GAME PREVIEW: AMERKS VYING FOR PLAYOFF BERTH AGAINST MONSTERS
Five things to know as Rochester hosts Cleveland in regular season home finale
Apr 16, 2026By Andrew Mossbrooks | @ Mossbrooks48
The Rochester Americans (31-29-5-4) will be hoping third time’s the charm Friday night at Blue Cross Arena as they have yet another opportunity to lock up the last available playoff spot on home ice against the Cleveland Monsters (35-26-6-3).
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Here are five things to know ahead of the final weekend of the AHL’s regular season.
BESTED BY THE BEST
Saturday had the Amerks end a four-game road trip in Providence against a Bruins team that looked far more like their record on paper than they did the week prior. With aspirations of a series sweep against the league’s top team following an overtime win seven days prior, the Amerks came up short in a 6-3 loss at Providence, ending their road trip 2-2-0-0.
Rochester’s first goal was the first pro conversion for Liam Valente, who made his AHL debut on the night and scored in the first period. The Amerks would be held off the board from there on out until the final eight minutes of the contest when Konsta Helenius scored his 20th goal of the season, followed by Graham Slaggert hitting the back of the net for the first time since Nov. 21, 2025.
Devon Levi was dealt a loss, but still managed 38 saves, including 22 in the second period where the Amerks faced 24 shots in the frame, marking the first time Rochester had seen over 23 shots in a single period in over a decade.
While Rochester enters the final weekend having dropped two in a row, the Monsters come to the Flower City winless over their last three. A trip to Pennsylvania over the weekend saw Cleveland lose 4-1 to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, before squeezing out a point Sunday at Lehigh Valley in a 4-3 shootout loss.
Despite clinching a playoff berth last month, the Monsters have been stumbling mightily, winning just two of their last 10 games.
AND THEN THERE WAS ONE
Recent seasons have been easier for the Amerks when it comes to their playoff destinies, but Friday will again offer the chance for Rochester to punch a seveth straight ticket to the Calder Cup Playoffs.
To do so, the Amerks can have one of two things happen. The easier route is to control their own fate by winning or pushing their game with Cleveland past regulation. With their magic number down to one, the Amerks at least need to reach overtime with the Monsters to secure a playoff spot.
The Amerks can also put their fate in the hands of the best team in the AHL as the Bruins are facing the Utica Comets Friday night. If Rochester loses in regulation Friday, then they need the Comets to lose in any fashion Friday to avoid New Jersey’s AHL affiliate being able to catch them in the North Division standings.
TOPI MAKES IT A TRIO
Earlier in the week, goaltender Topias Leinonen was returned to Rochester from ECHL-Jacksonville. During his time with Rochester’s affiliate, Leinonen worked a 3-1-1 record through seven appearances, matching his number of games with the Amerks this season.
With Leinonen’s return, Amerks head coach Mike Leone has three options in goal ahead of his team’s three-game weekend, with the rookie goaltender joining fellow freshman Scott Ratzlaff and former All-Star Devon Levi.
In a world where the Amerks secure a playoff berth Friday, there is a chance each netminder makes a start before the curtain falls on the regular season. With Levi likely the starter for Friday, Ratzlaff and Leinonen could come into play when the team ventures to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Saturday, then ends the season Sunday afternoon in Hershey.
DYNAMIC DUO
With a combined 121 points entering the weekend, both Konsta Helenius and Zac Jones have been the one-two punch for Rochester’s offense through much of the season.
Helenius, 19, continues to have the best season by a teenager in Amerks franchise history, amassing 20 goals and 41 assists as he’s found the stat sheet in 10 of his last 11 games.
Last weekend saw Jones become the eighth Amerks defenseman all-time to reach 60 points in a season and the first since Clay Wilson did so during the 2009-10 season.
All year, Rochester has had only three games where both Helenius and Jones do not record a point. Each have been road contests and it has happened just once since October.
SO LONG OR SEE YOU LATER?
Friday’s season series finale between the Amerks and Monsters will have playoff implications for both sides and could potentially lead to the teams meeting again as soon as next week.
While Cleveland yields third in the North Division, they are just one point ahead of Toronto chasing them from fourth. If Rochester qualifies for the playoffs, they will occupy the fifth seed and play the fourth seed in a best-of-three series right off the hop.
This season, the Amerks have gone 3-3-1-0 versus Columbus’ AHL affiliate, while the Monsters have pulled points out in each of their seven outings against Rochester. The two foes last faced off less than two weeks ago in a game decided by Carson Meyer’s shootout winner against his former team, helping guide the Amerks to a 4-3 win. Four of the seven matchups against Cleveland have required more than 60 minutes this season.
Both Olivier Nadeau and Trevor Kuntar lead the way for the Amerks with three goals each when facing Cleveland this season.