GAME PREVIEW: AMERKS AIMING TO GAIN GROUND ON MONSTERS
Five things to know as Rochester begins final week of February
Feb 24, 2026By Andrew Mossbrooks | @ Mossbrooks48
The Rochester Americans (24-17-5-3) play four of their next five contests on the road, beginning Wednesday night in the Buckeye State against the Cleveland Monsters (27-16-6-1).
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Here are five things to know before the Amerks look to continue their dominance at Rocket Arena.
WE GET THE POINT
For a second straight game, the Amerks rallied with a game-tying goal in the third period to force overtime, before falling 3-2. On Friday, it was against Laval, when Isak Rosén punched home a one-timer for his team-leading 25th goal of the season to even the score at 2-2 before the Rocket would skate away with the win past regulation. With losses in overtime and a shootout, the Amerks secured points in two straight and five of their last six, going 3-1-1-1 in the process.
Rochester was then off both Saturday and Sunday. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Monsters earned a weekend sweep over the Toronto Marlies, including a 3-2 shootout win Saturday night. Mikael Pyyhtiä scored the game-winning conversion in round two of the shootout as both he and Luca Del Bel Belluz found the back of the net to help the Monsters win their second straight game and 10th over their last 13 as they continue to surge up the standings.
As play begins Wednesday, the Amerks are directly behind Cleveland in fourth in the North Division standings, though they trail the Monsters by five points.
BREAK OVER IN BUFFALO
With gold captured and Team USA’s victory party officially in the books, the NHL prepares to resume its regular season this week following a near three-week break in play to accommodate the Olympics. As a result, AHL teams across the board are seeing players get called up and the Amerks are no exception.
After a brief reunion with the team he captains, defenseman Zach Metsa returns to the blue and gold as the Sabres travel to New Jersey for a date with the Devils tonight.
While Metsa returns to the team he’s spent the bulk of his season with, 20-year-old Anton Wahlberg will get his first taste of the National Hockey League. The Swedish centerman for the Amerks has earned his first NHL recall after producing six goals and 25 points over 47 games with Rochester this season.
Wahlberg’s opportunity comes more from what he’s done without the puck than he has with it. The Sabres’ 2023 second-round draft pick built his two-way game up during his time in the Flower City, focusing on creating a well-rounded game that can play at all levels.
Wahlberg becomes the ninth different Amerk to earn a promotion to the Sabres this season.
TEST OF STRENGTH
There is no schedule more challenging in the Eastern Conference than the one the Amerks have drawn. Entering Wednesday, Rochester’s remaining slate clocks in at a .602 points percentage, meaning they are, on average, facing opponents with a higher points percentage than any team in the Eastern Conference. Not far behind are the Monsters who have a .599 strength of schedule.
Entering this week, 20 of Rochester’s 23 remaining games are against teams in playoff positioning, with all but one of those being played against teams that have either as many or more standings points than the Amerks. Making things even more interesting, 16 of their remaining contests are against teams within the division, with the Amerks yielding an 18-13-4-1 mark against the North.
CREASE KINGS
Cleveland and Rochester boast the two top ironmen in the AHL when it comes to their goaltending.
For the Monsters, Ivan Fedotov is second in the league in minutes played and is tied for second in games played. His 848 shots faced are third in the Eastern Conference, while his 18 wins are tied for fifth in the league.
Fedotov’s workload is bested by the beast, Devon Levi, who entered the week as the only netminder with 35 starts, over 2,000 minutes played and 1,000 shots against. The 24-year-old made 69 saves over his last two outings at home and has allowed three or fewer goals in 13 of his last 14 starts, including two shutout wins.
The goaltenders have faced off twice earlier this season, with Fedotov getting the better end of both encounters, though the veteran goaltender has struggled of late. Prior to his last three starts, the former Philadelphia Flyers goalie had allowed three or more goals in seven of 10 starts.
BALLIN’ LIKE THE CAVS
Cleveland’s basketball team isn’t the only group dominating at Rocket Arena. Since March of 2024, the Amerks have won seven straight on the road against the Monsters, outscoring their divisional foe 29-18 in that span.
The midweek meeting is game six of eight in the season series against the Monsters, with the road team winning each one thus far. The Amerks last faced Cleveland back on Jan. 21, when Oliver Nadeau was the lone goal scorer in a 2-1 loss at Blue Cross Arena.
Rochester’s last visit to Ohio saw Jack Rathbone win the game in overtime, 4-3, to send Rochester into the new year on a high note. Prior to that, Konsta Helenius netted the OT winner for a 4-3 victory back in October.
The Amerks went 0-1-1-1 over their three-game homestand last week. They have not gone winless through four games at any point this season.