By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA On Friday night, Laval Rocket winger Florian Xhekaj was the goat, and not in a Tom Brady kind of way. His foolish goaltender interference penalty led to the winning goal, enabling the Rochester Americans to win Game 2 and even the best-of-five Calder Cup North Division finals. On Wednesday night, Xhekaj was one of the heroes for the Rocket. His first … [Read more...] about Laval’s quick 3rd-period blitz dooms Amerks
AHL
Kulich, Rousek, Rosen come up big as Amerks rebound to tie series
By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA When the NHL regular season ended, Jiri Kulich was sent back to the Rochester Americans to experience intense playoff pressure, to prove he can perform in the spotlight when it matters most. Five games into what the Amerks hope will be a long Calder Cup playoff run, Kulich isn’t so sure he is living up to expectations. At least not his own. “To be … [Read more...] about Kulich, Rousek, Rosen come up big as Amerks rebound to tie series
Laval upends Amerks in series opener with late third-period goal
By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA It’s amazing how quickly a playoff joyride can be derailed. In sweeping the Syracuse Crunch in the Calder Cup North Division semifinals, the Rochester Americans were simply the better team. Better in goal with Devon Levi, better as a team in the defensive zone and far more skilled. Put it all together and you get a three-game sweep. But the Amerks … [Read more...] about Laval upends Amerks in series opener with late third-period goal
Amerks trying to stay sharp during ‘weird’ 13-day break in playoff schedule
By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA There’s no playbook for Rochester Americans coach Michael Leone and his staff to follow when dealing with this extended gap in their playoff season. Then again, how could there be? A break of 13 days between games – which is what the Amerks are dealing with – has never happened. In the 69 year history of the franchise, the longest stretch between … [Read more...] about Amerks trying to stay sharp during ‘weird’ 13-day break in playoff schedule
Levi, Jobst come up big as Amerks complete the sweep
By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA SYRACUSE – First, Devon Levi stood on his head – literally. While sashaying away from a first-period net-mouth scrum in his goal crease, he took a misstep and, while trying to catch his balance, ended up taking an awkward tumble that brought laughter from the fans at Upstate Medical Center Arena. “I got tripped and I might have stepped on his foot, I … [Read more...] about Levi, Jobst come up big as Amerks complete the sweep