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AHL Rochester Americans

Amerks Rally in Third, Top Crunch in Overtime for Fourth Straight Win

February 1, 2025 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Rochester Americans News Release


(Syracuse, NY) - The Rochester Americans (27-12-3-1) erased a one-goal deficit in each period before Isak Rosén (1+0) scored the game-winner 29 seconds into overtime to seal a 4-3 come-from-behind victory over the Syracuse Crunch (18-15-6-4) Saturday at Upstate Medical University Arena.

With the win, the Amerks, who completed their second two-game sweep over their division rivals this season, improved to 40-11-5-0 when they score three or more goals against the Crunch dating back to the 2016-17 campaign. Additionally, the club also earned its league-leading 18th win on the road while boasting also a 5-2-0-0 record through the first seven games of the season-series against Syracuse.

Rosén (1+0), who remains second in the AHL in goals (23) this season, enters the annual All-Star break with seven goals and eight points over his last four games while helping Rochester to four straight wins. Dating back to Jan. 18, the Swedish forward has piled up nine goals, including four game-winners in that stretch, and has produced three straight multi-goal efforts to close out the month of January.

Mason Jobst and Noah Östlund each contributed with a goal and assist while Lukas Rousek (0+2) also logged a multi-point effort. Brett Murray (1+0), Zachary Metsa (0+1), Kale Clague (0+1), and Anton Wahlberg (0+1) all totaled one point each to close out the scoring.

For Metsa, who assists in four straight games and points in six of his last seven, he continues to share the league lead in assists (29) with Hartford's Alex Belzile and has the most amongst all AHL defensemen.

Goaltender Felix Sandström extended his win-streak to a career-high six games by way of matching a season-best 36 saves, which included 21 in the third period. The 28-year-old netminder, who has won nine of his last 12 appearances, has defeated Belleville, Bridgeport, Hartford, Lehigh Valley, Syracuse, and Utica over his current win streak.

FIRST PERIOD

After successfully clearing off a five-on-three disadvantage for 33 seconds, which included a left pad save by goaltender Brandon Halverson on Rosén, Syracuse struck for the game's first tally of the night at the 11:50 mark by Ryder Korczak.

Less than 90 seconds after Korczak's first marker with the Crunch this season and fourth overall, Jobst scooped up a loose puck in the defensive zone. The Amerks captain exited the zone by giving a quick feed to Wahlberg in the middle of the ice before the latter shifted it to Rousek once crossing the far blueline. Rousek straddled the line, then fired a shot towards Halverson for Jobst to redirect over the netminder's shoulder to even the score at 1-1 with 6:53 left in the frame.

The two teams went into the intermission break tied despite Syracuse maintaining a slim 10-9 shot-advantage.

SECOND PERIOD

Five minutes after clearing off its third penalty of the night, Syracuse's Maxim Groshev stepped in front of a Rochester skater attempting to break the puck out from behind Sandström. After the Russian forward cut to the center of the ice, he fired a shot past Sandström's right pad to reclaim the Crunch's lead with 10:10 left in the frame.

Rochester gained its fourth power-play of the night before tying the score 30 seconds into the man-advantage at the 13:33 mark.

All five members of Rochester's power-play unit played a part in the tally after the Amerks gained possession of the puck, culminating with Östlund getting the best of Halverson, who was being screened by Brett Murray.

Much like the first period, the two clubs went into their respective locker rooms with the score even as well as the shots (17-17) after the completion of stanza.

THIRD PERIOD

The Crunch entered the third period testing Sandström early and often, eventually storming out to a 19-3 shot-advantage. Syracuse only managed to find the back of the net just once during that span as Dylan Duke redirected a shot 3:34 into the frame, giving the home team a 3-2 lead.

Amerks head coach Michael Leone pulled Sandström with 3:48 left in regulation as a face-off was in the Syracuse zone. After Jobst won the draw in the left dot, Leone's decision paid off as Rousek handed the puck to Clague to blast towards Halverson. Before the shot reached the netminder and somehow avoided several bodies, Murray redirected into the net to even the score at 3-3 at the 16:44 mark, ultimately forcing overtime.

OVERTIME

Moments after the opening draw in the extra frame, the Crunch were called for an offsides infraction. On the ensuing face-off, Östlund tied up his man prior to shoveling it for Rosén, who turned on the jets and sprinted toward the Syracuse zone. As Rosén was avoiding a backcheck with Crunch defenseman Derrick Pouliot in close pursuit, he roofed a shot overtop the right shoulder of Halverson, giving Rochester the 4-3 win.

STARS AND STRIPES

Isak Rosén, who entered the weekend scoring two goals in each of his last three games and four multi-goal efforts over his last six outings dating back to Jan. 18, has logged nine points (7+2) over that same span ... He has produced nine goals and eight assists over his last 19 games against the Crunch dating back to the start of the 2023-24 season ... Zachary Metsa finished Saturday tied for the league-lead with 29 assists while Noah Östlund has 10 points (3+7) over his last 10 games since Jan. 10.

UP NEXT

After five days of for the All-Star break, the Amerks look their fifth straight win and sixth on home ice as they host the Belleville Senators on Friday, Feb. 7 in a North Division showdown at The Blue Cross Arena. 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. Additionally, the game will be tape-delayed on CW Rochester beginning at 10 p.m.

Goal Scorers

ROC: M. Jobst (10), N. Östlund (4), B. Murray (20), I. Rosén (23 - OT GWG)

SYR: R. Korczak (4), M. Groshev (4), D. Duke (13)

Goaltenders

ROC: F. Sandström - 36/39 (W)

SYR: B. Halverson - 19/23 (OTL)

Shots

ROC: 23

SYR: 39

Special Teams

ROC: PP (1/4) | PK (4/4)

SYR: PP (0/4) | PK (3/4)

Three Stars:

1. ROC - I. Rosén

2. ROC - F. Sandström

3. SYR - M. Groshev

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