Written by Aidan Charde
Recap: Johnstown Tomahawks on March 28 and 29
With nothing left to play for after clinching the top seed in the division a week prior, the Rochester Jr. Americans fell in a sweep to the Johnstown Tomahawks last weekend to end their home regular season.
Game one was a hard game from the outset: Johnstown entered in the thick of a playoff seeding battle, meaning they had plenty to play for, and the Jr. Amerks were down nearly an entire line after a fight against Elmira a week before made five skaters sit on the sidelines for Friday.
Regardless, it was a hard-fought game on both sides. Both defenses looked stellar in the first period as neither team could make much progress, ending the frame scoreless with just seven shots by each side. The Tomahawks exploded in the second period for 18 shots, but only managed to convert one to a goal during the first of their six powerplays.
A handful of skirmishes between the two sides left Rochester even more depleted, at one point being down to 13 eligible skaters. But even as shorthanded as they were, the team worked hard to remain right in the contest, not letting the Tomahawks gain any ground.
Defenseman Gavin Carr tied the game early in the third period and after the Jr. Amerks killed a late penalty, it was looking like the game would go to overtime. Unfortunately, the Tomahawks were able to make it past goalie Danick Leroux for their second goal, taking the lead and ultimately winning after an empty net goal made the final score 3–1.
In game two, even with a handful of players back on the depth chart, Rochester struggled to gain momentum as it felt like a whistle was blown every minute. The Tomahawks scored late in the first and while forward Adam Gionta tied it up less than a minute later, it was the last time the game would be tied all night.
The Tomahawks scored once more late in the first before getting three in the second period. One more in the third gave them six goals and while forward Ryan Shaw cut back into the lead with a goal, it was not enough to overcome the deficit as the team fell 6–2.
It was a tough way to break the team’s 12-game win streak, but with the top seed locked up, it did not impact Rochester’s odds going into the postseason. They have their final contests this weekend against the New Jersey Titans, who are still looking to finalize their seed in the playoffs.
Preview: New Jersey Titans on April 4 and 5
WHEN: April 4 at 7:30 p.m. | April 5 at 7 p.m.
WHERE: Middletown Ice World Arena | Middletown, NJ
WATCH: NAHL.tv
FOLLOW: @JrAmerksNAHL
History
The Jr. Amerks have faced the New Jersey Titans fewer than any division rival aside from the Elmira Aviators, matching up just eight times in two seasons. Last year, New Jersey won three of the four contests, but the script was flipped this year with Rochester coming out on top three times. They have not met in New Jersey since September 2023, when the teams split a series.
East Division playoff update
Every playoff team has been decided, but a few are still looking for seeding. The Jr. Amerks (84 pts) have locked the top seed, meaning they receive a round one bye and will play the lowest seeded team in round two. The Maryland Black Bears (75 pts) need just one win or a loss from the Maine Nordiques (72 pts) to take the second bye slot, but both teams will play at least two home playoff games this year. The New Jersey Titans (69 pts) could jump Maine for third, but need just one point this weekend in order to secure hosting rights in round one against the Johnstown Tomahawks (65 pts). Finally, the New Hampshire Mountain Kings (57 pts) will make their playoff debut as the sixth seed.
Rest and reset
It has been awhile since Rochester lost twice in a row — Jan. 16 and 17, to be exact — but even longer since they lost two regulation games in a row. Back in October, the Tomahawks swept Rochester, the last two games in their semi-slow start before the team really took off. The Jr. Amerks got six days off to reset for the contest against New Jersey and after they will get 13 more until their first playoff game, so plenty of time for the squad to get healthy and prepare for the occasion.
Sneaky stars
Although it may not have been the best weekend of hockey, a few players shone with the team able to give more minutes to players lower on the depth chart. Defenseman Gavin Carr looked great in the defensive zone and backed it up with a goal and an assist, his fourth point in six games with the team. And while they only combined for one point in the weekend, forwards Ryan Shaw and Keanan Dewberry had some nice moments in the games against Johnstown that bodes well for future contests.
Penalty minutes lead to penalty kills
It was not the cleanest weekend for Rochester; they totaled 123 minutes in the box, but they also killed 12 of 14 powerplays successfully. The penalty kill has been a quiet but deadly force all season, sitting in third place in the league with a mark of 87.8%. They also have not allowed more than one powerplay goal in a game since Feb. 7.
McNicholas on fire
Titans goalie Austin McNicholas has been a solid goalie all season, but he comes into this weekend the winner of four straight contests where he allowed eight goals in total. Since Jan. 31, he has started every game for the Titans, compiling a record of 10–6 where he allowed three or fewer goals in half of his losses. He also had only three poor performances — two five-goal outings and a game where he was pulled after allowing three in 10 minutes. Fortunately, one of those games with five goals allowed came the last time he played Rochester.
