ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Rochester Amerks are gearing up for a crucial game five in a series against the Syracuse Crunch on Friday, facing a win-or-go-home scenario in a home playoff game that’s sold out.

The puck will drop at 7:05 p.m. at the Blue Cross Arena. Before that, there will be a pre-game pep rally at the Genesee Brewhouse from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. with food, drinks, and giveaways.

If you weren’t able to get tickets to the game, you can listen to it on The Fan Rochester, the radio broadcast home of Amerks hockey, at 95.7 FM and 950 AM. Pre-game coverage begins at 3 p.m. until the puck drops.

To watch the game, you can sign up for a single day pass to AHL TV here for $8.99. In addition, The Distillery on Mount Hope Avenue will be showing the game.

The series is currently tied with two wins and two losses for the Amerks. In a comeback last weekend, the Amerks erased a 3-0 deficit in the final period, pushing the game into overtime. Brett Murray, recently back from injury, scored the game-winning goal, propelling the team into this decisive game five.

The Amerks are looking to do what they did last year in this series — complete the comeback. They were down 2-1 going into last Saturday’s game, the same spot they were in against Syracuse last year before winning the next two. Rochester has emerged victorious in all five elimination games against the Crunch since then.

With high stakes, the team’s focus remains undeterred. Amerks head coach Seth Appert emphasized the team’s steady approach, saying, “Oh, it’s business as usual. Yeah, we believe in what we do. The guys believe in how we practice, how we go about our business. And, you know, you look at film and you show them a few things that we can do better, that we can try to take advantage of it. …You know, basically it’s practice as usual.”

Ahead of Friday’s pivotal game at Blue Cross Arena, the Amerks have a few more practice sessions scheduled, including a morning skate on game day. This brief interlude since their last intense matchup, which extended to overtime or beyond for the third consecutive time, is seen as beneficial for both Rochester and Syracuse as they prepare for the upcoming showdown.

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