GAME PREVIEW: MARCH MADNESS BEGINS WITH AMERKS AT SYRACUSE
Mar 1, 2026By Andrew Mossbrooks | @ Mossbrooks48
With the calendar turning, the Rochester Americans (24-19-5-3) start March on the road as a three-game swing away from the Flower City begins in Syracuse with a Sunday matinee against the Crunch (31-17-3-1).
| HOW TO WATCH | GAME NOTES | MEDIA KIT | LINE CHART |
Here are five things to know before the intrastate rivals meet.
FUGGETABOUTIT
The Amerks scored three goals in the second period on Friday, but each were quickly countered by Laval before the Rocket ran away with it late in the second and throughout the third in a 9-3 final at Blue Cross Arena.
Mason Geertsen scored his first goal as an Amerk since debuting with the team back in November, while Gavin Bayreuther netted his first wearing the red, white, and blue since being acquired in a trade late in January. Riley Fiddler-Schultz scored a power-play goal for his 16th goal of the season, ranking second on the Amerks behind only Isak Rosén, who pitched in with an assist.
Devon Levi made his 37th start of the season, but did not finish the night, making 23 saves before being pulled in the third. He is 3-0-0-0 following games where he has been relieved of the crease early.
After the Rocket picked up a victory in Rochester, they would come up short the next night in another high-scoring affair, as Syracuse took a 6-4 decision on its home ice to stay ahead of Cleveland for second place in the North Division. Dylan Duke scored twice for the Crunch while Brandon Halverson made 31 saves for his 19th win of the season.
WAHLBERG RETURNS
As the Buffalo Sabres swept their three-game road trip on the other side of the NHL’s Olympic break, the team returns back to the Empire State, dropping off forward Anton Wahlberg to join his teammates in Syracuse. Wahlberg earned his first NHL call-up earlier this week, but did not appear in a game for the blue and gold.
As an Amerk, the second-year pro is sixth in team scoring with 25 points (6+19). While he can produce points, Wahlberg has been heavily relied on for his defensive skillset, leading the Amerks with a +12 rating while often playing as the team’s top line center and frequently finding himself on penalty killing units.
Wahlberg’s call-up came after producing two goals and seven points over a nine-game span.
MARCH MADNESS
The 70th season of Rochester Americans hockey rolls into its final full month of regular season play. The Amerks will play 11 times in March after only a nine-game slate in February. Four of the 11 games come against Syracuse with each team getting to host a pair of tilts.
Rochester and Syracuse will meet three times over a 10-day span later in the month, but the Amerks will also face-off against the Toronto Marlies three times and the Laval Rocket twice. Of their 11 games, only two are slated against teams behind them in points (Utica and Hartford).
Entering March, the Amerks continue to have a harder strength of schedule remaining than any other team in the Eastern Conference.
SURGING SYRACUSE
While the Amerks dealt with a wintery mix in February, the Crunch continued to heat up. Tampa Bay’s AHL affiliate mowed through the competition, going 8-1-0-0 to pile up a 16-point separation between themselves and teams outside playoff positioning in the North Division, while also entering the new month 10 points clear of the Amerks, whom they’ve met in three straight North Division Semifinal rounds dating back to 2023.
The Crunch are scoring the seventh-most goals in the AHL while allowing the fourth-fewest. After his two-goal performance Saturday, Dylan Duke is now second in the AHL with 27 goals this season. His fellow teammate Jakob Pelletier is second in the league with 55 points (20+35).
Halverson’s win in goal Saturday was his sixth straight, despite allowing more than three goals for the first time in 23 starts.
THE SERIES SO FAR
Sunday is game eight of 12 on the season against the Crunch and is the second consecutive matinee in Syracuse, with the teams last encountering one another Jan. 19 when the Crunch rallied for a 3-2 shootout win. Prior to that, the Amerks had won three straight against their intrastate foe and show a 4-2-0-1 record facing the Crunch this season.
Levi has faced the Crunch more times than any other team in his professional career, showing a 9-6-5 record through 20 starts. Two of his three shutouts this season have come against the Crunch. Halverson, despite winning six in a row entering Sunday, has gone 2-8-1 over his last 11 against the Amerks, including the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs.
The previous seven meetings have seen the winning team skate away with at least three goals in each victory. Three of the last four games have been decided by one goal, with January’s shootout marking the only time this season series has gone beyond regulation