Amerks’ Devon Levi stellar again, but Syracuse evens series

ROCHESTER – Seth Appert heard the noise.

Mason Jobst, one of the Rochester Americans’ players, thought that the replay on the video board above center ice showed that his teammate, Tyson Kozak, managed to touch the puck after it crossed the red line.

The officials didn’t care, though. Rather than gathering to discuss whether it was icing, they called icing and gave the Crunch an offensive-zone faceoff with the game on the line in the American Hockey League’s Calder Cup Playoffs.

“Terrible call,” Appert lamented. “Clear as day. … You could hear it from the bench.”

Alex Barre-Boulet won the ensuing faceoff and Gabriel Fortier tipped the puck past Amerks goalie Devon Levi to give Syracuse a 4-3 overtime win Sunday in Game 2 of their North Division semifinal playoff series.

The Crunch scored three unanswered goals after falling behind 2-0, then controlled play in overtime before Fortier drew the series even with 9:04 left in overtime.

“It’s not why we lost,” Appert added about the icing call. “We’ve got to defend. Obviously, we gave up three faceoff goals. Centers have to do a better job. (Defense) didn’t do a good enough job boxing out. … That’s most of their offense there.”

The game would have been lost in regulation if it weren’t for Levi’s performance in the crease. The Sabers prospect made 30 saves in his second professional playoff start, and he has stopped 65 of 71 for a .915 save percentage in the American Hockey League’s Calder Cup Playoffs. The 22-year-old rookie gave the Amerks a chance to take a 2-0 series lead even though Rochester was outshot 21-6 between the third period and overtime.

Rochester can advance to the North Division final for the third time in as many seasons if it earns two more wins in the best-of-five series, which continues Thursday night in Syracuse with Game 3 at 7:05 pm The Amerks were surging entering the latest matchup against their division rival.

Levi helped them go 13-2-2 to finish the regular season in second place, and they seemed bound for another win Sunday when Michael Mersch and Linus Weissbach scored a goal apiece to give them a 2-0 lead through 13 minutes of the second period.

“He’s rock-solid back there,” said Jobst, the Amerks veteran center. “When you have a goalie that’s that good, it just gives you so much belief that you’re in every game and you can win every game. He’s been critical to our success, and we have so much belief in him.”

The Amerks took control after Levi stopped DeVante Stephens only 20 seconds into the game. Rochester outshot Syracuse 9-0 during a span of 6:47, capped by Mersch’s power-play goal that gave the Amerks a 1-0 lead. Mersch, the Amerks’ captain, capitalized on a loose puck around the crease during a Rochester power play with 9:20 left in the first period.

Syracuse had opportunities in the offensive zone throughout the second period. Most of its passes were thwarted by Rochester, though, and the Amerks’ team defense led to an important insurance goal. Lucas Rousek forced a turnover, won a race for the puck, then set up Weissbach’s goal that had Rochester ahead 2-0 with seven minutes left in the second period.

The Amerks were less than a minute from carrying a 2-0 lead into the second intermission when Crunch winger Jordy Bellerive tipped the puck past Levi with 47 seconds remaining.

“You never want to give up a goal in the last minute,” said Jobst, who lost the defensive-zone faceoff before the goal.

Levi was under pressure again when the third period began, and the rookie who brought the Sabers to the verge of the Stanley Cup Playoffs last spring made consecutive challenging saves to keep the Amerks ahead 2-1. Rochester couldn’t clear the zone, though, and Gage Goncalves tied it 2-2 by tipping the puck past Levi.

The Crunch’s comeback continued only 4:04 later with Sean Day scoring the go-ahead goal as the defenseman was left wide open to Levi’s left to finish a pass from Maxim Groshev. Amerks defenseman Ryan Johnson turned the puck over because he attempted a drop pass when his partner, Ethan Prow, didn’t have his stick.

