May 2, 2024
The Rochester Americans (1-1) and Syracuse Crunch (1-1) resume the North Division Semifinals tonight as the best-of-five series shifts to downtown Syracuse for Game 3 at Upstate Medical University Arena. Game time is slated for a 7:00 p.m. start and will be carried live on The Sports Leader 95.7 FM/950 AM The Fan Rochester as well as AHLTV.
The intrastate rivals are knotted at 1-1 in their opening round series after splitting the first two games in Rochester this past weekend.
The Amerks were able to force overtime despite seeing another 2-0 lead slip away, but it was the Crunch prevailing midway through the extra frame to come away with a 4-3 win and level the series at one game each.
The Amerks, who finished the regular season with a 13-2-1-1 record over its final 17 games, have won four of the last five postseason contests against Syracuse dating back to last year’s second-round series.
Of the seven rookies to appear in the first two games of the series for the Amerks, all six skaters have notched at least one point. Anton Wahlberg and Noah Östlund both scored in the opening game while Viktor Neuchev, Zach Metsa Nikita Novikov and Ryan Johnson have each totaled one assist
Devon Levi (1-1) has made 65 saves through his first two postseason games. Levi was the first rookie goaltender to win a playoff game for Rochester since Andrey Makarov did so on May 2, 2014 and was also the first to earn the win in his playoff debut since Ryan Miller did so back on April 20, 2005
After more than 326 all-time meetings during regular-season play, the second-round series against the Crunch marks only the sixth meeting in the postseason between the two teams and the second in as many years after Rochester completed a reverse sweep last spring.
Prior to that, the Amerks claimed three of the previous four playoff series dating back to 1996.
Rochester is 162-145-19 all-time against Syracuse, which included a 5-5-2-0 mark this season versus the Crunch. Five of the 12 matchups between the two teams were decided beyond regulation and eight of 12 were won by the visiting team.
The Crunch are in the Calder Cup Playoffs for the 18th time since joining the American Hockey League prior to the 1994-95 season.
Last spring’s memorable playoff run to the Conference finals was the first time in 19 years after completing the three-game series sweep over the Toronto Marlies in the North Division Finals. Rochester has…
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