AMERKS SNAP SKID WITH OT WIN OVER MARLIES
Rochester gets back in the win column with 4-3 win over Toronto
Mar 14, 2026The Toronto Marlies (28-20-5-5) scored twice in 21 seconds in the closing minutes of the third period to force overtime, but Trevor Kuntar’s game-winner 83 seconds into the extra frame prevented the comeback from being complete as the Rochester Americans (25-22-5-4) came away with a much-needed 4-3 win Friday at The Blue Cross Arena.
GAME SUMMARY PHOTO GALLERY POST-GAME REPORT
The contest served as the front end of a home-and-home set between the Noth Division rivals and the fourth of six meetings this season ahead of Saturday’s rematch in Toronto. The win snapped Rochester’s season-long nine-game winless streak and was just the team’s fifth win on home ice since Christmas.
Konsta Helenius, who’s recorded 15 points (6+9) and four multi-point games since Feb. 6, led the Amerks with a multi-point night with a goal and an assist. Olivier Nadeau, Vsevolod Komarov, and Kuntar all netted one goal each. Zac Jones, Carson Meyer, Gavin Bayreuther, Riley Fiddler-Schultz, and Ryan Johnson concluded the scoring by registering an assist.
Jones became the first Rochester defenseman to reach the 50-point mark since Zach Redmond did so during the 2018-19 slate. The two-time AHL All-Star is also the fourth blueliner to have a 50-point season dating back to the 2009-10 campaign, joining Redmond, Michael Kostka (2010-11) and Clay Wilson (2009-10).
Rookie goaltender Scott Ratzlaff (4-2-1) appeared in his eighth game with Rochester, stopping 31 of the 34 shots he faced to earn the win. Over his last three contests with the Amerks, the 21-year-old, who celebrated his birthday earlier this week, has made 30 or more saves.
Matthew Barbolini (2+0) and Marc Johnstone (0+2) both had multi-point efforts for the Marlies, who have dropped eight of their last nine games that have gone beyond regulation dating back to Jan. 7.
Goaltender Dennis Hildeby (6-4-5) allowed four goals, his most in 10 games, to suffer the overtime defeat in his 15th appearance of the campaign.
FIRST PERIOD
Nearly two minutes after Ratzlaff turned aside Marlies captain Logan Shaw’s partial breakaway from just inside the blueline, Rochester used the momentum to take a 1-0 lead at the 5:25 mark.
Following a face-off in the offensive zone, Nadeau played the puck to Bayreuther almost at the exact spot where Shaw’s breakaway began. As the Rochester forward was sprinting up the ice, Bayreuther banked a pass off the boards to Meyer at the far blueline. While Meyer was facing the benches, he sent a backhanded pass to spring Nadeau and Jake Leschyshyn on an odd-man rush. Nadeau elected to shoot the puck rather than the pass and snapped home his eighth of the campaign.
While being unable to score on its first two power-plays of the night, Rochester drew a third late in the period and had 94 seconds of carryover time into the middle period along with a 1-0 lead.
SECOND PERIOD
Shortly after the power-play ended, Helenius grabbed a loose puck near center ice and sped off on a 2-on-1 with newcomer Chris Douglas, who signed an amateur tryout with the Amerks earlier in the week. As the duo gained the Toronto zone, Helenius cut towards the right side of the slot before picking the upper corner over Hildeby’s shoulder to double the lead 2:20 into the frame.
Following the goal, each team was able to successfully clear off a penalty before the Amerks were whistled for a cross-check with just over six minutes to play.
As the Marlies had the extra skater, Jagger Joshua redirected a pass inside in the Marlies’ zone then controlled the puck as he raced ahead on a breakaway opportunity. As the Michigan native was alone near the hashmarks, his offering was turned aside to keep the game a 2-0 score.
THIRD PERIOD
Trailing by a pair to start the final frame, Toronto cut into the deficit as Barbolini scored his first of two goals less than three minutes into the period.
The score remained 2-1 until Komarov converted on a long-range shot from the left point at the 16:15 mark from Jones and Helenius. The rugged defenseman gathered Jones’s pass and as he fired it towards the net, Helenius jumped through the lane, causing a screen on Hildeby.
Toronto pulled its netminder following the goal for an extra skater twice and both times found success as Ryan Tverberg and Barbolini lit the lamp 21 seconds apart to force overtime in the waning minutes of regulation.
OVERTIME
The Amerks, who saw their two-goal cushion erased, grabbed the puck after the face-off to begin the extra frame. Rochester maintained possession for much of overtime, culminating in Fiddler-Schultz and Johnson weaving through the tired Marlies defenders. As Fiddler-Schultz had the puck in the right corner, he found a wide-open Kuntar, who zipped a shot past Hildeby just 1:23 into overtime to give the Amerks their first win in nearly a month.
STARS AND STRIPES
Forward Chris Douglas, who joined the Amerks earlier this week on an Amateur Tryout (ATO), made his professional debut … Douglas became the 10th rookie to appear in a game this season for Rochester… The Amerks’ 1-0 advantage after the first period was the first time in 11 games the club held the opposition without a goal while also holding a lead since Feb. 7, 2026 … All five games in the season series have won by the home team.
UP NEXT
The Amerks look for the weekend sweep with the Marlies as the home-and-home series shifts north of the border on Saturday, March 14 for a rematch at Coca-Cola Coliseum. The 4:00 p.m. matinee will be carried live on The Sports Leader 95.7 FM/950 AM WGR Rochester as well as AHLTV on FloHockey.
Goal Scorers
TOR: M. Barbolini (7, 8), R. Tverberg (10),
ROC: O. Nadeau (8), K. Helenius (15), V. Komarov (3), T.Kuntar (15 – OT GWG)
Goaltenders
TOR: D. Hildeby – 31/35 (OTL)
ROC: S. Ratlzaff – 31/34 (W)
Shots
TOR: 34
ROC: 35
Special Teams
TOR: PP (0/2) | PK (5/5)
ROC: PP (0/5) | PK (2/2)
Three Stars:
1. ROC - T. Kuntar
2. TOR - M. Barbolini
3. ROC - K. Helenius