(WGR Sports Radio 550) - The Rochester Americans travel to Syracuse on Thursday to try and close out their first-round best-of-five series in the Calder Cup Playoffs against the Crunch.
Syracuse sprinted out to a 2-0 lead in Game 1 of the North Division Semifinal Round in Rochester, but Devon Levi and his teammates have since slammed the door shut, scoring seven-consecutive goals en route to 3-2 and 4-0 wins behind Levi’s 35 saves.
Levi’s goals-against average of 1.00 is third in the league, while his save percentage of .968 is also third.
Amerks forward Jiri Kulich didn’t get on the scoreboard in Game 1, but made his presence felt in Game 2, scoring a power play goal just four seconds after the Crunch took one of their famous stupid penalties. That one-time missile from the right circle sent the Amerks into the second intermission up 2-0.
Kulich then won a faceoff in the third period to Kale Clague, and the defenseman's screened shot made it 3-0, Rochester.
This is the first time Clague has been in the playoffs in his seven-year pro career, and he’s second in the league in scoring with two games and two assists for four points.
If you include playoffs, the Amerks are 9-3-1-1 against Syracuse this season.
Special teams have been special in the first two games, as Rochester has a power play goal in both and have killed all five penalties against.
This year’s first-round pick Konsta Helenius still hasn’t turned 19 years-old yet, but moved to the wing and had a good end of the season.
He also scored a big goal to give the Amerks the early lead in Game 2. Helenius went to the front of the net and battled defenseman Tobias Bisson, who is quite a bit bigger. The rookie won the battle, and found himself with a loose puck just in front of the crease and a wide-open net.
Going to the wing helped Helenius find his game playing in his first pro season in North America. He scored five goals in his last five games of the regular season, and had seven goals and eight assists for 15 points in his last 22 games.
Overall this season, Helenius played 65 games and scored 14 goals and added 21 assists for 35 points.
Just like last year’s playoffs, 2021 sixth-round pick defenseman Nikita Novikov is having a strong series.
Fellow Russian defenseman Vsevolod Komarov is in his first Calder Cup playoff series, and was also having a strong series until he fought Jack Foley and got caught with a punch that knocked him to the ice and out of Game 2. Komarov was taken in the fifth-round of the 2022 NHL Draft.
If Game 4 is necessary, it’ll be played Saturday in Syracuse. The Amerks are guaranteed, at least, one more home game, as it will either be Game 5 of this series on Friday, May 9 or in the North Division Final.
Thursday's faceoff from Syracuse for Game 3 is slated for 7 p.m.