For the first time this postseason, the Rochester Americans will face elimination as they enter Friday’s must-win Game 4. Lukas Rousek scored the game-tying goal early in the third period for the Amerks, but three goals in the final six minutes by the Laval Rocket propelled the AHL’s regular season champions to a 4-1 win.
The Amerks seemed to dominate in the shot department as they outshot the Rocket 33-20, but couldn’t find an answer for Cayden Primeau. Primeau stopped all 32 shots he faced, and both of Laval’s wins in this series have come with Cayden Primeau in goal.
What has to change for Rochester?
Devon Levi has had back-to-back 16-save games for the Amerks, however, the Rocket are still finding ways to score. Rochester is getting more shots per game, but Laval is ending with better chances.
Syracuse couldn’t find the answer for Levi in the opening series, but Laval has had no issues as they have averaged four goals per game in the series. The Americans need to limit the high-scoring chances that Laval is getting if they want to climb back into this series.
Between Laurent Dauphin, Tyler Wotherspoon, and Rafael Harvey-Pinard, there is too much NHL experience for the Amerks to compete with. The Rocket are just waiting for their opportunity, and they pounce.
With a young team like Rochester, they just want to push the pace of play to benefit their style. In the playoffs, though, the mindset needs to be different. You have to be more physical along the boards, in front of the net, and focus on your defensive game. The goals will come, as it just takes one bounce to change an entire game.
As for Game 4 on Friday, the Amerks need production out of their top guys to tie this series up. Isak Rosen, Tyler Kozak, and even Jiri Kulich need to step up in this win-or-go-home game if the Amerks want to keep their season alive.
The experience that these players are picking up on this playoff run will help them all once they get to the league, whether it's with the Sabres or another team. For the first time all year, the Amerks have their backs against the wall, and I can’t wait to see how they respond to the pressure.