The Rochester Americans, currently holding a 28-25-5-4 record, are set to continue their current four-game homestand. They will be facing a massive test this Wednesday night at The Blue Cross Arena against the defending Eastern Conference champion Charlotte Checkers, who come into town sporting a formidable 39-21-5-0 record.
If you are gearing up for the matchup, here is your essential pregame breakdown.
Riding High on Home Ice
Rochester enters this contest with plenty of momentum after a thrilling 3-2 shootout victory over the Syracuse Crunch this past Sunday. The Amerks kept pace with their regional rivals in regulation thanks to tallies from Matteo Costantini and Trevor Kuntar. In the shootout, Konsta Helenius and Olivier Nadeau found the back of the net, while Devon Levi shut the door to secure his 20th victory of the campaign.
That triumph gave the boys in red, white, and blue a three-game winning streak in their own building and three victories in their last four outings overall.
They will need that energy against a Checkers squad that also knows how to win tight matchups. Charlotte recently sneaked past Hartford with a 2-1 overtime victory and is currently navigating a long six-game road trip before heading back south. Having already locked up a playoff spot in the Atlantic Division, the Checkers are battling for positioning, sitting just seven points behind the division’s top two seeds.
The Magic Number is 11
The Calder Cup Playoffs are entirely within Rochester’s grasp. The team’s magic number to clinch a postseason spot sits at exactly 11. This means any combination of points earned by the Amerks, or points dropped by Utica and Belleville totaling 11, guarantees Rochester a ticket to the dance for the fifth consecutive season.
Achieving this milestone would be a historic feat. It would mark only the fourth time in the franchise’s storied history that they have secured five straight playoff berths, and the first era of sustained success like this since their legendary streak spanning from the 1990-91 season through 2000-01.
A Grueling Final Stretch
This 70th anniversary season comes down to the final 10 games. Interestingly, six of these remaining matchups will feature opponents from outside the North Division, starting tonight against Charlotte.
The Amerks will be incredibly busy, as they and the Iowa Wild are the only two squads in the Eastern Conference entering April with ten or more games left on the docket.
Nothing will come easy, either. Rochester faces the second-hardest remaining schedule in the Eastern Conference, with nine of their final ten opponents currently occupying playoff spots. Furthermore, after this week wraps up, the team will have to pack their bags, playing six of their final seven regular-season contests on the road.
Overcoming Costly Roster Blows
The playoff hunt will have to continue without two massive pieces of the puzzle. Head coach Mike Leone announced that defensive stalwart Ryan Johnson and top goal-scorer Riley Fiddler-Schultz will miss the remainder of the regular season due to injuries sustained last weekend. There is a glimmer of hope that both could return for the playoffs, but their immediate absence is a heavy blow.
Johnson, a former first-round selection by Buffalo in 2019, had been enjoying a career year offensively with five goals, four of which were scored on the road. Fiddler-Schultz’s injury is especially tough, as he leads all Rochester skaters with 21 goals on the year. He was the team’s ironman prior to Sunday, having not missed a single game. The Edmonton native had been on an absolute tear since January, potting 15 goals in three months, highlighted by a memorable hat trick against Utica in mid-February. Because of his absence, this will be the third time in five years that the Amerks finish a season without a single player dressing for every game.
Taming the Checkers and Making History
Tonight marks the fourth and final clash between Rochester and Charlotte this season. The Amerks have managed a 1-0-1-1 record against the Checkers so far. If Rochester can secure even a single point tonight, it will be the first time in the history of the franchise that they have earned points in every regular-season meeting against Charlotte.
To pull that off, the defense must neutralize Checkers rookie sensation Jack Devine. The young forward sits second on his squad in scoring with 37 points and ranks sixth among all AHL rookies with 17 goals. Charlotte is nearly unbeatable when Devine lights the lamp, boasting a 13-2-0-0 record in those instances. He has buried three goals in his last six appearances, but the silver lining for Rochester is that Devine has been held completely off the scoresheet against the Amerks this season. Keeping him quiet tonight will be the main key to victory.
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