Amerks Open Homestand with 4-3 Loss to Checkers
March 12, 2025 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Rochester Americans News Release
(Rochester, NY) - The Rochester Americans' third-period woes continued into the start of their three-game homestand, as the Charlotte Checkers broke a 2-2 deadlock in the final frame of regulation and survived a late push from the Amerks to come away with a 4-3-win Wednesday at Blue Cross Arena.
The Amerks have now gone winless in five straight games for the first time all year, falling to 34-17-3-3 on the season. Fortunately for Rochester, however, Laval dropped a game to Bridgeport, meaning the Amerks remain within three points of first place in the AHL's North Division standings.
Newly acquired defenseman Erik Brännström made his Amerks debut, scoring twice for the first two-goal game of his AHL tenure since his first game in the league with Chicago back on Oct. 5, 2018. Kale Clague also scored, converting on a power-play goal for the Amerks, while Devon Levi made 19 saves in an effort to snap Rochester's winless drought.
FIRST PERIOD
Rochester's start was full throttle, creating a bevy of chances in the opening minutes that produced early results.
In his first game and his first shift as an Amerk, Brännström, who was acquired by the Buffalo Sabres at the NHL trade deadline, scored on a turnover just 1:07 into the contest. The veteran defenseman picked off a clearing attempt in the high slot, then fired a wrist shot that twisted past the blocker side of Charlotte's Kaapo Kähkönen for the 1-0 advantage.
Charlotte found its response near the midway point of the first when former Amerk C.J. Smith scored the game-tying goal.
The Amerks ended up in an unfortunate spot when Brendan Warren collided with a Checkers' player that resulted in him losing his helmet along the end boards. Per league protocol, Warren was forced to skate to the bench, essentially creating a power play-like scenario in the attacking zone for Charlotte. During said sequence, Michael Benning found Smith on a pass sent in-between the circles for a one-timer that found the upper right corner of the net.
SECOND PERIOD
On a power-play, Checkers' leading scorer John Leonard deflected a shot taken at the right point that eluded Levi to give Charlotte its first lead of the night 4:21 into the second.
Chaos ensued just over 10 minutes into the period when Lukas Rousek was hulled down in his own zone. No penalty was called, yet the Amerks forward was flagged for tripping seconds later on the other end of the ice. Pushing and shoving with several players from both sides followed, culminating with Mikulas Hovorka and Brett Murray engaging in a one-sided fight that Murray won in landslide fashion.
Following a successful penalty kill, the Amerks benefitted from a power-play of their own.
Clague continued his dominant season, scoring his 10th goal of the season with a shot from atop the zone that rang by Kähkönen with Anton Wahlberg providing the screen in front, tying the game at 2-2 going into the third.
THIRD PERIOD
Charlotte's man-advantage capitalized again during the third with a pair of power-plays in the front half of the frame. On their second opportunity, Ben Steeves collected a pass on the left wing that the forward slammed to the top corner of the goal, putting Charlotte up 3-2.
Lukas Rousek was impeded on a breakaway less than a minute after Charlotte's go-ahead goal, giving the fourth-year Amerk a penalty shot. Rousek made a move that Kähkönen bit on, but as he peeled left, his shot hit off the left post.
Leonard would come up with his second goal of the game on an empty net to double Charlotte's lead with 2:11 to play. The Amerks continued battling, pulling Levi again for the six-on-five advantage during which Brännström found the back of the net through traffic, cutting the deficit to 4-3, but Rochester was unable to find the game-tying conversion.
UP NEXT
The Amerks continue their homestand against Atlantic Division adversaries on Friday, March 14 when the Providence Bruins skate into Blue Cross Arena. The game will be carried live on The Sports Leader 95.7 FM/950 AM The Fan Rochester as well as AHLTV on FloHockey.
Goal Scorers
CLT: C. Smith (3), J. Leonard (26, 27-GWG), B. Steeves (6-PPG)
ROC: E. Brännström (4, 5), K. Clague (10)
Goaltenders
CLT: K. Kahkonen - 21/24 (W)
ROC: D. Levi - 19/22 (L)
Shots
CLT: 23
ROC: 24
Special Teams
CLT: PP (2/4) | PK (3/4)
ROC: PP (1/4) | PK (2/4)
Three Stars:
1. CLT - J. Leonard
2. ROC - E. Brännström
3. CLT - T. Bjornfot
POST-GAME SOUND AND HIGHLIGHTS
GAME HIGHLIGHTS: https://youtu.be/AdrEdirrnRA
MICHAEL LEONE POST-GAME: https://youtu.be/L7qWeYbDl7E
ERIK BRÄNNSTRÖM POST-GAME: https://youtu.be/Zu2-FgVQddE
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