AMERKS DOUBLED UP BY ROCKET IN WEEKEND OPENER
Leschyshyn records a goal and an assist, Levi makes 19 saves in 4-2 loss to Laval
Mar 6, 2026The Rochester Americans (24-21-5-3) scored a pair of third-period goals but could not overcome a 3-0 deficit in a 4-2 loss to the North Division leading Laval Rocket (36-18-2-3) Friday at Place Bell.
The contest served as the first half of a back-to-back set between the two clubs and was the third of four meetings since Feb. 20.
Forward Jake Leschyshyn scored his 11th goal of the campaign – and seventh on the power-play – before later adding an assist for his third multi-point game overall. Ryan Johnson notched his fifth marker of the season while Konsta Helenius and Zac Jones capped the scoring by notching an assist each.
Goaltender Devon Levi (17-14-8) made 19 saves in his AHL-leading 39th appearance of the season. The Quebec native has appeared in 13 of the Amerks’ last 16 games dating back to Jan. 19.
Laurent Dauphin, who leads all AHL scorers this season in assists (43), added two helpers for Laval, which has won each of the last five meetings versus Rochester. Joshua Roy, Owen Beck, Florian Xhekaj, and David Reinbacher all scored one goal each in the win.
Goaltender Jacob Fowler improved to 19-7-1 as he made 35 saves.
FIRST PERIOD
In the opening minute of play, William Trudeau was sprung into the offensive zone with the puck. As the defenseman split Rochester’s blueliners, his breakaway opportunity from the top of the circles was denied by the left leg of Levi to keep the game scoreless.
The shot ended up being one of four through the next eight minutes between the two clubs despite the Amerks generating some offensive zone time.
Near the halfway point of the frame, Roy stepped in front of a pass from the right corner inside the Amerks’ end of the ice. The forward gained control in the circle, but rather than cutting to the center of the zone, he went behind the net and banked a shot off Levi’s inner thigh. While sprawling to make a save, the puck trickled across the goal line with 9:14 left in the period.
Following an official’s review, it was deemed a good goal after the initial call on the ice was waved off.
Laval then gained a power-play shortly after Roy’s 16th goal of the year, however, the Amerks not only successfully cleared off the infraction but gained one of their own seconds later.
On Rochester’s man-advantage, they attempted to begin the rush from inside its own zone, but Beck grabbed the puck near the blueline. While fanning on his initial shot, Beck gave the puck to Lucas Condotta, who then centered a return pass atop the crease for Beck to steer past Levi at the 16:57 mark.
SECOND PERIOD
During the second period, Levi was the busier of the two netminders as he stopped all 10 shots he faced, which included a by pair of grade-A chances.
Rochester, which cleared off a pair of penalties over the period, trailed by a pair of goals after 40 minutes of play.
THIRD PERIOD
While it was the Amerks pressing to spoil Fowler’s bid for a fourth shutout of the campaign in the first half of the third period, Laval upped its lead to 3-0 as Reinbacher finished off a feed between the dots.
On the ensuing shift after, tensions boiled over and three penalties were issued followed by a fourth 19 seconds later.
As a result of the three roughing infractions and a holding seconds later, Rochester had a 5-on-3 advantage for 1:41.
The Amerks kept the puck inside the offensive zone, generating multiple shots before finally breaking through as Jones skated from the left point to the center of the ice. The Virgina native waited for bodies to provide a screen then rifled a shot for Leschyshyn to redirect for his 11th of the season with just over four minutes to play in regulation.
Despite seeing the three-goal lead trimmed to a pair, Laval’s Xhekaj got a friendly bounce as he flung a puck towards Levi, but it glanced off an Amerks defenseman’s leg and then caromed past the goaltender, restoring the three-goal cushion.
Prior to the final buzzer, Leschyshyn won a face-off to the left of Fowler back to Johnson, who blasted in his fifth of the slate at the 19:21 mark.
UP NEXT
The Amerks close out the first weekend of March with a rematch with the Rocket on Saturday, March 7 for a 3:00 p.m. puck drop. All the action from Place Bell will be carried live on The Sports Leader 95.7 FM/950 AM WGR Rochester as well as AHLTV on FloHockey.
Goal Scorers
ROC: J. Leschyshyn (11), R. Johnson (5)
LAV: J. Roy (16), O. Beck (9), D. Reinbacher (5 – GWG), F. Xhekaj (11)
Goaltenders
ROC: D. Levi – 19/23 (L)
LAV: J. Fowler – 35/37 (W)
Shots
ROC: 37
LAV: 23
Special Teams
ROC: PP (1/3) | PK (4/4)
LAV: PP (0/4) | PK (2/3)
Three Stars:
1. LAV - J. Fowler
2. LAV - D. Reinbacher
3. LAV - L. Dauphin