The Rochester Grizzlies couldn’t have asked for a better response after a rough stretch of games.
Heading into the weekend, having dropped six of their last eight, Rochester flipped the script entirely, grinding out back-to-back 4–3 victories over the St. Louis Jr. Blues at Afton Ice Rink.
The sweep pushes the Grizzlies back above .500 at 9-7-0-0 and extends their win streak to two, while also continuing their long-standing dominance over St. Louis in the all-time series.
The two teams traded blows in the first period on Saturday night, with the Jr. