GAME PREVIEW: AMERKS HOST MONSTERS ON THANKSGIVING EVE
Five things to know as Rochester opens three-game homestand
Nov 25, 2025After playing 12 of their first 19 games of the season on the road, the Rochester Americans (11-8-0-0) open up a three-game homestand on Thanksgiving Eve against the Cleveland Monsters (5-4-3-1) at Blue Cross Arena.
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Here are five things to know before the Amerks look for a pre-holiday feast on the Monsters.
SATURDAY SNAPSHOT
Following a difficult loss Friday, the Amerks returned to the win column Saturday in Utica, hanging on for a 4-3 win over the Comets.
Mason Geertsen scored a goal in his Amerks debut after beginning the season with the Sabres. Adding to the offense were Brendan Warren, Olivier Nadeau, and Trevor Kuntar, while Devon Levi returned to the crease with a 33-save performance to remain undefeated in his career against the Comets. The 23-year-old is 10-0-0 all-time against Utica.
Nadeau’s goal came on a power-play in the final minute of the second period. Kuntar’s team-leading eighth goal of the season was converted 4:38 into the third period to serve as the game-winner. Jagger Joshua dropped the gloves for Rochester’s sixth fighting major of the season.
In Cleveland, the Monsters managed to win the back half of a two-game week against the Hershey Bears, taking a 5-3 final Saturday at Rocket Arena.
Luca Pinelli, who’s since been recalled by the Columbus Blue Jackets, had the big game for Cleveland with three points (1+2). The Monsters’ power-play, which entered the night with only two goals for on home ice all season, struck twice in five opportunities. Ivan Fedotov made 22 saves for the win in net.
ROSÉN RETURNS
Earlier in the week, Sabres forward Isak Rosén was reassigned to Rochester following a successful stretch of play in the blue and gold. The return to the Flower City comes as a result of players getting healthier with the Sabres above all else. Performance was not an issue for the 22-year-old prospect. Rosén began the month of November with his first NHL goal on the first of the month, then followed with three goals and seven points over his 10 games in Buffalo.
As an Amerk, Rosén is a two-time All-Star and began the season in Rochester, where he posted five goals and 12 points over eight games, which at the time led the American Hockey League, earning him AHL Player of the Month honors for October. For his career, the former first-round pick has stacked 67 goals and 87 helpers for 154 points in 202 games as an Amerk.
Since the start of last season, the Amerks have gone 25-1-0-0 in games Rosén has scored. In 24 career games against Cleveland, the Solna, Sweden, native has potted 21 points (6+15).
NO FIDDLING AROUND
With points in back-to-back contests, Amerks forward Riley Fiddler-Schultz has helped Rochester’s offensive output, pacing the team over the last six games with six points (3+3). This comes after the third-year pro distributed just one point over his first 13 games of the season.
Fiddler-Schultz scored 13 goals and 26 points in 51 games a season ago, earning him an NHL contract with Buffalo in the offseason. Of every North Division team, Fiddler-Schultz has seen Cleveland the fewest. The Edmonton, Alberta, native has one goal over three games when facing the Monsters.
In 16 career games where Fiddler-Schultz has scored at least a goal, the Amerks have gone 12-4-0-0.
POWER-PLAY PROWESS
Rochester skates into Wednesday boasting the Eastern Conference’s best unit on the man-advantage. Through 19 games, the Amerks have clicked at a 25.9% mark, ranking first in the conference and seventh in the AHL overall.
The Amerks’ power-play has gone 6-for-17 over the past five games. The team has found the back of the net while up a man in 14 games, while scoring multiple power -lay goals in eight different outings.
Zac Jones leads the AHL with 13 power-play points (all assists), and despite playing several fewer games than his peers, Rosén remains in a tie for third in goals with four, joined by fellow Amerk Jake Leschyshyn.
YOU GUYS GONNA PLAY OR WHAT?
Cleveland has played fewer games than any team in the AHL at just 13. The Blue Jackets’ AHL affiliate has a staggering six games in hand on the Amerks, trailing the red, white, and blue by eight points in the North Division standings.
Despite having the fewest games played, the Monsters are one of four teams to have four or more games lost past regulation, earning points in each scenario. Cleveland is also one of three teams in the league to have fewer than three regulation wins, with two of its five victories coming through 60 minutes of play.
Pinelli leads the Monsters with 10 points (5+5) and is a top-20 point producer among AHL rookies through the first quarter of the season. The 20-year-old enters Rochester on a three-game point streak (3+2).