GAME PREVIEW: AMERKS WRAP UP WEEKEND WITH SHOWDOWN IN HERSHEY – Rochester Individuals

Rochester seems for 5 of six factors on three-game weekend
By Andrew Mossbrooks | @ Mossbrooks48
 
After a come-from-behind victory on the street Saturday, the Rochester Individuals (23-10-3-1) proceed their four-game street journey Sunday afternoon towards the two-time defending Calder Cup champion Hershey Bears (24-11-3-0) within the weekend finale at Large Heart.
 
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Sunday’s early night encounter is the second and ultimate assembly of the season between the American Hockey League’s two cornerstone franchises. In November, a objective within the ultimate seconds of regulation allowed the Bears to increase and ultimately win a 4-3 additional time contest towards the Amerks. Kale Clague was a standout with two objectives, whereas Devon Levi made 24 saves within the loss.
 
 
Three power-play objectives had been the distinction Saturday evening as Rochester used particular groups to high the Lehigh Valley Phantoms by a 3-2 ultimate at PPL Heart.
 
Isak Rosén scored twice and posted his first profession multi-power-play objective recreation, whereas Anton Wahlberg recorded his second power-play objective in as many weeks. In his 100^th AHL recreation and his return to Lehigh Valley, former Phantoms’ goaltender Felix Sandström made 25 saves, securing his fourth straight win.
 
Hershey was idle Saturday, however spent the earlier evening beating Belleville, 4-1. Mike Vecchione scored the game-winning-goal, whereas Hershey restricted the Senators to only 15 pictures, with Clay Stevenson stopping 14 of them for his third straight win. The Bears lead the Jap Convention with 51 factors, rating only one forward of Rochester.
 
 
Forward of Saturday’s recreation in Lehigh Valley, the Buffalo Sabres summoned goaltender Devon Levi, who is predicted to journey with the Sabres for the workforce’s West Coast journey that begins Monday in Seattle.
 
Levi, 23, was named to the 2025 AHL All-Star Traditional earlier within the month and has received 11 of his final 13 begins with the Amerks. The sophomore goaltender is 12-3-2 by 17 video games within the AHL this season, rating ninth within the league with a 2.33 goals-against-average.
 
With Levi absent, veteran goaltender Michael Houser has been recalled from ECHL-Jacksonville to affix Sandström on the street. Houser, a 13-year professional, is 4-3-1 with the Amerks by 10 appearances this season.
 
In an unrelated transfer, defenseman Noah Laaouan was additionally recalled from Rochester’s ECHL affiliate after posting 15 factors (4+11) in 37 video games for the Icemen.
 
 
Rochester’s three-goal evening on the man-advantage Saturday was simply the third time this season the Amerks exceeded two power-play objectives in a recreation. Coming into the weekend, Rochester was 26^th on the man-advantage total, nonetheless, the Amerks have now shot as much as fifth-best on the street, working at 21.2%.
 
The Amerks reached three power-play objectives in a recreation for the second time, with their excessive being 4 scored again on Nov. 1. Every of these three video games got here on the street, the place the Amerks boast an AHL-best 16-4-1-0 file by their first 21 street matchups.
 
Rosen and Wahlberg every have 4 power-play objectives on the season, whereas Brett Murray leads the workforce, and the AHL, with 9. Of their mixed 17 man-advantage conversions, 12 have come on the street.
 
 
Josh Dunne skates in Hershey driving a six-game level streak with one objective and 5 assists. The fifth-year professional made a nifty between-the-legs move in entrance of the online Saturday, organising Wahlberg’s power-play objective.
 
Collectively, Dunne has posted six objectives and 15 factors in his time as an Amerk. He’s considered one of six gamers that has wearing each recreation for Rochester this season.
 
Earlier than sporting the crimson, white, and blue, Dunne performed elements of 4 seasons for Cleveland and confronted Hershey in an Jap Convention Finals’ collection that noticed the Monsters overcome a 3-0 deficit to pressure a winner-take-all Sport 7, earlier than falling in additional time final season. Dunne dazzled within the collection, main his workforce with seven factors (4+3) towards the Bears, posting at the very least a degree within the first 5 video games of the collection.
 
 
Hershey has received 13 Calder Cups over its 80-plus 12 months historical past, together with two within the final two years. The Bears and Amerks are the oldest AHL franchises and most not too long ago met within the playoffs in the course of the 2023 Jap Convention Finals.
 
Hershey has maintained a big contingent of its core from the previous two championships, together with goaltender Hunter Shepard, Mike Vecchione, Aaron Ness, and main scorer Mike Sgarbossa. Regardless of all their success, the Bears are barely over .500 on dwelling ice this season, displaying an 11-10-1-0 file at Large Heart.
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