a breakout feed to Cecconi, the latter handed it to Neuchev as he darted across the blueline. The rookie forward cut to the middle of the Marlies end, and prior to reaching the far dot, he wired home his ninth goal of the campaign to push the Amerks lead to 5-2.
Toronto pulled its netminder for the final two minutes of regulation and was able to cut into the deficit in the final seven seconds, but the Amerks prevailed for their third straight win.
The home-and-home series shifts north of the border on Saturday, March 16 for a rematch at Scotiabank Arena in downtown Toronto. The 1:30 p.m. matinee will be carried live on The Sports Leader 95.7 FM/950 AM The Fan Rochester as well as AHLTV.
Stars and Stripes:
Including his three-assist outing on Wednesday and a first-period goal tonight, Mason Jobst has recorded 26 points (10+16) over his last 26 games … Of Viktor Neuchev’s nine goals this season, seven have been scored on home ice … In 26 of the last 31 meetings, the winning team has scored at least four goals dating back to the 2017-18 season … In two starts against Toronto this season, Devon Levi has totaled 93 saves on 97 shots-against along with a 1.92 goals-against average and a .959 save percentage
Amerks split the 2 weekend games with the Marlies..no surprise there. Levi was the hero and in most observers, the 1st star of the win. Without him, the barrage of Marlies shots would have sunk the Amerks for sure.
With Levi unavailable (and off to Buffalo for a spell) Saturday, Amerks couldn’t keep up despite hanging on for 2 periods.
Tied 3-3 going into the 3rd, they totally crumbled; Tokarski didn’t make the big saves and that was that. Marlies were credited with 5 shots in the 3rd and they scored 4 goals. You do the math.
Coach played his favorite game of pulling the goalie early. Marlies scored twice.
Amerks don’t have much of a PP 5 on 4. Clearly they also don’t have one 6 on 5. That tactic has rarely worked this season.
So with Levi away and games coming up Wed, Fri and Sat, Amerks playoff chances still teetering precariously. 3rd thru 7th is still a jumble.
What we continued to learn this weekend: good goaltending will steal wins. Not so good goaltending will sink the ship.