Levi makes 35 saves in Amerks victory over the Crunch
The Rochester Americans opened the first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs with a 3-2 win over the Syracuse Crunch on Friday, with three Swedish Buffalo Sabres prospects making a good impression. Forwards Anton Wahlberg and Noah Ostlund, who were linemates at the 2024 World Junior Championships in January, scored first-period goals to stake the Amerks to a 2-0 lead, and Isak Rosen scored the game-winner midway through the third period.
Ostlund, 20, who the Sabres selected 16th overall at the 2022 NHL Draft, had 23 points for Vaxjo of the Swedish Hockey League this season and came over in late March after his club was eliminated from the SHL Playoffs. Wahlberg, 18, Buffalo’s second-round pick (39th overall) at the 2023 NHL Draft played 43 games for Malmo of the SHL and played nine games for Rochester during the regular season.
“We’re going to put the Tre Kronor on our jersey, we were Team Sweden tonight.” Rochester head coach Seth Appert said after the game. “(Wahlberg and Ostlund), they’re getting more accustomed every game to the lack of time and space and the physicality (of the North American game). They are both talented smart young players and they are making adjustments on the fly.”
Rookie goalie Devon Levi made 35 saves for his first AHL playoff victory.
“(Devon) was excellent. The beauty was that he gave up a bad goal (in the second period) and it didn’t phase him.” Appert said. “The composure to not be shaken at all after giving up a squeaker is probably more impressive in his first playoff game.”
Rochester will look to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series on Sunday.
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