The playoff push is in full gear for the Rochester Americans. In a tight, defensive battle against their intrastate rivals, the Amerks secured a crucial 3-2 victory over the Syracuse Crunch on Wednesday night at Upstate Medical University Arena.
With their third consecutive win, Rochester now sits just points away from locking up a fifth straight trip to the Calder Cup Playoffs. Furthermore, the victory ensures the Amerks finish the season series with a winning record against the Crunch for the second consecutive year.
Douglas Delivers in the Clutch
The story of the night belonged to rookie forward Chris Douglas. With the game deadlocked at 2-2 and just over eight minutes remaining in regulation, Douglas buried his first professional goal to give Rochester the lead for good.
The game-winning sequence materialized moments after a successful Amerks penalty kill. Goaltender Devon Levi initiated the transition by clearing the puck out of the defensive zone. Following some gritty puck pursuit along the boards by Brendan Warren and Graham Slaggert, Douglas managed to poke the puck free. He then exchanged quick passes with defenseman Zac Jones before firing a precise shot past Crunch netminder Brandon Halverson from the right circle.
Nadeau’s Breakout Performance
Before Douglas delivered the final blow, Olivier Nadeau carried the offensive load for Rochester. The young forward recorded his first career American Hockey League multi-goal game, showcasing both a nose for the net and excellent hand-eye coordination.
After Syracuse opened the scoring just minutes into the first period on a Matthew Peca goal, Nadeau responded on the man advantage. Rochester executed a flawless zone entry that saw all five skaters touch the puck, culminating in Nadeau redirecting a crease-feed from Anton Wahlberg and Konsta Helenius to tie the game.
In the second frame, Nadeau generated his own offense. Pressuring the Crunch deep in their own zone, he intercepted a breakout pass out of mid-air, gathered the bouncing puck, and immediately snapped a shot under the crossbar to give the Amerks a temporary 2-1 lead.
Syracuse fought back shortly after when Jarred Tinordi capitalized on a feed from Nick Abruzzese to tie the game at 2-2, but it was the last time the Crunch would beat Levi.
Milestones and Solid Goaltending
Levi was steady in the crease all evening, stopping 17 of the 19 shots he faced to earn his 23rd victory of the year. The workload marked his league-leading 49th appearance of the season. Over his last eight starts, the Quebec native boasts an impressive 6-2-0 record.
Offensively, the prospect pipeline continues to produce. With his first-period assist, Helenius extended his point streak to nine games and became the first Rochester skater to reach the 60-point plateau this season. Meanwhile, Jones added to his phenomenal campaign with the primary assist on the game-winner, putting him just one helper away from 50 on the year.
The blue line also featured a fresh face, as highly touted prospect Maxim Štrbák made his professional debut, becoming the 12th different rookie to suit up for Rochester this season.
What’s Next for Rochester?
The Amerks will look to build on their four wins over the last six games as they continue their road trip. Rochester heads to the MassMutual Center this Friday, April 10, to take on the Springfield Thunderbirds, with puck drop scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
Game Summary
- Goal Scorers:
- ROC: O. Nadeau (11, 12), C. Douglas (1 – GWG)
- SYR: M. Peca (12), J. Tinordi (2)
- Goaltending:
- ROC: D. Levi – 17 saves on 19 shots (Win)
- SYR: B. Halverson – 15 saves on 18 shots (Loss)
- Special Teams:
- ROC: Power Play 1-for-2 | Penalty Kill 2-for-2
- SYR: Power Play 0-for-2 | Penalty Kill 1-for-2
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