Amerks Update | Rochester hosts Belleville in Game 1 of Playoffs tonight

The Rochester Americans clinched the final available playoff spot in the American Hockey League's North Division over the weekend after taking care of their own business and receiving some help from the Belleville Senators.
Rochester beat Utica 8-1 win on Friday and then Belleville defeated Toronto in regulation to eliminate the Marlies.
Now, Rochester and Belleville will go head-to-head in a best-of-three series starting tonight at Blue Cross Arena. Faceoff is set for 7:05 p.m. Tickets are on sale now.

It will mark the first-ever postseason meeting in the postseason between the two teams, and Rochester's third straight playoff berth dating back to the 2018 postseason.
"Especially in a best-of-three, there's enough time to sit around and feel your way into the series," Amerks head coach Seth Appert said Tuesday after practice. "Best-of-sevens are a bit of a marathon. Best-of-threes are a sprint, and Game 1 is critical."
Game 2 will be played in Belleville, Ontario on Friday at 7 p.m. If necessary, the Senators will host Game 3 on Sunday at 3 p.m.
The last three months, in particular, have been a grind for Rochester as they fought for their playoff lives each night while battling injuries, callups and other factors out of their control. The drama and pressure that comes with a playoff chase has only helped the Amerks as they enter the postseason.
"We just have to keep doing what we're doing," goaltender Aaron Dell said. "We've been in it for awhile now so I think we've found our stride a little bit now and we've realized what it takes to win at this time of year. We've stepped up when we've had to and we need to keep going the way we're going."

With Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen out at least two weeks with an injury sustained during the regular-season finale, it will be Dell between the pipes to start Game 1.
Rochester and Belleville had physical, down-to-the-wire meetings throughout the regular season. The Amerks went 3-3-1-1 against the Senators, with six of their eight games decided by a single goal.
"They're a big, physical team. It's going to be a war, Dell said. "They're a mean team to play against and we're going to have to match that."
Dell went 3-0-0 with a 2.27 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage against Belleville during the regular season.
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This year, the Amerks were led by JJ Peterka and Jack Quinn, who were named to the AHL's All-Rookie Team.
Peterka finished first on the team in goals (28), assists (40) and points (68) in 70 games played. Quinn, despite missing significant time with an injury, produced 61 points (26+35) in 45 games for an average of 1.36 points per game and was named thr winner of the Dudley (Red) Garrett Memorial Award as the AHL's outstanding rookie for the 2021-22 season.
Captain Michael Mersch and forward Arttu Ruotsalainen were also solid contributors throughout the year. Both finished above the 50-point plateau.
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Rochester will also see an influx of talent from the Buffalo Sabres to bolster their playoff roster.
Forward Peyton Krebs and defenseman Mattias Samuelsson were reassigned to Rochester at the conclusion of Buffalo's season. Samuelsson, however, is day-to-day and will miss the game due to an injury.
Defenseman Casey Fitzgerald was sent down for the Amerks' season finale against Utica and picked up three assists in the win.
All three players have logged significant minutes in Rochester this season and then carved out important roles in Buffalo as the season went on. Appert sees them bringing a sense of calmness as well a confidence to Rochester's lineup.
"(They) earned a lot of confidence and belief in themselves that they can not only play in the NHL, but they can help Buffalo win," Appert said. "To have that is going to be huge for them to draw upon."
Krebs was ecstatic with the opportunity to play in the playoffs, even after a grueling season switching organizations in November and adjusting to the rigor of an NHL schedule.
"We want the same culture going up all the way to Buffalo," he said. "That positivity, that winning mindset starts from the young guys and we'll carry that on through up to Buffalo."
Stay tuned to Amerks.com and the team's social media channels for news and updates throughout the AHL Playoffs.