Amerks Atop the AHL After Shutout Win over Cleveland
February 20, 2025 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Rochester Americans News Release
(Rochester, NY) - A pair of goals from rookie forward Noah Östlund (2+0) and another perfect performance from goaltender Devon Levi powered the Rochester Americans (31-14-3-1) to a 4-0 victory over the Cleveland Monsters (26-15-4-4) Wednesday at The Blue Cross Arena.
With tonight's shutout win coupled with a Laval loss to Manitoba, Rochester jumped into first place overall in the American Hockey League with 66 points while being tied with the Rocket in wins (31). The Amerks, who have won three straight and six of the first seven meetings with the Monsters this season, have earned at least one point in 38 of the last 55 games against Cleveland.
While Östlund and fellow Swede Isak Rosén (0+2) both produced multi-point efforts, defenseman Nikita Novikov (0+2) also recorded a multi-assist game for Rochester, which boasts a 7-2-0-1 record over its last 10 home games as well as an 8-2-0-0 mark in its previous 10 overall.
Zachary Metsa and Brett Murray scored their fourth and 22nd goals of the season, respectively, while Ryan Johnson, Mason Jobst, and Josh Dunne capped off the win by adding an assist.
Levi pushed his record to 17-6-2 in 25 appearances with the Amerks this season, which includes a 16-4-1 mark in his last 21 games. The Quebec native, who won five of his last seven starts, is one of five goaltenders in the league with four or more shutouts this season.
FIRST PERIOD
Neither team was able to solve the opposition's netminder as Levi and Cleveland's Jet Greaves both combined to make 22 saves, which included each making a Grade-A stop.
Cleveland's best chance came off the stick of Hunter McKown as he was denied on an odd-man rush alongside Justin Pearson on the penalty kill, whereas Anton Wahlberg was stopped by Greaves late in the stanza.
SECOND PERIOD
Following a scoreless opening period, Rochester struck three times in the middle frame to build a 3-0 advantage.
Early in the frame after a face-off win by Dunne in the right circle, Novikov gathered the puck and slid it to Metsa at the right point. The Quinnipiac University product waited as bodies crashed towards the crease and then snapped a shot through traffic and past a screened Greaves just 3:16 in.
Less than 3:30 after Metsa's marker, after skating the puck into the offensive zone, Murray positioned himself atop the crease. Östlund banked a pass off the end boards for Rosén and the latter gave the puck to Johnson at the left dot inside the zone. Johnson connected with a backdoor feed to Murray, who was on a knee, and tapped it into the back of the net for his 22nd of the season.
To close out the run, Metsa begun a play as he carried the puck through center ice, eventually moving it up to Östlund. He and Novikov executed a perfect give-and-go, which Östlund finished at the 12:39 mark.
THIRD PERIOD
Carrying a 3-0 lead to start the third period, Cleveland drew a pair of penalties over the course of the frame. On the second of the two, Greaves was summoned to the bench for a 6-on-4 advantage, but the Amerks thwarted any opportunity after Jobst flicked the puck out of the zone to Östlund, who sealed the 4-0 shutout win with his second of the night.
STARS AND STRIPES
In his last 21 games with the Amerks, goaltender Devon Levi owns a 16-4-1 record, three shutouts and a 2.03 goals-against-average ... By way of Noah Östlund 's first-career shorthanded goal, Rochester has tallied 10 goals this season while on the penalty kill ... Östlund is one of six players to score a shorthanded goal, joining Graham Slaggert (5), Anton Wahlberg (1), Josh Dunne (1), Tyson Kozak (1), and Brendan Warren (1).
UP NEXT
The Amerks continue their season-long five-game homestand on Friday, Feb. 21 when they welcome the Belleville Senators back to The Blue Cross Arena for a North Division showdown. The 7:05 p.m. matchup will be carried live on The Sports Leader 95.7 FM/950 AM The Fan Rochester as well as AHLTV on FloHockey.
Goal Scorers
CLE: None
ROC: Z. Metsa (4 - GWG), B. Murray (22), N. Östlund (6, 7)
Goaltenders
CLE: J. Greaves - 25/28 (L)
ROC: D. Levi - 26/26 (W)
Shots
CLE: 26
ROC: 29
Special Teams
CLE: PP (0/2) | PK (2/2)
ROC: PP (0/2) | PK (2/2)
Three Stars:
1. ROC - D. Levi
2. ROC - N. Östlund
3. ROC - I. Rosén
POST-GAME SOUND AND HIGHLIGHTS
GAME HIGHLIGHTS: https://youtu.be/R_KFq3LwxIQ
MICHAEL LEONE POST-GAME: https://youtu.be/JR2exY5S3Co
DEVON LEVI POST-GAME: https://youtu.be/tZcraoKG3qs
NOAH ÖSTLUND POST-GAME: https://youtu.be/2wxGitQLFYk
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