Currently, on a stretch where they lost four of their last six, the Amerks head into a week with three games against divisional opponents, including back-to-back weekend games against division leader Belleville. Trailing the Senators by eight points, their back-to-back meetings are vital to the Amerks if they look to capture the division crown by season’s end.
| # |  Top Scorers | GP | Goals | Assists | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 39 | J.S. Dea | 57 | 15 | 24 | 39 |
| 17 | Sean Malone | 58 | 12 | 18 | 30 |
| 22 | Zach Redmond | 59 | 5 | 25 | 30 |
| 15 | Andrew Oglevie | 55 | 15 | 14 | 29 |
| 19 | C.J. Smith | 50 | 12 | 15 | 27 |
March 4: vs. Utica (L 3-1)
While each team earned scoring opportunities early on, Stefan LeBlanc gave Utica a late first-period lead, and despite trailing in shots, 13-9, the Comets held the one-goal lead heading into the second. Rochester started the next period strong, which saw Taylor Leier (9) tie it up on a power-play opportunity.
Great entry (Bryson), great pass (Dea), great back hand. PP goal for Taylor Leier! pic.twitter.com/KsWM8Q15kO
— LGA585 (formerly LetsGoAmerks) (@LGA585) March 5, 2020
Although the Amerks held a near 2:1 advantage in shots, the score was tied after forty minutes of play due to Michael DiPietro’s strong play, making 29 saves up to that point. Unlike the first two, Utica outshot Rochester in the third, but the game remained even, until just over five minutes remaining, when Sven Baertschi scored, giving Utica a 2-1 lead at 14:58, which was followed by Tyler Graovac scoring an empty-netter with a minute to go. Baertschi’s goal would be the game-winner, as the Amerks fell 3-1, with Andrew Hammond making 24 saves, as Rochester looks forward to a two-game trip in Belleville, which will have an effect over the last month of the season.
March 6: @ Belleville (W 5-3)
This game saw the Amerks dominate early, ultimately resulting in Kevin Porter (7) putting Rochester in front halfway through the first, as they finished the opening period with 23 .
Kevin Porter off the back wall from CJ Smith and Jacob Bryson. Amerks up 1-0. pic.twitter.com/Uy4ay51UJZ
— LGA585 (formerly LetsGoAmerks) (@LGA585) March 7, 2020
While Rochester held a 1-0 lead after one, the second would see both teams pick up the offense, with four goals combined. Alex Formenton evened the score 32 seconds into the period, while Filip Chlapik pushed Belleville to a 2-1 lead halfway through the second. Five minutes after, Jacob Bryson scored his third of the year on a short-handed chance, and C.J. Smith scored with two minutes left for a 3-2 Amerks lead.
CJ Smith breakaway goal as he was leaving the penalty box. Amerks up 3-2. pic.twitter.com/KddxfBhWlL
— LGA585 (formerly LetsGoAmerks) (@LGA585) March 7, 2020
Rochester remained in front, until Chlapik’s second for Belleville tied the game at 3 until Andrew Oglevie (15) scored at 16:59 to put Rochester back in front, which would be the game-winner.
Andrew Oglevie puts the Amerks up 4-3! pic.twitter.com/9GAOUTuTSi
— LGA585 (formerly LetsGoAmerks) (@LGA585) March 7, 2020
Scott Wilson’s empty-netter for his 11th of the season a minute and a half later gave Rochester the 5-3 win, as their 44 SOG played a role in the win. Andrew Hammond made 25 saves in the win in their first of two straight in Belleville, as they look to build on the momentum from this game.
March 7: @ Belleville (W 4-2)
Under a few minutes after the opening faceoff, Max Lajoie gave Belleville the early lead, and despite a period that saw Rochester outshoot the Senators 13-6, the Amerks trailed by one after twenty. It would take over half the next period, but Taylor Leier, with his 10th of the year coming on the power-play tied the game at 1.
Taylor Leier taps one in for a PP goal and ties the game 1-1. Assists to Mitts and Asplund. pic.twitter.com/KVR4hh4xK8
— LGA585 (formerly LetsGoAmerks) (@LGA585) March 8, 2020
However, Drake Batherson gave Belleville the lead back 37 seconds later, and with goalie Alex Dubeau stopping 28 shots from Rochester after two periods, they held the 2-1 lead into the third period, looking to split the back-to-back. The third would end up being dominated by the Amerks, starting with Jacob Bryson (4) under three minutes in to tie the score.
Will Borgen one timer off the face off gives the Amerks a 3-2 lead!! pic.twitter.com/YnKAwl0ElX
— LGA585 (formerly LetsGoAmerks) (@LGA585) March 8, 2020
It would remain even until William Borgen scored his first goal of the season at 18:48 for Rochester’s first lead of the game, and Sean Malone’s (12) empty-netter sealed the game, as the Amerks won 4-2. Jonas Johansson made 24 saves in his return to Rochester, as they finished the week with two crucial road wins.
