GAME PREVIEW: AMERKS SAIL TO BRIDGEPORT FOR FACE-OFF WITH ISLANDERS
Five things to know as Rochester closes out Connecticut weekend
Nov 15, 2025By Andrew Mossbrooks | @ Mossbrooks48
The Rochester Americans (9-6-0-0) stop in Bridgeport for the middle game of their three-leg road trip with a Saturday evening matchup against the Islanders (5-7-1-1) at Total Mortgage Arena.
Here are five things to know before the Amerks play their second and final game in Connecticut this season.
RILEY FINISHES THE RALLY
Despite facing 2-0 and 3-1 deficits, the Amerks found a way to overcome the Hartford Wolf Pack by a 4-3 final in overtime Friday night at PeoplesBank Arena.
Trevor Kuntar made his presence felt with a three-point performance (2+1), but the heroic finish belongs to the tandem of Amerks’ goaltender Topias Leinonen and forward Riley Fiddler-Schultz.
A minute into three-on-three overtime, Hartford swept the puck out of its own end, racing down the ice for a two-on-one. A net-front pass was made, followed by a shot that Leinonen sprawled across his crease to lunge out and stop, losing his stick in the process. The puck found its way off the Amerks’ netminder, was scooped up by team captain Zach Metsa and onto the tape of Fiddler-Schultz, who skated away in a three-on-one that culminated with the forward entering the right-wing circle, then firing a wrist shot that went five-hole for the game-winning conversion 1:05 into the extra session.
The Amerks got to overtime thanks to a late power-play strike from Kuntar, who scored his second goal of the night. Kuntar tipped a shot taken atop the zone from Jack Rathbone with 2:56 remaining in regulation to even the score, 3-3.
Leinonen emerged victorious with a 19-save performance, improving to 2-2-0 on the season. Olivier Nadeau also returned to the lineup after missing four games due to injury, then went on to score his first AHL goal in over two years.
The win moved Rochester into a tie for first place in the North Division entering Saturday.
SCRAMBLED IN SCRANTON
Elsewhere Friday, the Islanders paid a visit to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to take on a Penguins team that sits atop the Atlantic Division. Things were looking good for the New York Islanders’ AHL affiliate, who yielded a 2-0 lead entering the third before the script flipped.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton put five in the back of the net, including the game-winner with 5:47 left to stun Bridgeport and hand the Islanders a heartbreaking 5-3 defeat.
Parker Gahagen took the loss in goal. After making 16 saves through two periods, the former Lehigh Valley goaltender coughed up five goals on the final 10 shots he faced. The Islanders have given up more third-period goals (22) than any other Eastern Conference team.
LEVI LOOKS TO BOUNCE BACK
All signs point to Devon Levi drawing the start in Saturday’s game. The third-year pro has had a tale of two seasons in the early goings of the 2025-26 campaign. At first, Levi began the year 5-0-0, marking the best start to a professional season the young Sabres prospect has had. Since then, however, the 23-year-old has dropped two of three starts, surrendering 14 goals over that span.
It has been an atypical performance for the AHL All-Star, who looks to make his ninth start of the season. Levi has enjoyed ample success in an Amerks jersey, boasting a 47-21-8 all-time record with Rochester. That includes eight shutouts and one earlier this season when facing Laval.
Levi has faced Bridgeport once prior and that was also a shutout victory, as the Dollard-des Ormeaux, Quebec, native pitched a 28-save whitewash against the Isles at Blue Cross Arena last season on March 28.
METSA ON A MISSION
In Friday’s win over Hartford, Amerks captain Zach Metsa logged an assist on Fiddler-Schultz’ overtime winner, extending his point streak to five games, with the third-year Amerk posting seven points (2+5) in the current stretch. The streak ties Metsa’s career-best set from last season from Dec. 22-Jan. 4, when he amassed eight points (1+7).
Metsa’s eight total points (2+6) are ninth-best among AHL defensemen. The former NCAA champion finished fourth in assists across the league’s blueline with 39 last season, and has 16 goals and 78 points for his AHL career that spans 133 games.
Against Bridgeport, Metsa has scored a goal and four assists for five points in three games against the Isles. His lone goal against the club served as the game-winner last season at Blue Cross Arena. Metsa has seven career game-winning goals.
GONE FISHING
Tonight is only the 25th all-time meeting between the Amerks and Islanders and the fifth since opening night in Rochester to open the 2023-24 season.
The Amerks have earned points in 15 of the last 16 meetings against Bridgeport, dating back to the 2017-18 campaign. Over that span, the Amerks show a 5-1-1-0 mark when playing in Bridgeport.
In 18 of the last 20 meetings, the winning team has scored three or more goals, which includes at least one power-play tally in 13 contests over that stretch. Eleven of the previous 20 games between the two clubs have been decided beyond regulation, including seven of the last 10.
Rochester took both games last season by a 6-3 win on Jan. 4 in Bridgeport before Levi’s 6-0 shutout victory in March.
This year’s season series against the Isles starts and ends within a six-day span, as Bridgeport will chart a course for Rochester in a rematch at Blue Cross Arena next Friday.