GAME PREVIEW: AMERKS FINISH SEASON SERIES WITH ISLANDERS
Five things to know as Amerks look to get back in win column against Bridgeport
Nov 20, 2025The Rochester Americans (10-7-0-0) return home to wrap up their first season series of the year as they host the Bridgeport Islanders (5-8-1-1) Friday night at Blue Cross Arena.
Here are five things to know before puck drop between the Amerks and Isles.
NO RALLY IN THE VALLEY
The Amerks fell just short of completing a three-game sweep over their Atlantic Division road trip as Rochester was unable to hold off the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in a 4-2 loss Wednesday night at PPL Center.
Trailing 2-0 entering the third, the Amerks found their responses by way of power-play goals from Viktor Neuchev and Carson Meyer, but following Neuchev’s goal, Lehigh Valley responded to make it 3-1 just 61 seconds later. Meyer’s goal made it a 3-2 game later in the frame, but the Phantoms scored an empty-netter to secure the win, leaving the Amerks with a 2-1-0-0 mark on what was already their third road trip of the season of at least three or more games.
Devon Levi started in goal, making 18 saves in his 10th game of the season. Levi had entered the night 4-0-0 on the road to begin the 2025-26 campaign.
The Amerks were proficient on both ends of special teams, scoring two power-play goals for the eighth time this season, while completing what was a perfect road trip of penalty killing, going 4-for-4 in Lehigh Valley and extinguishing all 13 man-down situations faced in their three games away from the Flower City.
VIKTORY
Neuchev posted a goal and an assist in Lehigh Valley as the third-year Amerk continues his successful comeback season after his 2024-25 campaign was cut short due to injury.
The Sabres’ prospect has climbed into a tie for third in team scoring, matching the numbers of Isak Rosén, who is enjoying a lengthy stay in Buffalo. Neuchev, 22, has produced five goals and 12 points on the season. His goal Wednesday night was the second power-play goal this year for Neuchev, who has also posted three multi-point games on the season.
Seven of Neuchev’s points have come on home ice. He is one of seven Amerks to post double-digit point totals this season and is one of three Rochester skaters to have more than five games played and accrue zero penalty minutes thus far, joining fellow forward Jake Leschyshyn along with defenseman Jack Rathbone.
KOM ON, NOW
Defenseman Vsevolod Komarov enters the weekend leading all Eastern Conference defensemen with 31 penalty minutes. The Chelyabinsk, Russia, native is in his sophomore season with Rochester after finishing third among all rookies with 85 PIM a season ago.
Komarov’s offense continues to take time to blossom in Rochester, with the former QMJHL Defenseman of the Year logging just one goal over his last 40 games, but the blueliner has placed shots on net in all but two of his games played this season.
Ahead of turning pro, Komarov became a Memorial Cup-winning defenseman with QMJHL-Quebec, then went on to play for Drummondville, where the 2022 Sabres’ draft pick led the league in points by a defenseman (69), was named the Defenseman of the Year and finished his junior tenure receiving the Guy Lafleur Trophy, awarded annually to the QMJHL Playoffs Most Valuable Player.
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
After playing 11 of their first 17 games of the season on the road, Friday kicks off a stretch where the Amerks host four of their next five games. Minus a stop in Utica Saturday night, Rochester will host the remainder of its games in November, with the next road contest (following Utica) slated for Dec. 5 in Charlotte.
Over that stretch, the Islanders, Monsters, Crunch, and Comets will bus to Rochester. Moreover, until New Year’s week, the Amerks play eight of their next 12 tilts at Blue Cross Arena.
Over six home games, the Amerks are 4-2-0-0 at Blue Cross Arena this season. The Amerks are one of seven Eastern Conference teams with four wins on home ice already, yet they are also one of six teams in the conference to have fewer than seven home games played.
TERRY’S GAMBLE PAYS OFF
History is expected to be made on Friday at Blue Cross Arena, with Islanders’ forward Chris Terry expected to skate in his 899th AHL game. As a result, the 18th-year pro, who has spent 15 of those seasons in the AHL, will pass Amerks’ legend Dick Gamble for 16th on the AHL’s all-time games played list.
Terry, 36, has scored 332 goals and 812 points over his career in the league. The Brampton, Ontario, native has skated in over 1,000 professional games since making his debut with the Albany River Rats Apr. 9, 2008. Since then, he has gone on to play 38 different AHL teams, including 24 contests against Rochester, where Terry has racked up 22 points against (8+14).
Gamble was inducted into the Amerks’ Hall of Fame inaugural class of 1986 after playing parts of nine seasons for the red, white, and blue, along with a season as the team’s head coach in 1970-71.
Gamble ranks second in franchise history with 300 goals and 565 points, trailing only fellow Hall of Famer Jody Gage.