By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA
Somehow it just seems fitting that, on the final weekend of the regular season, that after 70 games have already been played, this 70th edition of the Rochester Americans still hasn’t clinched what so far has been an elusive playoff berth.
This team has never really done things the easy way, so why wouldn’t their hopes of tearing open the invitation to the American Hockey League’s post-season party take place in the shadow of the finish line.
It didn’t have to be this way, of course. Had the Amerks (31-30-5-4) just earned a point against the Cleveland Monsters in Friday’s home finale, then Saturday night’s game at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Sunday’s matinee at Hershey wouldn’t have had any significance. The Amerks would have clinched a Calder Cup playoff spot.
But by giving up the tie-breaking goal to Jack Williams with just 5:01 remaining and losing 2-1, they instead must find a way to get a point in Pennsylvania. Or, they could still snare the fifth and final playoff spot in the North Division if Utica doesn’t win at Providence on Saturday night.
While the pressure now has certainly been ramped up, goalie Devon Levi said that’s a good situation.
“I personally like playing playoff hockey before you get in,” said Levi, who made several clutch stops on the 30 shots he faced. “Just being in the games that are hard to win – playoff(-like) games that get you ready for when the time comes – are super important. I think it’s a great weekend for us.”
He has a point. If you can’t prove that you’re up to the task now, what’s the point of extending the season.
“We need one point to get in,” Levi said. “If we want to be a team that competes in the playoffs, we should at least get that this weekend.”
Perhaps by Saturday, coach Michael Leone will have forgotten how close they were to clinching in front of Friday’s sellout crowd of 10,662.
But a 1-1 tie and the strong possibility of overtime turned into the 2-1 loss when the Amerks lost an offensive zone faceoff, then lost coverage on the guy who took the draw.
Williams worked to open space near the right wing boards at the blue line and was free to take a long, cross-out outlet pass from defenseman Charlie Elick. Williams then sprinted into the Amerks zone on right wing, angled toward the slot and fired a point-blank shot in off Levi’s left arm.
“In these circumstances, we need to close out games,” said winger Olivier Nadeau, whose 13th goal of the season tied the score 6:05 into the third period.
While the late goal was haunting, so, too, were the missed opportunities by the Amerks. Anton Wahlberg had two great chances in the first 22 minutes yet failed to score and Matteo Costantini misfired on a late second-period breakaway.
During a late first-period power play, Konsta Helenius set up Wahlberg in the right wing circle for a one-timer toward an open net, but goalie Zach Sawchenko read the play and was able to shift across his crease and block the shot.
Then 1:49 into the second period Wahlberg was awarded a penalty shot after he was hooked on a breakaway but Sawchenko again won the showdown, this time making a blocker save.
Brendan Gaunce then broke a scoreless tie 4:46 later, thanks to a fortunate carom. Dysin Mayo’s shot from the right point hit the right shin of Cleveland winger Zach Aston-Reese at the top of the crease. The puck bounced out into the left circle and Amerks goalie Devon Levi had no chance to stop the shot by Gaunce.
The Amerks finally tied the score early in the third when Nadeau established position at the top of the crease and redirected Gavin Bayreuther’s shot from the center point.
Cleveland, however, retaliated with the late-period goal by Williams, meaning the Amerks still don’t know if they’re playoff bound.
“Obviously we wanted that point, we wanted to clinch in front of our fans,” Nadeau said.
They’ll attempt to do that either Saturday in Wilkes-Barre or Sunday in Hershey.
“You can’t control what anybody else does, you just have to get a point,” Leone said.
Penalty shot futility: Wahlberg was the second Amerk to take a penalty shot this season (Jake Leschyshyn at Syracuse on March 28), while opponents have been awarded three. Shooters are a combined 0-for-5. Lukas Rousek was the last Amerk to score on a penalty shot, at home vs. Syracuse on Dec. 27, 2023.
Amerks team awards
Fairand/O’Neil Sportsmanship and McCullough Trophy for community service: Riley Fiddler-Schultz
Rob Zabelny Unsung Hero and Most Popular Player: Jagger Joshua
Rookie of the Year and Most Improved Player: Olivier Nadeau.
MVP: Zac Jones
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