GAME PREVIEW: AMERKS PLAY FINAL GAME OF THE YEAR IN CLEVELAND
Five things to know as home-and-home series shifts to Cleveland Monday night
Dec 29, 2025The start of a three-game road trip starts with the final game of 2025 for the Rochester Americans (15-10-3-1) as the team ventures to Cleveland for a rare Monday night affair against the Monsters (13-10-3-1) at Rocket Arena.
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Here are five things to know as the Amerks aim to go into the new year on a high note.
LOOKING FOR PAYBACK
Monday serves as the conclusion to a home-and-home set of games between the two teams that started Saturday in Rochester where the Monsters rallied for a 4-3 overtime win at Blue Cross Arena.
After Trevor Kuntar and Isaac Belliveau scored to put the Amerks ahead 2-0, a Monsters rally saw the team even the score with a pair of second-period goals. Olivier Nadeau would counter to put the red, white, and blue back on top heading into the third period, but Cleveland outshot the Amerks 15-5 in the final frame, dominating play for Justin Pearson to score a game-tying goal to set the stage for Luca Del Bel Belluz to play hero 1:19 into overtime.
The Monsters win spoiled the birthday party for now 24-year-old Devon Levi, who made 35 saves on his birthday. The third-year Amerk was still able to help his team earn a standings point, making 35 saves or more for the fourth time over his last six starts. The Amerk have earned points in eight of their last nine games, going 4-1-3-1 in across the span to remain cemented into the third seed of the North Division standings.
Cleveland’s win gives them victories in seven of its last 10 as they enter Monday a point back of a playoff spot, though the team immediately in front of them (Belleville) have played six more games than the Monsters.
A CASE OF THE MONDAYS
The Amerks were originally slated as the lone Monday game in the AHL this week prior to the rescheduled Lehigh Valley-Charlotte game. It’s the first time in several seasons the Amerks play on the first day of the work week, with this being the first of three Monday games for Rochester this season. In January, the Amerks play a Monday matinee in Syracuse, then later in the year return to the Buckeye State for an April Monday with the Monsters.
On weeknight affairs (not including Fridays), Rochester yields a 3-5-1-0 mark on the season. Two of its three wins have come on the road. Cleveland is hosting the front half of back-to-back games as they entertain Toronto Tuesday night.
REINFORCEMENTS RETURN
The Amerks are expected to have a pair of key pieces back in their lineup who were not available when these teams faced off 48 hours prior. Isak Rosén and Ryan Johnson were both reassigned to the team from Buffalo on Sunday.
Rosén has been having a banner year while wearing a Rochester jersey, with the fourth-year pro amassing 12 goals and 22 points over 15 games in the AHL. Rosén last helped the Amerks Dec. 19, scoring two goals, including the overtime winner, to lift Rochester over Belleville. The Stockholm, Sweden, native has produced at least a point in 11 straight games played for the Amerks, dating back to Oct. 22, marking the AHL's second-longest active point streak behind only Laval's Laurent Dauphin.
Johnson is two points back of his totals from last season in 41 fewer games. The Sabres’ prospect has accumulated 11 points (2+9) through 25 games as an Amerk this year. During the 2025-26 campaign, when Johnson has registered a point, the Amerks have played to the tune of a 7-1-0-0 record.
ROADIES
Monday sees the Amerks not only embark on a three-game road trip, but also start a stretch where the team will play seven of its next nine away from the Flower City. It’s heavy lifting within the division for Rochester, which will play each of these contests against teams from the North and are amid a 14-game stretch against those squads.
While Rochester won’t be in Cleveland again until February, the team will see each of the other six teams within the division over this span, including a pair of games at Belleville and two against Syracuse and Utica. So far, Rochester is 9-5-1-0 on the road. They stand as one of seven teams in the AHL with at least nine road wins and are one of four in the Eastern Conference alone.
MEASURING THE MONSTERS
Rochester boasts a 52-23-8-5 record against Cleveland over the last 12 years, including winning eight of the previous 11 meetings dating back to last season. Rochester also shows a 7-0-1-0 record in its last eight games in Cleveland dating back to the 2023-24 season, having not lost a game in Rocket Arena since November 2023.
The Amerks have scored at least one power-play goal in 22 of the last 43 games (27-for-147) against Cleveland since the 2020-21 season. Despite the club killing off 125-of-159 penalties during that same span, they have successfully cleared 50 of the last 56 shorthanded situations over the last 15 games going back to the 2023-24 campaign.
The Amerks have outscored the Monsters 24-18 and 29-13 in the first and second periods, respectively, since the start of the 2023-24 campaign. Both Rochester (17) and Cleveland (19) have totaled over 17 goals in the final stanza over that same span.
Two of this season’s three games between the teams have been decided in overtime. Cleveland is one of nine AHL teams with fewer than six wins on home ice.