“The third one is just an immature play by a young player not realizing that his D partner didn’t have a stick. We talk about those things. Somebody doesn’t have a stick, this is what you do. It’s the perfect time to ice the puck. … There’s just a little bit of young, immaturity in that moment.”

Syracuse had opportunities to add to its lead as it outshot Rochester 7-1 through 13 minutes to start the third period. But Levi kept it tied until Jobst skated through the left circle and scored on a high shot through traffic with 3:54 left in regulation.

The Amerks couldn’t earn second-chance opportunities in the offensive zone because the Crunch were quickly breaking the puck out. Levi stopped Jordy Bellerive’s shot from the slot early in overtime, one of the Sabers prospects’ eight saves in the extra frame before Fortier scored the game-winner.

Playoff hockey is a development opportunity for prospects like Levi. These games are an introduction to the win-or-go-home stakes that don’t exist during the regular season. The loss may have seemed crushing to some of the 7,728 fans in Blue Cross Arena, but there’s time for Levi and the Amerks to correct the mistakes that helped Syracuse even the series.

“I think they’re stoppable for sure,” Levi said of the Crunch’s tipped shots. “I’m going to go over some videos to see what I can do differently. We’ll do a better job of tying those guys up in front also. Overall, pretty solid job by the boys, overtime loss. What are you gonna do about it? Just move on.”

Here are other observations from the game:

Lindy Ruff’s rehiring in Buffalo has created a clean slate for some prospects who have been pushing for an NHL roster spot.

Rousek will strengthen his case for a spot with the Sabers in the fall if he continues to make plays like the one on the Amerks’ second goal. He cut off a Crunch pass, won a race for the puck in the neutral zone, then slowed down once he crossed the blue line to buy enough time for Weissbach to join the rush.

Rousek then sent a backhand pass to Weissbach, who beat goalie Brandon Halverson with a quick, low shot. The Sabers needed to see more plays like that from Rousek when he was in Buffalo late this season. His contract is a one-way next season, and he’ll require waivers to return to the Amerks.

This is also an important postseason for Weissbach as the 25-year-old is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent July 1.

Nikita Novikov is a raw, talented defenseman with a skill set like that of Mattias Samuelsson.

Crunch rookie winger Dylan Duke was skating down the right wing with the puck when Novikov used his long reach to force a turnover. Duke took a high-sticking penalty while trying to regain possession, and Mersch scored only 13 seconds into the ensuing power play.

Novikov’s production as a rookie may have been overlooked by fans. The 2021 sixth-round pick had three goals with 23 points in 65 games for Rochester this season. He, like Samuelsson, won’t be known for what he does in the offensive zone, but Novikov can make a smart breakout pass to help Rochester quickly exit its zone. And he’s processing the game at a higher level than earlier this season when he was adjusting from Russia to the AHL. The 6-foot-3 prospect has a chance to become an NHL defenseman, but he’ll need to improve his skating to eventually make the jump to Buffalo.

• Russian winger Viktor Neuchev was a healthy scratch for the Amerks as center Kozak drew back into the lineup after missing time with an injury. Neuchev, a third-round draft pick in 2022, led all Rochester rookies with 11 goals and 28 points in 57 games. He was one of two Sabers prospects scratched Sunday, joining fellow Russian Aleksandr Kisakov, a 2021 second-round draft pick who had five goals with 13 points in 32 regular-season games.
• Winger Brett Murray was unavailable for the Amerks’ home games to begin the series because of an injury.
• Sabers prospect Jiri Kulich assisted on Mersch’s goal and finished with four shots on goal in Game 2. Kulich, a first-round draft pick in 2022, led the Amerks with 24 goals in the regular season.
• Sabers prospect Anton Wahlberg, a 2023 second-round draft pick, remained in the game after he was hobbled by a blocked shot less than one minute into the first period. Wahlberg skated on a line with Mersch and Jobst.

The Crunch will host Game 3 in Syracuse at at 7:05 pm Thursday in Upstate Medical University Arena.

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