Five things to know as Rochester seeks to end undefeated start for Syracuse

Oct 22, 2025

By Andrew Mossbrooks | @ Mossbrooks48

 

The Rochester Americans (2-2-0-0) prepare to host their second home game of the season as they face-off with the undefeated Syracuse Crunch (4-0-0-0) Wednesday night at Blue Cross Arena.

 

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Here are five things to know before the Amerks jump into their three-game week:

 

After Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff hinted at it, the news officially came down Tuesday that goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was reassigned to the Rochester Americans on a conditioning stint. The 26-year-old will make his return to the crease in Rochester Wednesday night, drawing the start against the Crunch.

 

Luukkonen’s appearance marks his first in the Flower City since Nov. 9, 2022, when the Finnish netminder made 34 saves against Syracuse, plus posting an assist in a 3-1 win for the Amerks. Luukkonen shows a 10-7-2 lifetime record against the Crunch and won three of his final four games against the intrastate rival before heading to Buffalo in the fall of 2022 and never looking back.

 

Over the course of six seasons with the blue and gold, Luukkonen has taken the net for 155 NHL games, posting a 71-65-15 record with seven shutouts. Through 69 games as an Amerk, the Sabres’ starter went 32-26-15 with one shutout.

 

Luukkonen has appeared in 99 games over the last two seasons for the Sabres. His 55 starts in 2024-25 ranked him 14th across the National Hockey League.

 

 

 

Tonight is meeting two of 12 on the year between these intrastate rivals and serves as the delayed conclusion to a home-and-home series that began on Saturday. That night in Syracuse, Alexandar Georgiev made 31 saves with 20 coming in the first period alone, but the Amerks were unable to generate offense and ended the night on the wrong side of a 3-0 final.

 

Defenseman Matteo Pietroniro scored goals in both the first and second periods before Wojciech Stachowiak scored his first goal in North America late in the third to put the game on ice.

 

Brandon Halverson pitched his first shutout of the season after recording five in 2024-25. The journeyman made 31 saves to blank Rochester in the team’s first shutout loss of the season and first shutout loss to the Crunch since Feb. 15, 2019, a span of 75 regular season contests between the two sides. It also marked the first time the Amerks had been shutout in Syracuse since Jan. 13, 2018. The Amerks went scoreless in five games last season with all but one taking place on the road.

 

 

 

Wednesday marks the first time this season the Amerks play in the middle of the week and first time the red, white, and blue will play three times in a week. Rochester will have to get used to it, as four of the next five weeks see the team in action Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.

 

The Amerks will play nine consecutive Wednesdays from now until Dec. 17 and 18 of the team’s 72 games will be played midweek. During the 2024-25 campaign, Rochester showed a 10-4-1-0 record on Wednesdays. Despite the closeness in proximity, Syracuse and Rochester only met once during the middle of the week.

 

 

Amerks alternate captain Brendan Warren is slated to play in his 200th game as an Amerk, becoming the 63rd forward in franchise history to reach said milestone. 

 

The sixth-year pro signed a two-year contract to remain in the Flower City this offseason. Warren will face the same team he played his first AHL game against when the Carleton, Michigan, native put an Amerks jersey over his head on April 21, 2021. Since then, Warren has gone on to score 27 goals and 45 points, with last season serving as his breakout year offensively, recording nine goals and nine assists.  

 

Of his 199 AHL games, Warren has played Syracuse more than any other opponent. Tonight will be his 44th career game against the Tampa Bay Lightning’s AHL affiliate.

 

 

 

As the third week of the AHL season begins, the Crunch are one of only four teams (Grand Rapids, Providence, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton) remaining that have not suffered a loss, with the quartet of clubs all yielding 4-0-0-0 records.

 

Of teams with more than two games played, both Syracuse and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton lead the league with the fewest goals-against (7). The Crunch finished tied with Laval for fewest goals against a season ago, and while their penalty kill ranked an impressive ninth best in the league, they are off to a remarkable start this season, going a perfect 11-for-11 on the kill to stand as the only team with a 100% rating that has played more than two games. Rochester went 0-for-2 on its man-advantage Saturday in Syracuse.

 

Rookie center Dominic James is leading the Crunch in point production to start the year with three goals and five points. He is second to only Charlotte’s Jack Devine in rookie scoring for the Eastern Conference, and fourth overall across the AHL.

 

Halverson has split the season with Ryan Fanti in net so far, with each goaltender picking up two wins.

 

The Amerks did not lose consecutive games in regulation to the Crunch last season.