AMERKS POINT STREAK ENDS IN 3-2 LOSS TO COMETS
Rosén's point streak reaches 10 games, Levi makes 16 saves in fourth straight start
Dec 17, 2025Defenseman Zac Jones (1+1) tallied a pair of points, but the Rochester Americans (14-10-2-1) dropped a 3-2 decision to the intrastate rival Utica Comets (6-14-3-1) Wednesday at The Blue Cross Arena.
GAME SUMMARY PHOTO GALLERY POST-GAME REPORT
Despite the loss, the Amerks, who saw their six-game point streak come to an end, have points in seven of their last nine dating back to Nov. 22. Rochester enters Friday’s final contest prior to the Christmas break in third place in the North Division with 31 points, four back of Laval and two of Syracuse.
Jones pushed his point streak to four games as he bagged his seventh multi-point effort of the campaign while Isak Rosén scored his 10th goal of the season from Kontsta Helenius and Jones. Rosén, who leads all Amerks in goals, has 14 points (7+7) during his 10-game point streak while Helenius has logged nine (4+5) dating back to Nov. 28.
Trevor Kuntar and Carson Meyer each booked an assist on Jones’ second-period goal, which was his second overall of the season.
Goaltender Devon Levi (10-5-3) made his fourth straight start and 18th appearance of the season, stopping 16 of the 19 shots he faced. Levi is tied for fourth amongst all AHL netminders with 10 wins.
Cam Squires (0+2) produced a pair of assists for Utica, which has won two of the four games this season with Rochester. Goaltender Nico Daws (5-8-3) made 19 saves to earn the victory.
FIRST PERIOD
After having the only shot of the contest through the first six minutes, Rochester forced Utica into a pair of penalties 57 seconds apart to gain a 5-on-3 two-man advantage for 1:02.
On the ensuing face-off to the right of Daws, Jake Leschyshyn won the draw for Helenius to collect before the former dished it to Jones. The Amerks’ blueliner exchanged a pass with Meyer at the right point then handed it to his left for Helenius. The Finnish forward patiently waited with the puck before feeding Rosén with a one-timer from the right dot for his 10th goal of the slate at the 6:12 mark.
Utica, despite allowing the opening marker of the night, nearly countered back as Squires was the recipient of Ethan Edwards’ bank pass off the boards, but Levi denied the breakaway opportunity.
The Comets came right back, however, as Lenni Hämeenaho forced a turnover inside the Amerks zone before dishing a pass for Matyas Melovsky to snipe under the Rochester crossbar to even the score at 1-1.
SECOND PERIOD
Early in the second stanza, Squires scooped up a loose puck just inside the Comets’ zone before he carried it up the ice and down the right wing. The rookie winger waited as he approached the net then sent a cross-crease pass for Jonathan Gruden to bang in at the backdoor, restoring the Utica lead just 52 seconds into the period.
Four minutes later, Anton Wahlberg gathered the puck in the left corner before giving it to Jones atop the left point. The offensive-defenseman quickly snapped a pass to Nikita Novikov across the zone before Meyer eventually dumped it down the right wall. Kuntar retrieved the puck and fired a sharp-angle shot. The rebound was inadvertently kicked to Daws’ right for Jones to hammer in for his second of the season.
Utica reclaimed its lead halfway through the frame on Topias Vilen’s first goal while on the man-advantage from Thomas Bordeleau and Squires.
THIRD PERIOD
During the third period, the Amerks drew a pair of penalties six minutes apart but were unable to generate much offense as they only registered two shots through the first 19 minutes of the frame.
The club pulled Levi for an extra attacker to find the equalizer as they trailed by a goal, and despite firing three additional shots, couldn’t get anything else past Daws.
UP NEXT
The Amerks continue their four-game holiday homestand as they welcome the Belleville Senators on Friday, Dec. 19 for a 7:05 p.m. contest. All the action from The Blue Cross Arena will be carried live on The Sports Leader 95.7 FM/950 AM The Fan Rochester as well as AHLTV on FloHockey. The game also will be televised on tape-delay on CW Rochester.
Goal Scorers
UTC: M. Melovsky (3), J. Gruden (4), T. Vilen (1)
ROC: I. Rosén (10), Z. Jones (2)
Goaltenders
UTC: N. Daws – 19/21 (W)
ROC: D. Levi – 16/19 (L)
Shots
UTC: 19
ROC: 21
Special Teams
UTC: PP (1/2) | PK (3/4)
ROC: PP (1/4) | PK (1/2)
Three Stars:
1. UTC - T. Vilen
2. UTC - C. Squires
3. ROC - Z. Jones