AMERKS OUTLAST ROCKET, 2-1, IN GOALTENDING DUEL
Johnson records two points, late goal sends Rochester to fifth straight win
Oct 31, 2025In a goaltending duel between Devon Levi and Kaapo Kähkönen, the Rochester Americans (7-2-0-0) outlasted the Laval Rocket (5-4-1-0) for a 2-1 victory Friday night at Place Bell.
By picking up their fifth straight win and six in the last seven games, the Amerks maintain a share of the top spot in the American Hockey League’s North Division standings with 14 points, remaining in a first-place tie with Syracuse. Rochester, which has won the first two games of the season-series with the Rocket this season, will look to complete the weekend sweep against Laval on Saturday afternoon in a rematch at Place Bell.
Defenseman Ryan Johnson scored his first goal of the campaign while also adding a third period assist on Trevor Kuntar’s eventual game-winner in the closing minutes of regulation. With the win, the Amerks improved to 15-9-2-0 all-time in Laval.
Forwards Noah Östlund and Konsta Helenius both capped the scoring with an assist on Johnson’s marker midway through the third period. Östlund, who was loaned back to Rochester by the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday, finished with a game-high seven shots.
Levi (5-0-0) picked up his fifth straight victory to begin the campaign, stopping a season-high 33 shots. The third-year pro is tied for league-lead in wins while his 1.80 goals-against-average and .933 save percentage are eighth and 11th-best amongst all AHL netminders, respectively.
Laval’s Jared Davidson recorded his team-leading sixth goal of the season from Lucas Condotta while Kähkönen (2-2-0) made his fourth appearance of the slate and second straight versus Rochester.
FIRST PERIOD
In the first period, the two clubs traded scoring chances as well as a power-play opportunity, however, both Levi and Kähkönen each made timely saves to keep the game scoreless.
The Amerks saw their two best chances come at the beginning of a Laval man-advantage, as both Jagger Joshua and Brendan Warren saw their shots beat the netminder but caromed off the posts.
SECOND PERIOD
The middle frame was more of the same as Rochester went 0-for-1 with the man-advantage while registering seven shots on goal whereas Laval was 0-for-2 and had 11.
Again, Joshua nearly broke the stalemate as he poked the puck off a Rocket skater near the far blueline and had a mini breakaway. Despite finding himself all alone on Kähkönen, the netminder turned aside the attempt with his glove, preserving the scoreless contest.
THIRD PERIOD
Moments after the Amerks drew a hold holding infraction in the first minute of the final frame, Laval plotted the game’s first tally at the 2:39 mark.
Seconds after serving his penalty, Davidson darted into the offensive zone while Condotta drove the puck towards Levi’s goal crease. The Rochester netminder made the initial pad save on Condotta but Davidson controlled the rebound and slipped into the back of the cage while Levi was tangled with bodies in front.
Later in the frame, it appeared things were about to turn in favor of the Rocket as they got a power-play, but the home club was called for a hook and the teams skated 4-on-4 for 68 seconds.
On the ensuing face-off, the Amerks kept the puck inside the offensive zone for nearly a minute before Östlund tracked down his own rebound in the right corner of Kähkönen. As Östlund carried it up towards the point, he handed it to Johnson and the two crossed paths before the latter roofed his first of the season from the blueline at the 9:38 mark.
With the score deadlocked at 1-1, Johnson nearly helped the Amerks grabbed their first lead of the night as he threaded a cross-crease pass to Joshua, but the chance was denied as the Laval netminder made the save.
The two teams continued to put pressure on the opposition’s netminder as they finished with a combined 34 shots in the period, but Rochester finally grabbed its first lead of the night with just under four minutes left in regulation.
Johnson grabbed control of a loose puck inside the Amerks zone then provided an outlet feed for Kuntar at the far blueline. As the pass was nearing his stick, Kuntar redirected it overtop the Rocket defender, and he carried it down the left wing on an odd-man rush with Riley Fiddler-Schultz. As the duo reached the circles, Kuntar wired a shot over the right arm of the netminder for his second of the season, which ultimately served as the game-winner.
Laval managed to draw its fifth power-play of the night inside 2:30 and pulled its netminder for a 6-on-4 two-man advantage, but Levi and company held strong for the 2-1 victory.
UP NEXT
The Amerks close out their season-long four-game road swing on Saturday, Nov. 1 with a rematch at Place Bell against Rocket. Game time from is slated for a 3:00 p.m. start and will be carried live on The Sports Leader 95.7 FM/950 AM The Fan Rochester as well as AHLTV on FloHockey.
STARS AND STRIPES
Tonight marked Rochester first victory in which they did not score four or more goals since Feb. 22, 2025, a span of 15 straight wins … By entering the third period scoreless tonight, it marked the first time the two clubs were held off the scoresheet through 40 minutes in a head-to-head game versus one another … Goaltender and Quebec native Devon Levi boasts a 5-4-0 record, one shutout, a 2.11 goals-against-average and a .922 save percentage in nine career regular season appearances versus the Rocket.
Goal Scorers
ROC: R. Johnson (1), T. Kuntar (2 – GWG)
LAV: J. Davidson (6)
Goaltenders
ROC: D. Levi – 33/34 (W)
LAV: K. Kähkönen– 34/36 (L)
Shots
ROC: 36
LAV: 34
Special Teams
ROC: PP (0/4) | PK (5/5)
LAV: PP (0/5) | PK (4/4)
Three Stars:
1. ROC - T. Kuntar
2. LAV - K. Kähkönen
3. ROC - D. Levi