GAME PREVIEW: BUSY STRETCH BEGINS WITH AMERKS HOSTING CRUNCH
Five things to know as Rochester hosts Syracuse in midweek clash at Blue Cross Arena
Jan 13, 2026By Andrew Mossbrooks | @ Mossbrooks48
The Rochester Americans (18-12-3-1) make a pit stop at home before hitting the road again Wednesday night as they’ll host the Syracuse Crunch (19-13-2-1) at Blue Cross Arena.
Here are five things to know before the New York State rivals collide.
SAVED BY THE BELLE
After leading 4-1 at one point during the third period, a Belleville blitz saw the Amerks surrender four goals in the frame, ultimately having the game go to overtime evened at 5-5 before Jack Rathbone would lift Rochester to a 6-5 win Sunday evening against the Senators.
It was a bounce-back win for the red, white, and blue after 49 shots weren’t enough in a 3-2 loss to Laval two days earlier. Rathbone’s goal was his second overtime-winner over a two-week span. Riley Fiddler-Schultz, Ryan Johnson, Brendan Warren, Red Savage, and Carson Meyer each scored in regulation, while Scott Ratzlaff made 25 saves in net to secure his second win as an Amerk.
Syracuse was off Sunday, but played Saturday while Rochester was idle and took out Laval by a 3-2 score. The game was tied at 2-2 before Dylan Duke scored the go-ahead goal early in period three. The win keeps Syracuse a point ahead of Rochester with 41, tying them with Toronto for second in the North Division.
RUSH HOUR
Wednesday begins one of the busier stretches of play for the Amerks. The team plays four games over a six-day span with an afternoon matchup included to wrap up the quartet of competition Monday in Syracuse. Before then, Rochester visits Belleville and Utica over the weekend to begin the second half of its 2025-26 campaign.
In a bigger picture, the Amerks will play 11 games over their next 24 days, but thankfully get to have seven of them on their home ice. So far, the Amerks have played at home only 15 times across 34 games. Only Syracuse (13) has played fewer home contests than Rochester across the AHL.
7 PLAYS 300
Should Amerks forward Jake Leschyshyn play Wednesday, it would be for the 300th time in his AHL career. The eighth-year AHL center has played with four teams over the course of his time in the league that began with Chicago during the 2018-19 season.
Leschyshyn, 26, has scored 58 goals and an equal 58 assists for 116 points. The Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, native has 12 points (8+4) in 28 games with Rochester this season. His only multi-goal game of the season came back on Nov. 5 against Syracuse.
In addition to his AHL career, the former Vegas Golden Knights draft pick has appeared in 77 NHL games, mostly with the team that drafted him, plus one game as a New York Ranger in 2023-24.
EASY, ABRUZZESE
After three seasons in Toronto, Nick Abruzzese has found a new home and the Empire State native is thriving in Syracuse. After a 43-point campaign through 71 games with the Marlies last year, Abruzzese is already up to 31 points (7+24) over 35 games with the Crunch.
Prior to last weekend, the Crunch forward was riding a career-best seven-game point streak (1+6) and has found the scoresheet in all but four games since the start of December. Abruzzese ranks second on Syracuse in points and over the course of his career has amassed 21 points (7+14) in 27 games against Rochester.
CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS
The Amerks and Crunch face-off for meeting six of 12 in their season series, with Rochester yielding a 3-2-0-0 series lead. The Amerks have won each of their last two games against the Crunch, including a 3-2 victory in Syracuse last Wednesday when Rochester fired three goals through in the opening 11 minutes of the contest.
Since the 2016-17 season, the Amerks are 45-11-5-1 when scoring three or more goals against Syracuse.
Devon Levi enters tonight's matchup with an 8-6-4 record against Syracuse in 18 appearances since making his debut with Rochester. The Quebec native earned his first win against the Crunch back on Nov. 28 after being winless in his four previous contests (0-2-2) dating back to Jan. 31, 2025.
Beginning with last Wednesday's game, the Amerks will meet the Crunch three times over a 13-day stretch, including a rare 1:00 p.m. meeting on Jan. 19 before seeing Syracuse for a season-high four meetings in March.
Since the start of last season, Rochester boasts a 10-5-1-1 mark against its cross-town foe, who have met in three consecutive North Division Semifinal rounds since 2022, with the Amerks claiming two of the three series.