The Amerks start the week with two home games against Binghamton (70 pts) and Syracuse (67 pts) before heading on the road to face Cleveland (54 pts) this weekend. With an overall record of 33-19-4-5, Rochester has 75 points in 61 games this season, as they now sit six points behind Belleville for the North division lead. With only 15 regular-season games remaining, the Amerks are likely to secure a playoff berth for the third consecutive season, and they look to build off these back-to-back wins as the postseason nears closer.
| Date | Opponent | Time/Result |
|---|---|---|
| 10/04/19 |  vs. Syracuse Crunch | W 3-2 (OT) |
| 10/11/19 |  @ Springfield Thunderbirds | W 2-1 |
| 10/12/19 |  @ Providence Bruins | L 3-2 |
| 10/13/19 |  @ Hartford Wolf Pack | W 3-2 (SO) |
| 10/18/19 |  vs. Cleveland Monsters | L 4-3 (SO) |
| 10/19/19 |  @ Utica Comets | L 7-1 |
| 10/23/19 |  vs. Hershey Bears | W 5-1 |
| 10/26/19 | @ Syracuse Crunch | W 7-6 (OT) |
| 10/27/19 | @ Springfield Thunderbirds | L 2-1 (OT) |
| 10/30/19 | vs. Providence Bruins | L 4-3 |
| 11/01/19 |  vs. Binghamton Devils | W 4-2 |
| 11/02/19 | @ Utica Comets | W 6-0 |
| 11/08/19 | vs. Binghamton Devils | L 4-3 (SO) |
| 11/13/19 | vs. Syracuse Crunch | W 4-3 |
| 11/15/19 | vs. Cleveland Monsters | W 4-3 (OT) |
| 11/16/19 | @ Utica Comets | W 4-3 |
| 11/22/19 | vs. Hartford Wolf Pack | W 4-0 |
| 11/23/19 | @ Binghamton Devils | W 4-2 |
| 11/29/19 |  vs. Toronto Marlies | L 3-2 (OT) |
| 11/30/19 | @ Cleveland Monsters | W 3-2 |
| 12/04/19 | vs. Toronto Marlies | W 4-0 |
| 12/06/19 |  vs. Charlotte Checkers | W 4-0 |
| 12/07/19 | vs. Charlotte Checkers | L 3-1 |
| 12/11/19 |  vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | W 4-2 |
| 12/13/19 |  @ Laval Rocket | W 3-2 |
| 12/14/19 | @ Laval Rocket | W 5-0 |
| 12/18/19 | @ Binghamton Devils | L 2-1 |
| 12/20/19 | vs. Binghamton Devils | W 3-0 |
| 12/21/19 | vs. Utica Comets | W 4-3 |
| 12/27/19 |  vs. Belleville Senators | W 4-3 |
| 12/28/19 | @ Binghamton Devils | L 2-0 |
| 12/31/19 | @ Utica Comets | L 3-2 |
| 01/03/20 | @ Belleville Senators | W 4-3 (OT) |
| 01/04/20 | @ Toronto Marlies | L 5-2 |
| 01/08/20 | vs. Binghamton Devils | L 4-3 (SO) |
| 01/10/20 | vs. Belleville Senators | L 5-1 |
| 01/11/20 | @ Syracuse Crunch | L 5-4 |
| 01/17/20 | vs. Cleveland Monsters | L 4-3 (SO) |
| 01/18/20 |  @ Lehigh Valley Phantoms | L 4-0 |
| 01/19/20 | @ Hershey Bears | L 4-1 |
| 01/22/20 | @ Cleveland Monsters | W 3-2 (OT) |
| 01/24/20 | vs. Laval Rocket | W 5-2 |
| 01/25/20 | @ Syracuse Crunch | W 3-2 |
| 01/31/20 | vs. Syracuse Crunch | W 4-2 |
| 02/01/20 | @ Binghamton Devils | W 3-2 |
| 02/05/20 | @ Cleveland Monsters | W 4-2 |
| 02/07/20 | vs. Syracuse Crunch | L 5-2 |
| 02/08/20 | @ Toronto Marlies | L 4-0 |
| 02/11/20 | @ Charlotte Checkers | L 4-2 |
| 02/12/20 | @ Charlotte Checkers | L 5-2 |
| 02/15/20 | @ Syracuse Crunch | W 4-3 (SO) |
| 02/16/20 | vs. Utica Comets | W 3-2 |
| 02/19/20 | vs. Belleville Senators | L 3-2 (OT) |
| 02/21/20 | vs. Lehigh Valley Phantoms | W 3-2 (OT) |
| 02/22/20 | vs. Cleveland Monsters | L 3-2 (OT) |
| 02/26/20 | vs. Utica Comets | L 3-2 (SO) |
| 02/28/20 | vs. Laval Rocket | W 4-2 |
| 02/29/20 | @ Syracuse Crunch | L 4-2 |
| 03/04/20 | vs. Utica Comets | L 3-1 |
| 03/06/20 | @ Belleville Senators | W 5-3 |
| 03/07/20 | @ Belleville Senators | W 4-2 |
| 03/11/20 | vs. Binghamton Devils | L 5-2 |
| 03/13/20 | vs. Syracuse Crunch | 7:05 PM |
| 03/15/20 | @ Cleveland Monsters | 3:00 PM |
| 03/17/20 | @ Toronto Marlies | 1:30 PM |
| 03/20/20 | vs. Springfield Thunderbirds | 7:05 PM |
| 03/21/20 | vs. Springfield Thunderbirds | 7:05 PM |
| 03/25/20 | vs. Toronto Marlies | 7:05 PM |
| 03/28/20 | @ Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | 7:05 PM |
| 03/29/20 |  @ Bridgeport Sound Tigers | 3:00 PM |
| 04/01/20 | vs. Utica Comets | 7:05 PM |
| 04/03/20 | vs. Syracuse Crunch | 7:05 PM |
| 04/04/20 | @ Syracuse Crunch | 7:00 PM |
| 04/08/20 | @ Utica Comets | 7:00 PM |
| 04/10/20 | vs. Bridgeport Sound Tigers | 7:05 PM |
| 04/11/20 | @ Binghamton Devils | 7:05 PM |