By: Aiden Locke
ROCHESTER, NY --- The Rochester Americans dropped their second straight home game to start the 2024-25 season. The Toronto Marlies scored four unanswered to win 4-2 on Friday night.
On the bright side for Rochester, rookie and Sabers 2024 first round pick Konsta Helenius scored his first career goal. Helenius scored in the second period. He picked up a loose puck on the Toronto red line and squeezed it in the top right on the far post. The rookie showed off great puck skills on the tough angle shot.
"It always feels good when you score your first goal," Helenius said. "You get a little bit confident... It doesn't matter how you score your first goal but maybe it's not the goal I thought I was going to score."
Konsta Helenius' first career goal on Oct 18, 2024. Video credit: @TheAHL on X
Helenius scored his first professional goal in North America in front of his mother who is visiting from Europe.
"Maybe I'm going to give it (the puck) to my little brother," Helenius said.
Helenius wasn't the only Sabres prospect to score for the Amerks. 2023 second round pick Anton Wahlberg also scored. His goal came shorthanded in the first period. Wahlberg intercepted a pass in the netural zone, fought off a chasing defender and went five-hole on Toronto goaltender Artur Akhtyamov.
"I almost fell four times and almost lost the puck three times but I got a lucky so I just put it between the legs and I just wanted to put it in there," Wahlberg said. "It's getting better and better and of course it's great to get your first goal, first point of the season, you get more and more confident and I'm just trying to keep on building."
The first period saw the most success for the Amerks. From the jump they controlled the pace of play and generated a plethora of scoring chances. Toronto held on defensively along with great play from Akhtyamov to limit Rochester to just one goal.
"We did a lot of really good things, we just need to learn to manage those situations," Amerks head coach Michael Leone said.
Toronto's takeover happened at the mid-way point of the second frame. Toronto forward Cédric Paré put the Marlies on the board with a backhanded shot right in front of the Amerk goal. The second Toronto goal came from Rochester goaltender Felix Sandstöm playing a poor pass off the boards. The puck deflected right in front of his empty net for Toronto forward Alex Nylander to tap in to tie things at two.
"You really need to make your chances count and I think we could've done a better job of getting to the net front as well but we were in this position last week and we've got to be ready to go," Leone said.
The third Marlies goal of the second period was delivered with under five minutes to go. Toronto forward Alex Steeves scored his first of the night with a gritty goal in front of the net. Steeves won a puck battle against Amerks defenseman Kale Clague and snuck it past Sandström's extended right leg.
The game's scoring was wrapped up early in the third period with Steeves second of the night. Toronto forward Roni Hirvonen dished a crisp pass to the slot off a rush which Steeves put away.
"We literally gave them three goals around the wrong side of the puck and missed a box out in front of the net, we've got to really focus and commit to playing a smart game against a really good team," Leone said.
The Toronto defense held tight from there with a 26 save effort from Akhtyamov. Rochester gave up the four goals on just 21 shots from Toronto. Both teams were blanked on the power play, with the only special teams goal coming from Wahlberg's shorthanded marker.
These two teams will go at it again on Saturday afternoon up North. Face off in Toronto is scheduled for 3 p.m. at the Coca-Cola Coliseum.
תגובות