AMERKS FEBRUARY 2024 REPORT CARD
Feb 29, 2024
By Andrew Mossbrooks | @Mossbrooks48
The march to the playoffs is in full swing as the Rochester Americans rounded out February and enter the new month with only 21 games remaining in the 2023-24 regular season.
Despite being the shortest month of the year, the Amerks had one of their most daunting schedules to date, playing 12 games in four weeks to the tune of a 4-4-3-1 record. While that mark may not sound the most flattering, there were several elements of Rochester’s team that deserve their flowers and we’re here to hand those out!
PENALTY KILL: A-
It’s no secret that Rochester’s penalty kill hasn’t been the backbone of its season. In many cases, it was often the backbreaker, but February saw the team’s kill step up in a big way.
Through 12 February games, Rochester killed off 31-of-34 penalties, clicking at over 91% efficiency.
“I think it’s been a slow progress forward,” said Amerks head coach Seth Appert. “I think when you look at the number for the year, it’s skewed by our first 15 games or so where we weren’t good enough defensively. Nathan Paetsch (assistant coach) runs our penalty kill and he takes a lot of pride in it. He suggested a tweak we made about 15 games or so into the year and since then, slowly our penalty kill was getting better and lately it’s been excellent.”
Overall, Rochester’s PK is operating at 79.4%, but on the road, they’ve fared even better (81.4%).
DEVON LEVI: A
February was the busiest month in the young pro career of rookie goaltender Devon Levi, who started nine of the team’s 12 games. The 22-year-old’s crowning moment came in Toronto on Feb. 19 when the Sabres prospect made a career high-52 saves in a 2-1 overtime win for Rochester.
Across the month, Levi amassed a .932 save percentage, coupled with a 2.84 goals-against-average. He made 313 saves over that span.
“It’s been great here,” said Levi earlier in the month. “I’m having a really good time. The guys are great. The coaching staff makes it so easy to have fun here.”
Overall, Levi has helped Rochester earn standings points in nine of his 13 games played.
POINT(S) TAKEN: B
As mentioned earlier, Rochester’s record for the month wasn’t its best. That said, their ability to gain ground, and in some cases, gain separation in the standings has to be commended. The Amerks picked up points in half their losses this month. Of the seven North Division teams, only Toronto has more losses past regulation than the Amerks do. That bodes well for earning points, which Rochester did for two-thirds of the month. The Amerks enter March in the fifth and final playoff spot but lead sixth-place Laval by three points and have opened up a seven-point gap on last place-Utica.
As much as you’d love to focus on playoff positioning, you first need to qualify for the playoffs, and a good month for the Amerks in March can bring them a massive step closer to getting that ‘x’ next to their name on the board.
GOLD STAR STUDENTS: MASON JOBST
Aside from Levi, no star shined brighter in February than fifth-year pro Mason Jobst. Not only did the Speedway, Indiana, native reach 200 AHL games played, but he did so while amassing a healthy stretch of points along the way, posting six goals and 11 points in as many games in the month.
Jobst ranks second on Rochester in goals (16) and points (35). He has already exceeded his career high-14 goals set last year, doing so in 16 fewer games played.
“It’s crazy it’s been five years in the league,” said Jobst. “My first two years were COVID seasons and my third year was riddled with injuries, so last year felt like my rookie year. I felt towards the end of last year that I was really starting to find my groove and play with some confidence. I worked hard in the summer to continue it into this year. I feel like I’m continuing to gain more confidence and getting better each week and each month. It’s been good and it’s been fun.”
MARCH SYLLABUS
Hard to believe, but March will be the final full month of the regular season for the AHL. As the days pass, the intensity and importance of each game rises with teams looking to punch their ticket into the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs.
For the Amerks, the team sees a season high-13 games fall on the calendar. Seven will be played on the road, while the other six take place at Blue Cross Arena, including a three-game homestand from March 20-24. All but one game comes against opponents in the North Division, and as it currently stands, 10 of those 12 games will be against teams the Amerks are looking up to in the standings.
The push to the playoffs heats up. Get ready for March Madness!