It was a night to forget for the Rochester Americans at Coca-Cola Coliseum. In a Game 1 that felt uphill from the opening draw, the Amerks fell 5-0 to the Toronto Marlies, stifled by a lack of discipline and an even more glaring lack of even-strength offense. The tone was set early when Trevor Kuntar headed to the box just over a minute into the contest. While the Amerks managed to kill that initial minor, the constant pressure in their own zone eventually broke the dam. Michael Pezzetta opened the scoring at 7:07 of the first after the Marlies sustained possession through two full line changes, eventually beating Devon Levi with a far-side snipe. The bleeding didn’t stop there. Despite some big saves early from Levi, the rebound control and net-front presence favored Toronto. Benoit-Olivier Groulx doubled the lead at 14:33, and Vinni Lettieri began his dominant night with a power-play one-timer in the final minute of the frame to...Read More

TORONTO — The playoff path was anything but certain, but after a grueling 72-game schedule that came down to the final minutes, the Rochester Americans are officially dancing. Following a high-stakes three-game weekend to close the year, the Amerks cross the border tonight for Game 1 of their best-of-three North Division First Round series against the Toronto Marlies at Coca-Cola Coliseum. The Road to the Dance Rochester’s postseason fate hung in the balance until the dying moments of Sunday’s finale in Hershey. Needing a single point to secure the 23rd and final AHL playoff spot, Carson Meyer delivered a clutch game-tying goal late in the third period. Though the Amerks eventually fell 5-4 in overtime, the point earned punched their ticket for a fifth consecutive season—the franchise’s longest postseason streak since the 1990-2005 era. Devon Levi was instrumental in the clinch, turning aside 26 shots, including a pair of critical second-period breakaways. The Amerks finished their 70th-anniversary campaign with a...Read More