A win tonight would do more than simply force a Game 5, captain Mason Jobst says. It would also allow this Amerks team to keep playing together. Simple as that.
“This group loves each other, really enjoys spending time together,” Jobst explained. “I think when there’s a threat [that] is potentially going to end, you get a little bit extra. We all want to continue to play together. It’s a great group of guys, and we’re just worried about winning one game.”
Rochester has controlled significant stretches of this series and outshot Laval on Wednesday, 33-20. In all, they have a 96-73 shots advantage through the first three games of this series. But Laval executed in Game 3 and the Amerks did not do enough, even with some prime scoring chances.
“We have confidence that we are the better team when we play our style and our brand,” Jobst continued. “I think you’ve seen it in different spurts. I think you saw it a lot in Game 2, but you have to execute.”
Head coach Michael Leone also expects a strong response from goaltender Devon Levi tonight. After back-to-back shutouts against Syracuse in the North Division Semifinals, Levi has surrendered 12 goals on 73 shots this series.
“I think if you ask Dev, I know he’s got more to give,” Leone said. “He’s been a horse for us all season. We believe in him. We’re going to need him to be really good, and he’ll be ready to go.”
Rocket defenseman Tyler Wotherspoon’s status remains unclear for Game 4 after he left Wednesday’s game and did not return. Laval did not skate Thursday.
Head coach Pascal Vincent did not provide an update on Wotherspoon after Game 3, only saying, “When you lose a guy like Tyler, it hurts.”
Wotherspoon has played all 79 of the Rocket’s regular-season and playoff games this season. The Laval blue line is already without Calder Cup-winning veteran Josh Jacobs, who had season-ending knee surgery in January.
Elimination games are an all-too-familiar situation for the Admirals, who have played 16 of them – winning 13 times – since the start of the 2022 postseason, including three in their division semifinal comeback against Rockford.
“All we can do is come [tonight] and win a game,” captain Kevin Gravel stated after Wednesday’s 6-1 loss. “We’re still confident in our group. We’ve done a really good job this year of turning the page. We’ll be fired up and ready to go.”
Head coach Karl Taylor makes it a point of emphasis to not overreact – win or lose – and the lopsided result in Game 3 did nothing to stray from that.
“You believe, and you’ve got to trust your players,” Taylor said. “We have a lot of good guys in the room, guys that really care, guys that love playing in Milwaukee. They’re going to find some energy, and they’re going to be great because that’s what they’ve done all season.”
Meanwhile, Stars head coach Neil Graham and his team’s leadership group will continue to stress composure. As the Calder Cup Playoffs move along, emotions begin to fray and it can be all too easy to be lured into penalties.
Now is not the time to test a Milwaukee power play that finished 10th in the regular season at 19.5 percent. The Stars have surrendered just nine Admirals power plays through three games, and have been shorthanded just 17 times in six games this postseason.
“I like the focus of our group,” Graham said following Game 3. “There’s things that matter this time of year, and there’s things that don’t. We have to be smart, we have to be intelligent with what matters most to us right now.”
― with files from Patrick Williams
