Kevin Oklobzija

By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA When the franchise history spans 68 years over eight decades, it’s not easy to accomplish “firsts.” But in staving off elimination on Saturday night by rallying from a 3-0 third-period deficit to defeat the Syracuse Crunch 4-3 in overtime, the Rochester Americans did just that. Never before had the Amerks dug out of a 3-0 hole to win an elimination … [Read more...] about Amerks Game 4 victory was a comeback for the record book

By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA SYRACUSE – They were done, finished, finito. And there was little doubt, either. The Rochester Americans, facing elimination from the Calder Cup playoffs, were down 3-0 with just 20 minutes to play against a veteran team known for its ability to play lockdown defense. But a funny thing happened to the Amerks on their way to the first tee. They … [Read more...] about Amerks stage improbable rally to defeat Crunch in OT, extend season

By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA SYRACUSE – The clean-up crew was all that remained inside Upstate Medical University Arena late Thursday night but the scoreboard – with the final score and shot totals – remained illuminated. The shot counter read Syracuse Crunch 62, Rochester Americans 34. The final score: a hard-to-fathom 2-1 in favor of the Crunch after 90 minutes and 18 seconds of … [Read more...] about Despite Levi’s 60 saves, Amerks fall to Crunch in double OT

By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA As analytics continue to have a greater influence on hockey, there’s a school of thought that suggests faceoffs don’t matter, that winning and losing a draw isn’t the end-all, be-all. Unless you lose that faceoff to the Syracuse Crunch. The Crunch scored three tip-in goals immediately after they cleanly won three faceoffs, including the game-winner … [Read more...] about Amerks’ faceoff losses lead to playoff loss as Crunch even series