2023 toronto rochester team matchup Field Pass Hockey

2023 Calder Cup Playoffs

AHL North Division Final Preview: Toronto Marlies vs. Rochester Americans

by
Zack Power
May 10, 2023

TORONTO – The North Divison Finals are now set in stone with a match-up between the Toronto Marlies and the Rochester Americans. The 1st seed Marlies are about to take on a team (3rd seed) that had to fight to the bone to keep their season in the last round while looking to their goaltender in the critical elimination game.

Regular Season Results:

Rochester: 36-27-9 (3rd in North)

Toronto: 42-24-6 (1st in North)

Series Schedule:

Thursday, May 11, – Rochester at TORONTO, 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, May 13, – Rochester at TORONTO, 4:00 p.m.

Wednesday, May 17, – TORONTO at Rochester, 7:05 p.m.

Friday, May 19, – TORONTO at Rochester, 7:05 p.m.

Season Series recap:

A series that ended in a 4-4 split, the Americans and the Marlies split the season series in a back-and-fourth chess match.

Logan Shaw and Bobby McMann became the top performers in the series. McMann, who’s no longer on the team, scored ten goals in seven games. Shaw, the captain, potted two goals and 11 assists through his eight games.

Lukas Rousek was the top scorer for the Amerks, notching four goals and four assists through the season series.

How Rochester Wins:

Work your magic to rattle the goalie again. Erik Källgren was one of the biggest contributors to the Marlies in their series against Utica. He had a 1.50 GAA and a .945 SVS% through the two games. This is a huge contrast to his five starts against Rochester, recording a 3.90 GAA and a .875 SVS%.

If the Americans can find a way to get inside the Marlies netminder, they will make their way to the Eastern finals, especially given that Toronto doesn’t heed my warning.

How Toronto Wins:

Smarten up, and tighten up on defense. Too often, the Marlies were stopped watching the grass grow in their own end. I didn’t think their defense could hold down Utica tightly in the Utica series.

Keith Petruzzelli was sometimes held out on a clothesline to dry for Utica to pick at. That cannot be repeated in the series against Rochester because the Americans can and will pick up on that.