GAME PREVIEW: AMERKS CONTINUE ROAD TRIP WITH STOP IN BELLEVILLE
Amerks and Senators each riding three-game win streaks
Oct 29, 2025By Andrew Mossbrooks | @ Mossbrooks48
The Rochester Americans (5-2-0-0) begin their three-game week against teams north of the border when they visit CAA Arena for a midweek clash with the Belleville Senators (3-3-1-0).
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Here are five things to know before puck drop.
THREE OF A KIND
Both Rochester and Belleville enter Wednesday with three-game win streaks, placing them as the hottest teams in the North Division at the moment.
The Amerks took care of business at home with wins over Syracuse on Wednesday and Laval on Friday (in shutout fashion), before rallying for an overtime victory in Cleveland Saturday night. Jagger Joshua dazzled with a shorthanded breakaway goal in the win over the Crunch. Devon Levi impressed with a 19-save shutout over the defending regular season champion Rocket two nights later, and Konsta Helenius finished the week with a five-point performance, culminating with the overtime game-winner on the power-play in the opening minute of overtime to vanquish the Monsters.
After starting their season winless through the first four games, the Sens responded in a big way, routing Laval in a 6-2 win Wednesday, courtesy of Xavier Bourgault scoring a pair of goals. Ottawa’s AHL affiliate then swept the weekend from the Marlies, which included rallying for a 5-4 shootout win Sunday afternoon in Toronto.
Rochester’s last four-game win streak came at the tail end of last season from March 22-29. Belleville has gone nearly a year without stringing more than three wins together. Their best run came when the team amassed five wins together from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11, 2024.
DON’T DOUBT DEVON
Before catching the bus to Belleville Tuesday, Amerks head coach Michael Leone confirmed Levi will make his fourth start of the season Wednesday against the Senators.
For the first time in his professional career, Levi starts the season 3-0-0. The 23-year-old All-Star pitched his eighth career shutout – and first of the season – against the Rocket Friday night. The last time Levi opened a season with more than three consecutive wins was in 2019-20, when the Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec, native dominated the Central Canada Hockey League as the starting goaltender for the Carleton Place Canadians, winning his first nine games of the campaign.
Levi posted a 3-1-0 mark against the Sens last season, including a pair of shutout wins on Feb. 7 and April 5. The third-year pro is 6-5-0 lifetime against Belleville.
THAT’S CAP
The Amerks continue their four-game road trip now with the services of team captain, Zach Metsa. The defenseman was called up following the first two games of the season in Rochester, going on to make his NHL debut with the Buffalo Sabres last week on Monday in Montreal.
Metsa, 26, was named the 65th captain in Amerks franchise history entering the 2025-26 season. Through 125 games as an Amerk, the Delafield, Wisconsin, native has posted 14 goals and 70 points. Last season, Metsa finished with 46 points (7+39), good for ninth across all AHL defensemen. His point totals were the third-most by an Amerks blueliner since the 2018-19 season, and at 26 years old, Metsa is the youngest captain for the Amerks in 18 years.
HELLY IN BELLY
Fresh off his five-point weekend, Helenius should be grinning about who is next on the schedule. The Finnish forward was dominant during his rookie season against the Senators, posting 12 of his 35 points against Belleville, including five of his 14 goals.
During the team’s final visit to CAA Arena last season, Helenius recorded his first career hat trick. The 19-year-old appeared in all eight games the Amerks faced Belleville a season ago, posting two or more points in five of the encounters.
Through 72 games as an Amerk, the Sabres 14th overall pick from 2024 has produced the most against Canadian competition, with over half of his career points (21 of 41) being amassed against a combination of Belleville, Toronto, and Laval.
SHEPARD TURNED SENATOR
Belleville’s largest boost to their team comes at the goaltending position, as the Ottawa Senators inked veteran goaltender Hunter Shepard to a one-year contract during the offseason. The 29-year-old out of Cohasset, Minnesota, has wrangled in nearly every award an AHL goaltender can receive.
During the 2022-23 season, Shepard earned Goaltender of the Month honors in November, then went on with the Hershey Bears to win the team’s first Calder Cup in over a decade, doing so as the Jack A Butterfield Trophy winner for Playoff MVP with a 14-6-0 postseason record and three shutouts.