Amerks Snap Nine-Game Skid With Overtime Win Over Marlies

Amerks Snap Nine-Game Skid With Overtime Win Over Marlies

By Christopher Drummond

Rochester Amerks Carson Meyer awaiting faceoff early in the game versus the Toronto Marlies Friday evening

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Rochester Americans snapped a nine-game losing streak in dramatic fashion Friday night, defeating the Toronto Marlies 4–3 in overtime in a crucial late-season matchup.

The win allowed Rochester to maintain breathing room in the playoff race, holding onto the fifth seed in the American Hockey League standings while keeping Toronto at bay.

Rochester wasted little time getting on the board. Early in the first period, Olivier Nadeau fired a perfectly placed shot through the goalie’s five-hole for his eighth goal of the season, sending the home crowd into a roar and giving the Amerks a 1–0 lead.

The goal was assisted by Carson Meyer and Gavin Beyreuther, marking Meyer’s 14th assist and Beyreuther’s 16th of the season.

The opening period quickly turned physical, with both teams exchanging penalties in what many described as “playoff-mode hockey.” More than 25 penalty minutes were assessed in the first 20 minutes, including a fight as tensions boiled over. Despite the chaos, Rochester carried its 1–0 lead into the first intermission.

The Amerks extended that lead early in the second period. Rookie forward Konsta Helenius capitalized on a turnover and buried an unassisted goal—his 15th of the season—to make it 2–0.

Toronto continued to outshoot Rochester, but Amerks goaltender Scott Ratzlaff stood tall in net, turning aside multiple scoring chances to preserve the two-goal advantage.

Momentum shifted in the third period as the Marlies mounted a comeback. Toronto finally broke through when Matthew Barbolini finished a slick play set up by Henry Thrun and Marc Johnstone, cutting the deficit to 2–1 with his sixth goal of the season.

Rochester appeared to regain control later in the period when Vsevolod Komarov scored his second goal of the game, assisted by Zac Jones and Helenius, pushing the lead to 3–1.

But the Marlies refused to go quietly.

With the goalie pulled for an extra attacker, Toronto capitalized on a power play to narrow the gap before striking again just 90 seconds later to tie the game 3–3 with a little over two minutes remaining in regulation. All three of Toronto’s goals came in the third period, forcing overtime.

In the extra frame, Rochester controlled possession and patiently looked for an opening. Finally, forward Trevor Kuntar delivered the decisive blow, ripping a shot past a tired Toronto defense to seal the 4–3 victory.

After the game, Amerks head coach Michael Leone praised his team’s resilience.

“I was really proud of the group for the entire course of the game,” Leone said. “It’s good for our team to go through some hard times. The trade deadline—there was a lot going on. We have 17 games left, and we have to believe that we’re a good hockey team. We’re in playoff mode now and have to use this game to keep building.”

Rochester won’t have long to savor the victory. The Amerks will face the Marlies again in a rematch on the road, with puck drop scheduled for 4 p.m. as the teams continue their push toward the postseason. 🏒🔥