Rochester Americans Eye Playoff Berth in Saturday Showdown Against Penguins

Welcome back to SabresHub.com, your go-to spot for all things hockey in our system! Tonight is a massive night for our Rochester Americans.

Last night was a tough pill to swallow for the hometown fans. The Amerks were incredibly close to celebrating a playoff clinch on their home ice, fighting back to tie the game in the third period thanks to a power-play goal from Olivier Nadeau. Unfortunately, the Cleveland Monsters managed to sneak a game-winning shot through the goalie’s glove with just five minutes left, stunning a sold-out crowd at Blue Cross Arena.

Now, the team has to shake off that heartbreak and hit the road for Pennsylvania to take on the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza. Let us break down everything you need to know before the puck drops tonight at 6:05 PM.

The Magic Number is Still One

The math is super simple for Rochester tonight. They need just a single point in the standings to lock up a spot in the Calder Cup Playoffs for the fifth year in a row. To give you an idea of how special that is, the last time the team went to the playoffs five or more times in a row was during a golden stretch in the 1990s.

Even if the Amerks lose tonight in overtime or a shootout, they are officially in. If things go wrong and they lose in regular time, they can still make the playoffs if the Utica Comets lose their game against the Providence Bruins. That scenario is very possible, considering Providence is a powerhouse team that just won the regular season championship. Currently, the Amerks are sitting two points ahead of Utica for that fifth and final playoff spot in the North Division.

Changes in the Crease and Roster Updates

Our main goalie, Devon Levi, has been an absolute workhorse all year. He just played his 51st game of the season last night, becoming the first Rochester goalie to reach that milestone since Linus Ullmark did it back in the 2016-17 season. Because the team is playing a grueling schedule of three games in three days this weekend , head coach Michael Leone is giving his star netminder a well-deserved rest tonight.

Instead, rookie Scott Ratzlaff will be stepping into the spotlight. This will be his 11th start of the year. He has picked up three of his four wins on the road, so playing in an opposing arena is comfortable for him. Topias Leinonen, who has not played in the AHL since early December, will serve as the backup goalie tonight.

There is some mixed news on the injury front. Jack Rathbone is finally back on the ice after missing a month, but sadly, star defenseman Zac Jones got hurt in last night’s game. Jones has been having a historic season, leading all AHL defensemen with 60 points. He will unfortunately miss the rest of the weekend. To add some physical energy to the lineup, forward Kaleb Lawrence is returning tonight after missing the last couple of weeks.

Scouting the Penguins

Our opponents tonight are having a fantastic season. The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have already secured second place in the Atlantic Division and have won eight of their last ten games. If they win tonight, they will reach 100 points for the season, a massive achievement they have not hit since 2017.

We need to watch out for Avery Hayes, who has scored an impressive 24 goals in just 41 games for them. Their goalie, Sergei Murashov, is also having a stellar year, stopping a huge percentage of the shots he faces with a .917 save percentage.

However, Rochester fans should feel confident. The Amerks have absolutely dominated the Penguins in recent years, winning 11 of their last 14 matchups. Plus, Rochester already beat them 6-4 earlier this season.

Where to Catch the Action

You can watch all the action tonight on AHLTV on FloHockey or listen in on the radio at 95.7 FM/950 AM WGR Rochester. Make sure to tune in, because you will be listening to legendary broadcaster Don Stevens. He is retiring after an incredible 40 years of calling games for the Amerks, making this his final weekend behind the microphone. Let’s hope the boys can get a win for him and punch their ticket to the postseason!