GAME PREVIEW: AMERKS END REGULAR SEASON IN TORONTO
Amerks close out 69th regular season in franchise history
Apr 19, 2025
By Andrew Mossbrooks | @ Mossbrooks48
The Rochester Americans (42-22-4-3) finish their 72-game slate north of the border for a rematch against the Toronto Marlies (36-23-4-8) at Coca-Cola Coliseum Saturday afternoon.
Tonight marks the sixth and final regular season meeting between the two teams. Toronto is one of two teams in the North Division that own a winning record against Rochester this season. The Amerks possess a 1-3-1-0 record against the Maple Leafs’ AHL affiliate.
Both the Amerks and Marlies have solidified their playoff positioning entering the final game of the regular season. Rochester will finish second in the North Division, while Toronto will end the season in fourth.
LAST TIME OUT
Devon Levi made 24 saves for a second consecutive game, though this time ended up on the wrong side of a 3-0 shutout loss to the Toronto Marlies Friday night in the front half of a home-and-home weekend.
By picking up the win, Toronto clinched a playoff berth for a third consecutive season. Dennis Hildeby recorded his second shutout with 32 saves, and first on the road since Feb. 2, 2024. Nick Abruzzese, Alex Nylander, and Robert Mastrosimone each scored for Toronto, with one goal each period to snag the 3-0 win in the Flower City.
HERE COMES THE CAVALRY
While it’s unclear who will enter the lineup for the season finale, the Amerks received good news entering the final weekend of the season with four returnees joining the red, white, and blue for the team’s playoff push.
After the Buffalo Sabres’ season came to a close, forwards Jiri Kulich, Tyson Kozak, Isak Rosén, and Noah Östlund were all returned to Rochester ahead of the team’s playoffs beginning next week.
A combined 57 goals and 108 points return to Rochester’s lineup. Rosén, barring an unforeseen circumstance, will finish the season as Rochester’s leading scorer with 28 goals and 55 points.
Prior to last season, Kulich led the Amerks in goals each of the last two seasons, becoming the first Amerk since Hall of Famer Jody Gage to lead Rochester in goals in consecutive seasons.
Östlund leads all Amerks rookies in scoring with 36 points (19+17). Kozak is amid a career-best 14-point season with the Amerks in 10 fewer games than his 12-point campaign from a year prior.
Kulich played 62 games for Buffalo, while Rosén, Östlund, and Kozak combined for 37 games in the blue and gold.
NO DAYS OFF
Should Amerks forward Lukas Rousek appear in Saturday’s game, the forward will appear in all 72 games for the Amerks this season, making him the first forward to appear in every game for Rochester since Eric Cornel played in all 76 games for the Amerks in 2018-19.
On Friday, Rousek surpassed his personal-high of 70 games played in the 2022-23 season. The fourth-year Amerk is fourth in points with six goals and 41 points and eighth on the team with 44 penalty minutes.
Over his 211-game stint with Rochester, the former sixth-round Sabres pick has amassed 33 goals and 142 points in his time wearing an Amerks jersey.
ALL OUT OF MAPLE
The Amerks have struggled throughout the season series against Toronto this season.
From a special teams aspect, it has been a tale of two sides. On one end, Rochester has had a perfect penalty kill, turning away all 26 Marlies power-plays this season. On the other side of the puck, however, the Amerks have failed to convert on any of their 18 power-plays against the blue.
The Amerks have been limited to just five goals in the season series, with Hildeby and Artur Akhtyamov both posting shutouts against the red, white, and blue. Anton Wahlberg is the only player in the season series with multiple points, owning a goal and an assist.
On the other end, Nylander leads the way with four goals and five points against Rochester this season.