GAME PREVIEW: AMERKS WRAP-UP SEASON SERIES WITH ROCKET
Five things to know as Rochester looks for weekend split in Laval following 4-2 loss Friday
Mar 7, 2026By Andrew Mossbrooks | @ Mossbrooks48
The Rochester Americans (24-21-5-3) wrap up a three-game road trip looking to salvage the set with a win Saturday afternoon facing off against the Laval Rocket (35-18-2-3) at Place Bell.
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Here are five things to know before puck drop.
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Friday night saw Jake Leschyshyn and Ryan Johnson score 3:22 apart, but not until the final five minutes of regulation as Rochester’s offense was stifled again in a 4-2 loss at Laval.
The Amerks trailed 3-0 before Leschyshyn tipped in his 11th goal of the season to prevent Rocket goaltender Jacob Fowler from securing a shutout with just 4:01 to play. The Rocket would go up by three again on what turned out to be a second shorthanded goal on the night for them, but Johnson would respond with a heavy slap shot from a face-off win in the final minute of the contest for his fifth goal of the season, with four of them coming on the road.
Devon Levi put up 19 saves on the night in his 39th start of the season. Rochester heavily outshot Laval, 37-23, including a 22-shot third period to stage a comeback, but were unable to overcome the North Division leaders. As a result, the Amerks are winless through their last seven games. An eighth straight loss would be the longest by an Amerks’ team since they went on a nine-game skid (0-7-2-0) from Mar. 9-28, 2014.
NHL TRADE DEADLINE RECAP
The NHL’s 2025-26 trade deadline came and went, with the Amerks experiencing a different outcome than they had in previous seasons. Rochester had been accustomed to getting supplemental help this time of year as the Sabres were often looking toward the future of the organization, continuing to develop one of the best prospect pools in hockey.
Fast forward to this season and the future is now. With the Sabres entering the weekend tied with Tampa Bay for first place in the Atlantic Division, moves were made to solidify the team’s push to returning to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2011. The most notable for Rochester being leading goal-scorer and three-time AHL All-Star Isak Rosén, who was packaged in a trade to the Winnipeg Jets’ organization.
Rosén departs Rochester after four seasons in the red, white, and blue, leading the team with 25 goals this season and posting 185 points (87+98) over 231 career games as an Amerk.
Former Amerk Jacob Bryson was also moved in the deal, while Buffalo shipped off five draft picks across three trades.
The Sabres also made a transaction with Rochester for Zach Metsa, making the Amerks captain eligible to return to the club at a later point this season, as well as the Calder Cup Playoffs, should the Amerks clinch a berth.
BACK IN THE FULP
After missing three weeks due to injury, defenseman Aidan Fulp returned to the lineup Friday night at Place Bell. The second-year pro had two assists over 10 games with Rochester before being sidelined Valentine’s Day weekend. Fulp had spent the bulk of this season in ECHL-Jacksonville, but has AHL experience under his belt with Bridgeport, skating in 84 games with the Islanders over the past three seasons.
The 26-year-old out of Westfield, Indiana is tied for fourth on the team with a +4 rating and is one of 12 defensemen that have been used by the Amerks this season.
GLOVES DOWN WITH GEERTSEN
Veteran forward Mason Geertsen accrued 17 penalty minutes in Friday’s tilt at Laval, dropping the gloves with Alex Tuch of the Rocket for his fifth scrap of the season. The 11th year pro has found the stat sheet with penalty minutes in each of his last six games and eight of his past nine, reaching third overall on the Amerks with 63 penalty minutes for the season. He is eight behind Trevor Kuntar and 18 back of Jagger Joshua despite playing 24 fewer games than each of them.
Geertsen has exceeded 100 penalty minutes in five different seasons and totals 903 over his 475 AHL games. While known for his ability to police the game, the Drayton Valley, Alberta native does have four points on the season (2+2), including a goal against Laval last weekend.
LEAVING LAVAL
Saturday sees the Amerks and Rocket face-off for the eighth and final time this season. Rochester won its first two games of the season series, before Laval has taken the rest since. The Amerks punch their timecards heading into Place Bell Saturday afternoon with a 2-4-1-0 mark on the season against the defending North Division Champions.