TACO BELL WRAP-UP: AMERKS’ DEPTH TESTED AMID CALL-UPS
Metsa, Kuntar amongst top contributors over three-game week
Nov 10, 2025The Rochester Americans (8-5-0-0) finally played outside their division, facing a pair of Atlantic Division opponents after a mid-week matchup with Syracuse. The Amerks posted a 1-2-0-0 record over their past three-game week.
Rochester was unable to rally against the Crunch, falling 5-3 Wednesday, but went on to top the Eastern Conference’s top-seeded Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 6-4 Friday night. On Sunday, the Amerks took a 1-1 tie into the third period at Hershey, but the Bears managed to squeeze out the next goal for a 2-1 final to close out the 469th all-time meeting between the AHL’s two oldest teams.
MISSING IN ACTION
The Amerks were forced to navigate the past week of action without four of their top players. Forwards Josh Dunne, Isak Rosén, Noah Östlund, and defenseman Zac Jones have been recalled to the Buffalo Sabres, leaving Rochester without almost all off its top power-play unit, the AHL’s leading point-getter among defensemen via Jones, and the team’s leading scorer in Rosén.
On the bright side, each of Rochester’s forwards have made the most of its time in the Sabres’ lineup. Last Saturday, Rosén scored his first NHL goal, then followed up with an assist on Östlund’s first on Tuesday against Utah. Östlund followed up with an assist in Saturday’s Sabres game at Carolina. Dunne has been the muscle for Buffalo’s penalty kill, making several key blocks and not shying away from dropping the gloves as he did Thursday against St. Louis’ Tyler Tucker.
In each of their last three games, the Amerks were forced to dress seven defensemen and 11 forwards due to the depleted roster. Micheal Leone’s group faced further challenges with forwards Olivier Nadeau and Red Savage each going down with upper-body injuries.
NEXT ‘METS’ UP
Following Friday’s 6-4 win over the Penguins, Amerks captain Zach Metsa said it’s a next man-up mentality for the red, white, and blue as they navigate their roster challenges. The captain has led by example.
The third-year pro and youngest Amerks captain in nearly two decades posted points in each of the team’s three games last week, registering two goals and five points. Metsa’s biggest moment came Friday against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. After building a 4-1 lead through the opening 20, Rochester would find itself in a tie game as the Penguins rallied in the third period. Metsa then turned the tides once more with a power-play bullet near the 12-minute mark of the final frame, regaining the lead for the Amerks and not looking back.
Metsa, 27, has two goals and six points through eight games in Rochester this season. Like the quartet of aforementioned players, Metsa received a call-up to the Sabres last month, skating in four games for the blue and gold before being reassigned to Rochester.
KUNTAR IS CLICKING
After a quiet game against the Crunch, forward Trevor Kuntar made some noise over the weekend, scoring three goals over a pair of games against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Hershey.
On Friday, Kuntar scored a pair of first-period goals against the Penguins, posting his first multi-goal game since March 1, 2024 as a member of the Providence Bruins. The goals Friday brought Kuntar up to four conversions on the season, already exceeding his three-goal output from last season in 42 fewer games.
Sunday, Kuntar added with the Amerks’ lone goal on the night, scoring on a breakaway late in the first period. His fifth of the season makes the third-year pro one of three on the team with five or more goals this season. The goal also came against Hershey, a team who Trevor’s father, Les, played two seasons with from 1994-96. The following year, the senior Kuntar found himself in goal for Rochester for the 1996-97 campaign.
COMING UP NEXT
Another three-game week is on tap for the Amerks, with a second straight week with two of three opponents coming outside the division. Before then, the familiar Belleville Senators (5-6-1-0) make their first visit to Blue Cross Arena this season.
After Wednesday, the Amerks pack their bags for another road trip, this time three games in length, beginning with a pair of Connecticut competitors. On Friday, Rochester visits the struggling Hartford Wolf Pack (3-6-2-0), then round out the weekend in Bridgeport to face-off with the Islanders (5-6-1-0).
This is the first week of the season where each of Rochester’s scheduled opponents are under .500 on the year.