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Syracuse Crunch vs Rochester Americans Preview
The first game of the AHL North Division Semifinals between the Syracuse Crunch and Rochester Americans starts at 7:05 PM ET on Friday. The Blue Cross Arena in Rochester hosts the first two contests of the series. Because of their superior performance in the AHL North Division, Rochester has the advantage of playing at home in the opening games against the Crunch.
The North Division was extremely close in the regular season, with three teams finishing within one point of each other. The Cleveland Monsters topped the division with 88 points, the same as the Amerks. Syracuse finished on 87 points with the same number of wins as Rochester. Will the Americans make the most of their home advantage, or will the Crunch begin the North Division Semifinals with a win on the road?
Syracuse Crunch vs Rochester Americans Head-to-Head and Key Stats
The Syracuse Crunch and Rochester Americans are based in New York. The two sides faced off multiple times this season, sharing two wins from the previous four clashes. Rochester won their last two games against the Crunch, but Syracuse got back-to-back victories over the Amerks at the beginning of March.
Their most recent meeting started fast, with two goals in the first period. In the eighth minute of the opener, Linus Weissbach put the Americans in the lead. The goal was preventable, with Syracuse failing to clear their lines, leaving Weissbach wide-open at the crease. Rochester doubled their lead after just two minutes. Jiri Kulich tipped home Ethan Prow’s blueline shot, giving the Amerks a 2-0 lead after the first period. This was the last goal, with neither side scoring in the second or third period. Rochester walked away with a comfortable 2-0 victory over the Crunch.
The game was much more entertaining when Syracuse hosted Rochester on March 13. Every period had a goal, but the Amerks were once again victorious. Michael Mersch opened the scoring after just two minutes, handing the Americans a 1-0 lead. A power play in the seventh minute extended Rochester’s lead. Calle Sjalin got his first goal of the season with an amazing shot from the blueline flying past the Crunch goalie.
Syracuse needed to improve in the second period, but the Amerks posted their third unanswered goal after just one minute. Mason Jobst’s quick break split the Crunch’s defense, and he passed the puck to Riley Stillman, who scored Rochester’s third. Five minutes after conceding, Syracuse finally got their first goal, thanks to Ilya Usau. Usau capitalized on a power play situation, getting his fifth goal of the season via Lucas Edmonds.
The Crunch improved in the third period, but could not change the outcome. Emil Lilleberg scored after three minutes, reducing the margin to just one goal. However, the Amerks defended well, maintaining their lead until the end. Rochester dominated most of the game, winning 3-2 after three periods.
Throughout the AHL regular season, the Rochester Americans were a high-scoring team but struggled with defense. The Amerks were the league’s sixth highest-scoring team, with 234 goals in 72 games. However, their defense was one of the worst, conceding 239 times. Syracuse wasn’t as clinical, scoring 220. But they had the ninth-best defense in the AHL, allowing only 203 goals.
The Crunch’s low scoring was because of their lack of offensive productivity. Gage Goncalves was their top points scorer, with 58 (13G, 45A) in 69 games. However, most of Goncalves’ points came via assists, with Cole Koepke leading the way in terms of goals. Koepke scored 20 times during the regular season. However, the Americans had five players with over 40 points last season. Lukas Rousek, Brandon Biro, Jiri Kulich, Isak Rosen, and Mason Jobst all got over 40. Kulich was the leading goalscorer with 27, and Rousek got the most assists, notching 31 in 51 appearances.
Syracuse Crunch vs Rochester Americans Predictions
Correct Score Prediction: Rochester Americans 5-4 win over the Syracuse Crunch
The Syracuse Crunch plays the Rochester Americans in the AHL North Division Semifinal on Friday. The sides had similar regular season campaigns, and now a five-game series decides their playoff fate. We predict the Americans will win the series’ opening contest, but we expect the game to be close and just one goal will separate the teams.
Despite their latest meeting ending 2-0 in favor of the Amerks, we predict over 8.5 goals in game one of the North Division Semifinal. Our correct score prediction is an Amerks 5-4 win over the Crunch. In their latest games, the first period was eventful, and we expect the opener will produce goals this week. We expect the first period to be the highest scoring and the second to be the lowest. Betting on the first to have the most goals via our sportsbook returns $47.50 from a $10 wager.
