ROCHESTER, N.Y. — It all came down to Friday night, after the Rochester Amerks and Syracuse Crunch had won two playoff games apiece in the North Division Semifinals of the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs.

It was the end of the line for the Amerks, who lost 5-2 in regulation on their home ice at Blue Cross Arena.

Rochester came in having won all of the five elimination games they played against the Crunch going back a year. But Friday night, they didn’t have the lead once against Syracuse.

Syracuse jumped out to a 2-0 lead, then Jeremy Davies got the Amerks on the board with 2:30 to play in the opening period. In the second, Waltteri Merelä added another for the Crunch, with an answer from Rochester’s Michael Mersch two minutes later. The Amerks entered the third period down 3-2.

The third-period scoring was all Syracuse.

The Amerks had just 18 shots on goal in the game, and just seven of those in the third period, most of which didn’t come until the second half of the period.

Head Coach Seth Appert said afterwards that when Jeremy Davies left the game, that was a turning point.