AMERKS USE FOUR-GOAL THIRD PERIOD TO DOUBLE UP CHECKERS
Rosen, Wahlberg each record two points; Leinonen makes 22 saves in 6-3 win over Charlotte
Dec 5, 2025The Rochester Americans (13-9-1-0) used a four-goal third period to double up the defending Eastern Conference champion Charlotte Checkers (10-6-2-0) by a 6-3 score Friday at Bojangles Coliseum.
With the win, Rochester has defeated the Checkers in back-to-back games and have won five of the last six meetings in Charlotte, which excludes the 2024 Queen City Outdoor Classic.
The Amerks, who entered the contest being outscored 25-10 in the opening game of the last five meetings in Charlotte overall, jumped into second place of the AHL’s North Division and are just five points back of first-place Laval.
Forward Isak Rosén (1+1) extended his AHL point streak to a career-best eight games as he logged a pair of points while fellow countryman Anton Wahlberg (0+2) also added two points in the victory. Trevor Kuntar, Jack Rathbone, Brendan Warren, Ryan Johnson, and Konsta Helenius all scored one goal each. Graham Slaggert, Nikita Novikov, Zach Metsa, Carson Meyer, and Vsevolod Komarov capped off the scoring by notching an assist.
In his first appearance since Nov. 21, goaltender Topias Leinonen (3-3-0) stopped 22 of the 25 shots to even his record on the season. The rookie netminder, whose won two of his last three starts, has all three of his victories on the road this season.
Ben Steeves (2+0) and Sandis Vilmanis (1+0) both scored for Charlotte while veteran netminder Louis Domingue (0-1-0) made his season debut, stopping 21 of the 25 shots he faced.
FIRST PERIOD
After an odd-man rush opportunity with Jagger Joshua and Trevor Kuntar nearly ended in the back of Domingue’s net, Steeves was denied on a breakaway attempt three minutes later to keep the game scoreless.
The Checkers then drew a high-sticking infraction before utilizing the extra skater to take a 1 lead. Vilmanis retrieved a loose puck in the neutral zone after an Amerks clear and carried across the blueline. As he tucked down the right wing, he backhanded a pass from below the goal-line towards the goalmouth which ultimately glanced off Komarov and pinballed behind the Rochester netminder for his fifth of the campaign.
On the ensuing shift after the power-play tally, Rochester answered immediately as Komarov weaved around a Checker before moving it to Wahlberg atop the dots. The forward fired a shot that caromed wide of the net and onto the stick of Komarov at the far circle. Komarov quickly snapped a shot on the cage and the rebound fell to Domingue’s right for Kuntar to finish off.
The two clubs went into the intermission deadlocked at 1-1 while combining for 22 shots.
SECOND PERIOD
Midway through the second period, Rochester was penalized on two separate occasions. On both infractions, despite being down a skater, the Amerks had breakaway opportunities from Joshua and Slaggert, however, both skaters were unsuccessful against the grizzled veteran.
Moments after the second penalty kill, the teams were called for coincidental roughing penalties after a post-whistle scrum.
While skating four players aside, Rathbone began the play as he gave a feed to Rosén near the Rochester blueline. The two-time AHL All-Star sped up the ice, faked a pass to his right and then cut towards the front of the net. While he shrugged off a slash, Rosén fired a shot on Domingue before Rathbone could track the rebound and tuck it inside the left post for his second of the slate.
Rochester carried the 2-1 advantage and nearly made it a two-goal cushion as they had its second power-play of the stanza, but Domingue denied the last-minute attempt.
THIRD PERIOD
Holding a 2-1 lead, the Amerks scored a pair goals in 83 seconds to take a commanding three-goal advantage as Warren and Johnson both scored, respectively. Warren’s marker came as he finished off a shorthanded sequence from Slaggert and Novikov whereas Johnson’s was inside the left point from Meyer at the 3:44mark.
Charlotte countered back, though, to make it a one-score game as Steeves struck twice four minutes apart to bring the Checkers within a goal.
The Checkers continued to press as they eyed the equalizer for the second half of the third period. Late in the frame with the face-off to Leinonen’s right, Charlotte called its timeout and pulled Domingue for an extra skater. On the draw, Rosén raced to the right point, forcing the puck out of the zone before he scored into the vacant net despite being tripped in the process.
Rochester added one more empty-net goal as Helenius sealed the 6-3 win while Domingue was again pulled with just over two minutes left in regulation.
STARS AND STRIPES
Brendan Warren has scored a goal in back-to-back games in Charlotte after scoring in the opening period during the Rochester’s 3-0 win back on Dec. 7, 2024 … Ryan Johnson, who has matched his goal total (2) from the 2024-25 season in 46 fewer games, notched his first professional game-winning goal while fellow blueliner Zach Metsa has nine helpers and 11 points overall dating back to Nov. 5 … Five of Rochester’s six defensemen recorded a point on Friday with the lone exception being Zac Jones, who continues to lead the team with 19 assists and 20 points.
UP NEXT
The Amerks look to complete the sweep over Charlote as the two clubs close out the weekend set on Saturday, Dec. 6 in a 6:00 rematch at Bojangles Coliseum. All the action from the Queen City 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: T. Kuntar (9), J. Rathbone (2), B. Warren (4), R. Johnson (2—GWG), I. Rosén (9), K. Helenius (7)
CLT: S. Vilmanis (5), B. Steeves (7, 8)
Goaltenders
ROC: T. Leinonen – 22/25 (W)
CLT: L. Domingue – 21/25 (L)
Shots
ROC: 27
CLT: 25
Special Teams
ROC: PP (0/5) | PK (3/5)
CLT: PP (2/5) | PK (5/5)
Three Stars:
1. ROC - R. Johnson
2. CLT - B. Steeves
3. ROC - B. Warren