Jones keeps piling up the points as Levi, Amerks blank Syracuse

By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA

When the Buffalo Sabres told Zac Jones on Wednesday morning that he would be rejoining the Rochester Americans, he was hardly surprised.

He can read a depth chart. He knew defenseman Michael Kesselring was nearly ready to play, which meant a roster move was very likely pending.

“When you’ve been in pro hockey as long as I have, you kind of understand when things are going to change,” the fifth-year veteran said. “Especially with guys getting healthy up there, I knew the time was going to come soon that I was going to be back.”

And so, just eight or so hours later, he was right back to being one of the most dominant defensemen in the American Hockey League.

Jones scored two more goals – giving him four in the past seven games – and pushed his team-leading point total to 34 as the Amerks and goalie Devon Levi blanked the Syracuse Crunch 3-0.

“We really didn’t give them anything,” Jones said. “Props to ‘Beast,’ he played a great game tonight, but I think it was a full team effort for 60 minutes.”

Indeed, the Amerks limited the Crunch to just 20 shots as Levi posted his second shutout of the season. How good was the team in front of him? So good that, despite the shutout, Levi was the second star and Jones No. 1.

“We were committed to defending and playing hard,” said Amerks coach Michael Leone after his team won for the fifth time in eight games and improved to 19-12-3-1. “I thought we checked really we didn’t give them much, we were above the puck, I thought our ‘D’ really did a good job; just a really good game from our group.”

And it came on home ice on a Wednesday, if you can believe it.

“Now I don’t have to answer questions about Wednesday games with us losing on Wednesdays all the time,” Leone said with a smile, referring to the five consecutive home-ice, hump-day losses. “I was thinking, if we lose again they’re going to ask another Wednesday question.”

He can thank Jones. A free-agent signee in the offseason from the New York Rangers, Jones broke a scoreless tie 6:49 into the second period and then provided critical insurance with another goal 4:19 into the third period.

In 29 games, the Virginia native has 5 goals and a league-best 29 assists.

“I don’t know if you can pre-scout him,” Levi said. “He’s so naturally intuitional and flowing. You never know what he’s going to do and he has an incredible ability to control the puck.”

Like on his first goal. Defenseman Jack Rathbone and winger Trevor Kuntar won a puck battle on the right-wing half wall, and as Rathbone was gaining control Jones was calling for the puck at the center point.

Once on his stick, he meandered down the slot before sniping a perfect wrister into the top right corner of the net.

“It was a great play by them just winning that wall battle,” Jones said. “It drew two or three Syracuse defenders over to the wall and I had a ton of time to just walk down the middle and luckily I put it in.”

That’s called modesty. There was little luck involved. Jones rarely misses because of his poise and composure with the puck, Leone said.

“He’s been an exceptional player for us and it changes the dynamic of the back end,” Leone said.

His second goal came directly off a faceoff win to the left of goalie Brandon Halverson. He wheeled from the top of the right circle across the high slot, leaving Crunch winger Curtis Douglas in his wake.

With Olivier Nadeau and Jake Leschyshyn posted up in the deep slot, Jones against picked the top right corner.

At that point, Levi had faced only 13 shots but did make a big-time stop on Brendan Furry with 5:15 remaining to keep the score 2-0.

“You know your opportunity is coming, you know you’re not facing eight shots,” Levi said.

But the light workload was a credit to the overall team play.

“I don’t think there was a shot that got through to me that I didn’t see,” he said, “and I feel if I see it, I’ll stop it.”

Riley Fiddler-Schultz then scored the clinching goal at 17:22, hitting an empty net with a 150-foot shot.

“I think our game is trending in the right direction,” said Leone, whose plays at Belleville Friday, Utica on Saturday and Syracuse Monday. “It was a really important game for our team. I loved the way the competed and worked.”

Injury note: Defenseman Noah Laaouan suffered a lower body injury 3:25 into the third period when he was checked legally in the corner in the Amerks zone by Nick Abruzzese. Leone didn’t have a prognosis.