AMERKS PULL AWAY FROM ISLANDERS IN THIRD PERIOD
Metsa extends point streak to six straight games, Helenius nets game-winner in 5-3 win over Bridgeport
Nov 15, 2025The Rochester Americans (10-6-0-0) built a pair of multi-goal leads before Konsta Helenius broke a 3-3 tie midway through the period and held on for an eventual 5-3 win over the Bridgeport Islanders (5-8-1-1) Saturday at Total Mortgage Arena.
With the win, Rochester’s 10th of the season, the club claimed sole possession of first place in the North Division with 18 points. The Amerks show a 6-1-1-1 record on the road since the start of the 2017-18 campaign versus Bridgeport while also earning points in 16 of the last 17 meetings overall over that span.
Entering the game riding a five-game point streak, Zach Metsa notched three assists while Jagger Joshua (2+0) and Anton Wahlberg (1+2) each logged multi-point efforts to help the Amerks to their second straight win of the weekend. Jack Rathbone opened the scoring with his first goal of the season in the opening period before Helenius provided the eventual game-winner in the final frame.
Ryan Johnson and Carson Meyer both collected an assist on Rathbone’s tally to close out the scoring.
Goaltender Devon Levi made his ninth appearance of the season, stopping 23 of the 26 shots he faced to improve to 7-2-0 on the slate. Levi’s seven victories are tied for most amongst all AHL netminders this season.
Marshall Warren recorded a career-high three-assist outing while Cam Thiesing, Marc Gatcomb, and Julien Gauthier all scored for Bridgeport. Goaltender Marcus Högberg (3-5-2) matched a season-high 33 saves but suffered the defeat in his 10th appearance of the campaign.
FIRST PERIOD
Less than four minutes into the contest, Meyer spun behind the Islanders’ net with the puck before he banked it off the boards to the left point. Johnson controlled the feed then fired a shot towards the cage. Despite the attempt going wide, it caromed off the end boards for Rathbone, who crashed down into the zone, and he tucked it inside the right post for his first marker of the slate.
Less than 10 minutes later with the shots 8-2 in favor of the visitors, the Islanders were whistled for a delay of game violation, thus giving Rochester its first power-play of the night.
The Amerks were unable to capitalize with the extra skater for the first half of the infraction, but Joshua dumped the puck into the offensive zone and pushed it behind the net for Riley Fiddler-Schultz. Friday’s overtime-winning goal-scorer then continued to play the puck around the boards to Trevor Kuntar at the left wing. Metsa and Wahlberg exchanged a pass after Metsa gathered Kuntar’s feed and the Amerks captain fired a shot towards Högberg for Joshua to redirect into the net at the 13:38 mark.
While Thiesing plotted his first goal of the season less than a minute later, Rochester drew a hold in the final minute of play.
On the ensuing man-advantage with the clock nearing its expiration, Wahlberg gathered a pass just inside the offensive zone from Fiddler-Schultz before hurrying the puck to Metsa. The Wisconsin native took a few strides and then powered a shot that purposely missed just wide of the crease, allowing Joshua to steer it past the Bridgeport netminder with four seconds to spare.
SECOND PERIOD
Trailing 3-1 to start the frame as well as being outshot 18-4, the Islanders cut into the deficit as Matthew Highmore seized control of a loose puck in the neutral zone. The Halifax native carried the puck across the blueline on an odd man rush then fired a shot off Levi. The Amerks netminder made the initial save, however, Gatcomb tucked in the rebound for his third of the season.
The two clubs traded several chances later in the frame and Rochester seemed to generate momentum by keeping the Islanders trapped inside their own zone for an extended shift. Unfortunately, as Warren played the puck ahead to Gauthier, the latter dug deep to find another gear. The forward, who missed the first 14 games of the season due to an injury, skated the puck up the ice and drove wide to the left of Levi before knotting the score at 3-3 with just over six minutes on the clock.
THIRD PERIOD
In the final frame, Rochester was able to successfully kill off an early penalty before the two clubs combined for 24 shots over the last 20 minutes of regulation.
The Islanders had their best opportunity of the night to take the lead as the Amerks were called for a double-minor high-sticking violation. Bridgeport had a few solid chances, however, Levi and the shorthand unit prevailed, keeping the scored deadlocked at 3-3.
Shortly after the penalty expired and the teams were back to full strength, Helenius won a face-off back to Metsa from the right face-off dot inside the Bridgeport zone. As the third-year defenseman backpedaled toward the center of the zone and gathered the attention of two Islanders, Helenius made himself available for a return feed before wiring a shot past the blocker of Högberg to regain Rochester’s advantage with exactly nine minutes to play.
Bridgeport did not go away quietly for the final minutes of regulation as they pulled its netminder for an extra attacker. The Amerks played the puck the length of the ice twice while inside their own zone before Wahlberg sealed the 5-3 win as he did it a third time, but only this time it trickled into the vacant net.
STARS AND STRIPES
Including tonight, 19 of the last 21 meetings have seen the winning team has score three or more goals, including at least one power-play tally in 14 contests over that stretch … Zach Metsa has produced 10 points (2+8) over his last six outings dating back to Nov. 5, which includes three multi-point games … Jagger Joshua, who scored his first career shorthanded goal earlier this season, registered his first two power-play goals of his career during the first period.
UP NEXT
The Amerks look to stay perfect on their three-game road swing as they close out their trek through the Atlantic Division on Wednesday, Nov. 19 against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. All the action from the PLL Center in Allentown will be carried live on The Sports Leader 95.7 FM/950 AM The Fan Rochester as well as AHLTV on FloHockey.
Goal Scorers
ROC: J. Rathbone (1), J. Jagger (3, 4) K. Helenius (5 – GWG), A. Wahlberg (4)
BRI: C. Thiesing (1), M. Gatcomb (3), J. Gauthier (1)
Goaltenders
ROC: D. Levi – 23/26 (W)
BRI: M. Högberg – 33/37 (L)
Shots
ROC: 38
BRI: 26
Special Teams
ROC: PP (2/3) | PK (4/4)
BRI: PP (0/4) | PK (1/3)
Three Stars:
1. ROC - K. Helenius
2. ROC - J. Joshua
3. BRI - M. Warren