Devon Levi understands the developmental opportunity ahead of him in the Calder Cup Playoffs, his first foray into postseason hockey at the professional level.
Whatever the outcome, Rochester’s run will be experience gained for Levi and the bevy of Buffalo Sabers prospects on its roster. But Levy’s focus is squarely on the moment at hand.
“I want to win,” the rookie goaltender told reporters on Wednesday. “I think that’s what everyone is looking forward to. That’s everyone’s goal going into the postseason. It’s great that I’m going to get experience and get better, but really the goal is to win.”
Rochester opens its playoff run against the Syracuse Crunch in the best-of-five North Division Semifinals. Rochester finished as the second seed in the North Division after going 13-2-1-1 in its final 16 games. Syracuse is the third seed in the division.
The Americans are in the playoffs for the third consecutive season under coach Seth Appert and return many of the players who were part of last year’s run to the Eastern Conference Finals, which ended in a six-game loss to the eventual Calder Cup champion Hershey Bears .
Levi, one of the newcomers to the group, is a potential difference maker after posting a .927 save percentage in 26 games, the second-best mark in the AHL among qualified goaltenders.
The 22-year-old joins a roster that includes four first-round picks in defenseman Ryan Johnson and forwards Isak Rosen, Jiri Kulich, and Noah Ostlund. Rosen and Kulich are holdovers after having prolific rookie campaigns last season. Ostlund joined the Americans upon the conclusion of his pro season in Sweden earlier this month and played the final two regular-season games.
Rosen tied for the team lead with 50 points (20+30) this season. Kulich had a team-high 27 goals.
Rochester’s roster also includes a trio of promising rookies in forwards Viktor Neuchev and Anton Wahlberg and defenseman Nikita Novikov along with two veteran prospects who played for Buffalo this season in forwards Brandon Biro and Lukas Rousek.
Below is an overview of the North Division Semifinals, which will be updated throughout the series with results, highlights, and more.
