GAME PREVIEW: AMERKS WELCOME CRUNCH FOR FIRST BATTLE OF SEASON
Rochester will play Syracuse 12 times during the 2026-27 AHL season
Oct 9, 2026By Griffin Della Penna | @GriffinDP_
The I-90 rivalry is renewed between the Syracuse Crunch and Rochester Americans for the first of 12 meetings tonight inside the Blue Cross Arena. The matchup doubles as the inaugural PBR Western Night presented by BootBarn, with the first 2,000 fans receiving an Amerks-themed bandana prior to puck drop at 7:05 p.m.
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These longtime rivals that are separated by just 87 miles have proved over the years a true dislike for one another, going head-to-head 49 times over the last three seasons, which includes three postseason series in the North Division Semifinals. Rochester had a slight edge over Syracuse in the season series, going 6-5-0-1 a year ago.
After picking three of a possible four points through their first two games, here is what you need to know before tonight’s contest:
BEHIND ENEMY LINES
Two former members of the Crunch will play their former team for the first time on the other side of the rivalry. Forward Matthew Peca completed his 11th professional season returning to Syracuse after being dealt by Springfield before the trade deadline. The former seventh-round selection by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2011 NHL Draft played his first three years in the organization with Syracuse, posting 134 points (34+100) in 204 games.
Conor Sheary didn’t have as long of a tenure with the Crunch but was just as impactful for the organization. Tampa Bay reassigned the veteran playmaker to the 315 during the 2024-25 campaign, and Sheary recorded 61 points (20+41) in 59 games.
SPECIAL TEAMS IMPORTANCE
Through the opening weekend of the season, Rochester has spent the least amount of time playing traditional 5-on-5 in the entire AHL. The Amerks are tied for the most power-play opportunities, drawing 14 penalties with two man-advantage goals thus far. Rochester has also been on the penalty kill 14 times, which ranks second across the league behind Belleville’s 15 infractions.
The power-play currently sits tied for 19th in the AHL converting at 14.3% while the penalty kill is 13th with an 85.7% success rate.
SETTING THE OVER/UNDER
When crunching (no pun intended) the numbers against Syracuse, the magic number appears to be three for Rochester as a key to its success. In games that the Amerks have scored at least three goals versus the Crunch, their record is 48-13-5-1 over the past decade compared to just 3-33-6-3 when scoring two or fewer goals.