With a 20-minute delay to the start of the game, it was no surprise that game four of the North Division Semifinals between the Rochester Americans and Syracuse Crunch was full of twists and turns.
Even though they were down 3-0 heading into the third period, that wasn’t enough to hold off the Amerks. They prevailed in overtime 4-3. This series has been full of ups and downs. First, the Amerks split their two home games against Syracuse. Then the Crunch came to their home ice, also splitting those two games. Games two through four have all gone to overtime.
3 Stars of the Game
Devon Levi
Devon Levi held steady in the net and earned the win for Rochester. Levi had a career-high 60-save performance against Syracuse on Thursday night but ultimately lost due to an opening left on the Americans’ part. Last night’s playoff performance showed what Amerks fans know and have come to admire about the rookie netminder.
Levi tracked the puck well all night long and moved with the play. As long as he stays on top of the play coming towards him, he is fast and steady to react to make the necessary and timely saves. Levi is a promising young netminder and will serve well for the Sabres organization in the future.
Gage Goncalves
The Crunch’s AHL All-Star this year keeps proving why he was nominated. Gage Goncalves had a record year during the regular season with 13 goals and 45 assists recorded. Goncalves has a pass-first mentality and made great plays last night for the two goals that he was a part of.
Goncalves has problem-solving skills on the ice and has shown that he can adjust easily to the constant changing of situations during gameplay. He applies pressure to every opponent on the ice and is quick to deter shots on the net. During game four against the Americans, Goncalves recorded two more points for his post-season play with an assist to Waltteri Merelä early in the middle frame and then again on a power play to Alex Barre-Boulet.
Brandon Biro
Brandon Biro is in his fourth season in the AHL with call-ups to the Sabres on occasion. He stood out in tonight’s post-season game four with his physical play, and his outstanding two goals and one assist made. Biro led his team to a win and extended the playoff game series to a winner-takes-all game five.
During the regular season, Biro tallied 16 goals with 27 assists. Biro shows that he is an intelligent playmaker. When he has the shot and opening, he will take it to give his team a fighting chance in the game. He is a speedy skater and uses that skill to make transitions. Biro is also skilled at making pivots when along the board.
Two Takeaways
Don’t Become Complacent
The Crunch’s blowing a 3-0 lead going into the final frame shows that players can not take shifts off, even when the team has the lead. Taking 10, 15, or even 20 seconds off allows the opponent to work their weakness and score. This loss for the Crunch will be hard to come back from, especially in a do-or-die situation in game five.
Rochester came in for the final frame, saw the Crunch taking shifts off, and took advantage of it. To keep their playoff run alive in Game Five, the Crunch needs to come in, be in the game mindset for a full 60 minutes, and keep the game physical as it has been all season long.
Goaltending
It’s not a secret that in this series, Halverson and Devon Levi have kept their teams in the thick of it. Whether coming out of the net and making an unbelievable stop, swallowing pucks when they narrowly miss, or reaching behind them to stop the puck from crossing the line, the two very intelligent netminders have put on a goaltending clinic every game.
One Question
What is the move for Game Five for both teams? Leading up to Game Five, the teams have six days off. Six days to watch videos. Six days to practice. Six days to rest.
What each team does in these six days will play into their fate for Game Five. Both teams should evaluate their weak points. For the Crunch, that is keeping lanes closed so that Rochester does not find one and run with it. Rochester must work on going to the net and not letting the Crunch smother them by blocking the shot when they get there.
Both teams have to come out blazing, but only one team can win and move on. Syracuse travels to Rochester for Game Five on Friday, May 10th.
