Season Over: Amerks Fall to Marlies in Decisive Game 3

The Rochester Americans saw their 2025-26 campaign come to a close on Sunday evening, falling 4-2 to the Toronto Marlies in a decisive Game 3 at Coca-Cola Coliseum.

Despite a valiant effort to claw back from a pair of two-goal deficits, the Buffalo Sabres’ top affiliate was officially eliminated from the postseason. Toronto will now advance to face the Laval Rocket in the second round.

The loss marks a rare early exit for the club. While Rochester successfully qualified for the playoffs for a fifth consecutive season, this is the first time they have failed to reach the division semifinals since the AHL transitioned to a best-of-three opening-round format.

Early Marlies Pressure

Toronto set the tone early in the opening period. Just over two minutes into the contest, a Rochester turnover in the offensive zone sparked a fast break for the Marlies. Ryan Tverberg finished off an odd-man rush, slipping the puck under the pad of goaltender Devon Levi to grab a 1-0 advantage.

The Marlies controlled the shot clock heavily in the first twenty minutes, outshooting the visitors 16-8. However, Rochester’s penalty kill stepped up massively late in the period. The trio of Jake Leschyshyn, Jack Rathbone, and Vsevolod Komarov successfully navigated an extended 5-on-3 Toronto power play, protecting Levi and keeping the deficit at a single goal heading into the first intermission.

Trading Blows in the Middle Period

Toronto doubled its lead early in the second period when veteran Logan Shaw crashed the crease to redirect a centering feed.

Rochester immediately pushed back. After Komarov nearly scored on a wraparound that caught the post, Levi delivered a crucial, potentially game-saving stop on a breakaway attempt by Benoit-Olivier Groulx. Using that momentum, rookie defenseman Radim Mrtka generated a turnover near the penalty boxes and quickly transitioned the puck to Konsta Helenius. The 2025 first-round pick snapped home his second goal of the postseason to cut the lead in half.

Helenius’s strike was a major offensive breakthrough, serving as Rochester’s first goal on Toronto ice in nearly eight full periods of hockey. The play also earned Mrtka his first career professional playoff point.

The Marlies responded to restore their two-goal cushion on a power-play tally by Shaw, but the Amerks refused to fold. Late in the middle period, Anton Wahlberg and Riley Fiddler-Schultz battled heavily along the boards to cycle the puck. Wahlberg emerged and sent a net-front pass to Olivier Nadeau, who steered it home to make it a 3-2 hockey game. The marker was Nadeau’s first career playoff goal, capping off a breakout year where he netted 26 regular-season goals.

Final Push Falls Short

The third period featured excellent goaltending at both ends of the rink. Levi continued his stellar postseason play, ultimately turning aside 35 of the 38 shots he faced to earn the game’s Third Star.

On the other side of the ice, Dennis Hildeby stood tall for Toronto. The Marlies netminder stopped 29 of 31 shots to secure the victory and First Star honors.

Rochester pulled Levi for an extra attacker with under three minutes remaining in regulation, desperately searching for the equalizer. The gamble ultimately fell short, as William Villeneuve sent the puck into the empty net to finalize the 4-2 Marlies victory.

End of an Era

Beyond the action on the ice, Sunday evening carried significant emotional weight for the franchise. The game marked the final broadcast for Amerks Hall of Fame announcer Don Stevens. The legendary play-by-play voice officially steps away after a remarkable 40-year career that began during the 1986-87 season, closing a monumental chapter in Rochester hockey history.