TACO BELL WRAP-UP: AMERKS GRAB THREE OF FOUR POINTS TO END 2025
Rathbone, Ratzlaff help Amerks win final game of calendar year in overtime
Dec 30, 2025By Andrew Mossbrooks | @ Mossbrooks48
The Rochester Americans (16-10-3-1) played twice against the Cleveland Monsters to end the year 2025 and did so in dramatic fashion.
Both games saw the winning team emerge with a 4-3 overtime victory and after the Amerks fell on the wrong side of the scoreboard Saturday, the team bounced back Monday in Cleveland to secure the win. As a result, the red, white, and blue secured three out of a possible four points on the other side of their holiday break.
The Amerks will enter 2026 in a tie with Syracuse for second place in the North Division through 30 games. Here are the key takeaways coming out of the final days of December.
RATZLAFF DEBUTS
It was a surprise to some on Monday as goaltender Devon Levi was given a rest after making six consecutive starts to give way to rookie Scott Ratzlaff, who made his AHL debut in front of over 13,000 fans in Cleveland. Ratzlaff, 20, was called-up from ECHL-Jacksonville earlier in the month as Topias Leinonen continues to recover from injury.
The 2023 Sabres’ draft pick made several key saves in his first AHL start, with the most notable coming in three-on-three overtime. The Irma, Alberta, native was faced with an odd-man rush and slid left to right to deny a one-timer that could have ended the game, ultimately allowing for Rochester’s Jack Rathbone to score on the other end moments later.
Ratzlaff yields a 5-6-0 record in the ECHL, but had struggled in each of his last two starts. Monday was his first full game of action in four weeks, making 24 saves to earn the victory. He became the fifth different goaltender the Amerks have given a start to this season.
RATHBONE TURNING THE PAGE
The 2025-26 season has been an up-and-down one for Rathbone. The sixth-year pro has admitted to wanting more out of himself and on Monday night, he got what he was looking for. Over two minutes into overtime, Rathbone entered the attacking zone trailing forwards Carson Meyer and Red Savage, the latter of whom dropped a pass off to Rathbone on the right-wing boards. From there, the former All-Star skated his way into the slot before hammering a wrist shot past the glove of Cleveland’s Ivan Fedotov for the overtime winner.
Rathbone scored a game-winning shootout goal for the Amerks last season, but this was his second career overtime goal, with the only other coming with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Dec. 3, 2023. The 26-year-old is up to 10 points (3+7) on the season and is the only blueliner on the team to have appeared in all 30 games thus far.
Known for his offensive side, perhaps Monday will serve as a turning point for one of the Amerks’ alternate captains heading into the New Year.
KOM ON
Rochester’s first goal Monday came off the stick of Vsevolod Komarov, who scored not only his second goal of the season, but also his second over the last 53 games dating back to the 2024-25 campaign.
Komarov blistered a wrister to the back post and in on a first-period shot from the right-wing circle to even the score with Cleveland at that time. The second-year pro is nearing a pace that would mirror his production from a season ago. Komarov secured two goals and 18 points during his rookie voyage and has amassed eight points (2+6) as we near the midway point of this season.
Before turning pro, however, Komarov was an elite point-producing defenseman in the QMJHL, ending his junior tenure with 69 points (14+55) over 60 games. The second-year Amerk looks to continue his development into 2026 to become more of the award-winning defenseman he was that got him drafted by Buffalo in 2022.
COMING UP NEXT
The New Year features a solo game for Rochester on the upcoming weekend. Monday’s affair in Cleveland was the start of a three-game road trip for the team, with the middle contest taking place in Toronto as the Amerks make their first visit back since opening weekend to face-off with a Marlies team that are right on Rochester’s heels.
Toronto has games Tuesday and Thursday, entering the week of play just four points back of the Amerks. The lone upcoming game is a 4 p.m. start from Coca-Cola Coliseum this Saturday.