AMERKS RALLY, TAME WOLF PACK IN OVERTIME
Kuntar, Fiddler-Schultz each record three points in 4-3 win over Hartford
Nov 14, 2025Trevor Kuntar (2+1) and Riley Fiddler-Schultz (1+2) both notched a career-high three-point night to help the Rochester Americans (9-6-0-0) erase a pair of multi-goal deficits before earning a 4-3 overtime win over the Hartford Wolf Pack (3-6-4-0) Friday night at PeoplesBank Arena.
Rochester has now won 12 of the last 16 contests against Hartford while also recording at least one point in 17 of the last 18 games dating back to the 2017-18 campaign. The Amerks also improved to a near-perfect 7-1-1-0 on the road ice versus the Wolf Pack since the start of the 2018-19 slate.
Kuntar’s three-point effort gives him three multi-point games over his last four contests, which includes five goals and three assists, whereas Fiddler-Schultz has four points (1+3) in his last two games. Olivier Nadeau scored his first AHL goal since Nov. 4, 2023, while Jack Rathbone, Zach Metsa, Ryan Johnson, and Konsta Helenius all produced one assist each to conclude the scoring.
Rookie goaltender Topias Leinonen (2-2-0) evened his record on the season as he made his fifth appearance. The Finnish native made 19 saves, including an incredible game-saving stop in the opening minute of overtime.
Blake Hillman, Anton Blidh, and Jaroslav Chmelar all scored in the first period for Hartford. Goaltender Talyn Boyko (0-2-2) stopped 24 of the 28 shots he faced but remains winless on the campaign.
FIRST PERIOD
Early in the opening period following an offensive face-off win, Bryce McConnell-Baker dished a pass to his right atop the Amerks’ zone. Hillman was on the receiving end and uncorked a one-time shot under the pad of Leinonen to give Hartford an early 1-0 lead at the 1:57 mark.
Six minutes later, despite being unsuccessful on its first power-play chance of the night, Brennan Othmann gathered a loose puck near center ice after it bounced outside the Hartford blueline. As Othmann was nearing the right face-off dot, and with the passing lane being taken away by a sliding Amerks defender, he lobbed an offer for Anton Blidh to bang in at the far post, doubling the score.
The Amerks countered back 2:30 later, though, to cut the deficit in half as Fiddler-Schultz and Kuntar exchanged passes before the latter carried the puck across the blueline. Kuntar, who entered the game riding a three-game point streak, skated down the left wing and connected with Nadeau, who fired overtop the glove hand of Boyko for his first of the campaign.
Before the teams entered the intermission break, Chmelar extended Hartford’s lead as he converted a rebound past Leinonen with under four minutes left in the stanza.
SECOND PERIOD
Hartford seemed primed to extend its lead in the early minutes of the middle frame, but Leinonen kept it a 3-1 game as he made a big glove save on Justin Dowling while on the penalty kill.
Rochester used the save to generate momentum as Vsevolod Komarov began the play with a pass to Johnson inside the left face-off dot. Johnson in turn gave the puck to Helenius, who darted up the ice. Before crossing into the offensive zone, Helenius handed it to Kuntar, and the Buffalo native toe dragged around a defenseman before sniping the upper corner for his sixth tally of the season with 8:17 left in the frame.
THIRD PERIOD
Trailing by a goal to start the final period, the Amerks registered the first six shots of the period before Dowling was credited with the Wolf Pack’s first at the 13:45 mark.
Rochester, which had three abbreviated power-plays in the first 55 minutes of play, drew its fourth of the night and first full man-advantage with 4:23 to go in the third.
On the power-play, Amerks were unable to get a shot through in the first half, but after swapping units, Rathbone dumped the puck into the offensive zone. Before the Wolf Pack could collect it, Fiddler-Schultz retrieved it behind the net and banked a return pass to Rathbone atop the point. The two Amerks exchanged a series of passes once more before the Boston native blasted a one-timer for Kuntar to steer in-between Boyko and ultimately send the game to overtime.
OVERTIME
In the extra-frame with the score knotted at 3-3, Hartford seemed like they were going to come out victorious as Dowling dished a pass to Scott Morrow, who snuck behind an Amerk defender. As Morrow appeared to have sealed the win, Leinonen extended his left leg at the last second for a game-saving stop.
Metsa scooped up the puck after the save and pushed it ahead to join Fiddler-Schultz and Anton Wahlberg for an odd-man rush the other way. Fiddler-Schultz sped ahead with his teammates, and prior to reaching the far dot, wired a shot between the arm and body of the Wolf Pack netminder to complete the 4-3 come-from-behind win just 65 seconds into overtime.
STARS AND STRIPES
Rochester has outscored Hartford 33-20 over its current six-game win streak against the Wolf Pack while going 12-for-29 on the power-play … In nine of the last 17 meetings between the Amerks and Wolf Pack, the visiting team has come away with the victory … Additionally, nine of the previous 14 encounters have been one-goal games, which include both matchups during the 2023-24 season and tonight.
UP NEXT
The Amerks remain in New England as they face the Bridgeport Islanders on Saturday, Nov. 15. Game time from Total Mortgage Arena is slated for a 7:00 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.
Goal Scorers
ROC: O. Nadeau (1), T. Kuntar (6, 7), R. Fiddler-Schultz (3 – OT GWG)
HFD: B. Hillman (1), Anton Blidh (1), J. Chmelar (3)
Goaltenders
ROC: T. Leinonen – 19/22 (W)
HFD: T. Boyko – 24/28 (OTL)
Shots
ROC: 28
HFD: 22
Special Teams
ROC: PP (1/4) | PK (5/5)
HFD: PP (0/5) | PK (3/4)
Three Stars:
1. ROC - R. Fiddler-Schultz
2. ROC - T. Kuntar
3. HFD - J. Chmelar