GAME PREVIEW: AMERKS TRY TO GET BACK ON TRACK AGAINST ROCKET
Five things to know as Rochester host first-place Laval for second straight week
Feb 27, 2026By Andrew Mossbrooks | @ Mossbrooks48
For a second consecutive Friday, the Rochester Americans (24-18-5-3) host the Laval Rocket (33-16-2-3) in North Division action at Blue Cross Arena.
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Here are five things to know before the Amerks close out the month of February.
STRUGGLING FOUR REAL
After getting out to an early lead on the road Wednesday night, the Amerks were unable to contain the Cleveland Monsters, who rallied from down 2-0 for a 4-2 win against Rochester.
Olivier Nadeau scored less than three minutes into play, while Konsta Helenius doubled the advantage with under three to go in the first. Rochester’s offense was quieted from there and the team was limited to 10 shots through the first 40 minutes of play.
Devon Levi made a number of impressive saves, finishing the night with 26 in what was his league-leading 36th start of the season. For the first time in the 2025-26 campaign, the Amerks have gone winless in four straight, showing an 0-2-1-1 over that span.
Elsewhere Wednesday, the Rocket fell in regulation for a second straight game for the first time since Dec. 18-20 as they were halted on home ice by the Marlies skating away with a 4-1 win. The first place-Rocket had lost Sunday in Utica to snap what was a 10-game point streak (9-0-0-1).
Still, the Rocket control the North Division, ranking seven points ahead of the closest team to them. Laval enters the weekend with the second easiest strength of schedule remaining in the division while Rochester yields the most difficult slate left to play.
HOT AS ‘HEL’
With his goal Wednesday, 19-year-old Konsta Helenius has extended his point streak to three games and has found the stat sheet in six of his last seven contests, producing three goals and five assists since Feb. 6. The Ylöjärvi, Finland, product is third on the Amerks with 39 points (13+26) and has the second-most points of any teenage player in the AHL this season.
Helenius has already exceeded his point totals from last year, standing four clear of his 35-point campaign from 2024-25 in 24 fewer games. The Sabres prospect leads Rochester with four game-winning-goals and is tied for sixth in that category within the Eastern Conference. So far this season, the Amerks are 8-1-2-0 when Helenius scores a goal.
LOVE TO SEE LAAOUAN
Wednesday saw the return of defenseman Noah Laaouan for the Amerks, who had missed 14 games due to a lower-body injury. The 24-year-old, who had originally been acquired from Laval two seasons ago, has produced a goal and seven points in his 24 games with Rochester this season.
Laaouan finished with a plus-one on-ice rating on Wednesday and has gone even or better in 11 of his last 12 games dating back to Nov. 28 against Syracuse when he scored his first AHL goal.
The Halifax, Nova Scotia, native scored 31 goals over parts of five major junior seasons in the QMJHL before turning pro in 2022. Before the current campaign, Laaouan had spent the bulk of his career in the ECHL, including last season where he led Rochester’s affiliate in Jacksonville with points by a defenseman at 44 (8+36).
GET THE FEB OUT
The Amerks hope to end February on a high note as they’ve gone 3-3-1-1 entering the final game of the month. The wintery conditions outside have iced out Rochester’s scoring through the bulk of the month, with the team being limited to fewer than three goals in half of its games.
Rochester’s man-advantage has turned a corner, though, going 5-for-19 in the month to click at a rate above 25%. Following Friday, Rochester will enter the final full month of the 2025-26 regular season with an 11-game plate in front of them for March.
HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM
Friday is the sixth of eight meetings against Laval this season, with the Amerks displaying a 2-2-1-0 record against their opponent from north of the border. Just seven nights ago, Isak Rosén evened the score in the third period to help Rochester earn a standings point in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Rocket. After tonight, Rochester will again face Laval Friday and Saturday of next weekend, though the setting will shift to Canada.
Only Grand Rapids has a better grip on first place in its division than the Rocket do. The Montreal Canadiens’ AHL affiliate looks to defend their North Division title from a season ago where they also finished atop the league standings to capture the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy as regular season champions.
Leading the way for the Rocket is the league’s leading scorer, Laurent Dauphin, who has amassed 56 points (15+41) through 49 games this season. The Amerks may catch a break Friday, however, as Dauphin is amongst a gamut of Rocket players who did not make the trip to Rochester. Dauphin, along with Adam Engström, who leads the team in points by a defenseman, plus Xavier Simoneau, are all out injured.
Additionally, Eastern Conference penalty minutes leader Florian Xhekaj and goaltender Jacob Fowler are both out sick. Last weekend, the Rocket turned to Kaapo Kähkönen in goal, who made 27 saves to secure the win in overtime.