The Syracuse Crunch doesn’t have many offensive options, so they’ll have to rely on Cole Koepke to get the goals against Rochester. Betting on Koepke to notch over 0.5 points is a fantastic player pick. Novibet lets you place prop bets pre-game and via live betting. Betting on Rochester this week gives you more player-pick options. Jiri Kulich is the Americans’ top goalscorer, but we predict Isak Rosen will score the game’s opening goal. Rosen scored 20 goals in the regular season and will constantly be a threat during the playoffs.
SEE YA IN THE SECOND ROUND! 👋
We've secured a first round bye and we'll take on the @SyracuseCrunch in the North Division Semifinals of the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs.
🔗 SCHEDULE | https://t.co/1K2P9iyvgZ
— x – Rochester Americans (@AmerksHockey) April 21, 2024
In the last two meetings, Syracuse and Rochester racked up 28 penalty minutes. Jeremy Davies got the most PIM for the Amerks, with 79 in 66 regular season games. However, the Crunch’s roster is much more aggressive, with two skaters notching more penalty minutes than Davies. Shawn Element posted 100 PIM, and Jordy Bellerive got 83. We predict over 15 penalty minutes on Friday, but neither side will score during a power play.
Syracuse Crunch vs Rochester Americans Betting Picks
The American Hockey League playoffs are exciting for hockey fans, with plenty of AHL wagers and games to enjoy. The Syracuse Crunch faces the Rochester Americans in the North Division Semifinal, and our sportsbook favors the Amerks at -135. We agree with the betting markets and predict Rochester will win the semifinal’s opening contest.
We expect the Rochester Americans to beat the Crunch, but Syracuse fans can still bet on them. Using the handicap market is a brilliant method to wager on your team when betting on hockey events. Our correct score prediction is an Amerks 5-4 win, but wagering on Syracuse +1.5 results in a winning bet if our forecast is accurate. If you’re a Rochester fan, you can increase your profits by deducting points from the Amerks.
Another way to bet on the scoreline is via the winning margin market. We expect the Americans to win by one goal. Betting on Rochester by one returns more than a standard moneyline bet, but comes with increased risk at +575. The best way to offload some of the risk is by using bonus funds. Betting on correct scores is risky, but offers the largest returns. This market is another great option to make use of your welcome bonus.
However, if you’re unsure about high-odds wagers, our sportsbook offers same game parlays, which you can craft yourself. A same game parlay works similarly to usual parlays, but instead of combining games, we combine markets. Selecting Rochester via the moneyline, over 8.5 total goals, and both teams to score gives you much more value than picking a singular market. Combining multiple low-odds markets is the optimal strategy for using same game parlays.
The @TBLightning have recalled defenseman Max Crozier from the #SyrCrunch.https://t.co/rdrg2gOOkT
— Syracuse Crunch (@SyracuseCrunch) April 22, 2024
Syracuse Crunch Team News
The Tampa Bay Lightning recalled Max Crozier. The Syracuse Crunch defenseman played only 13 regular season games, and will play no part in the Crunch’s North Division Semifinal clash against the Rochester Americans. Syracuse signed Niko Huuhtanen from Jukurit in the Finnish Liiga. Huuhtanen posted 46 points (19G, 27A) in 52 games for the Finnish side, with the forward adding further depth to the Crunch’s offensive options. Huuhtanen is yet to play for the Crunch, but he’s eligible for the playoffs.
Rochester Americans Team News
The Rochester Americans will be without Damien Giroux this week. Rochester reassigned the forward to the Jacksonville Icemen in the ECHL. Giroux notched 11 points (4G, 7A) in 30 regular season games for the Amerks, but won’t play in the AHL North Division Semifinal. Noah Ostlund should be available for Rochester. The Americans signed Ostlund from the Vaxjo Lakers HC in Sweden. The forward was clinical in Sweden, scoring 12 goals in 38 games. Ostlund notched an assist in his first two games with the Amerks and now has the chance to increase his total in the playoffs.
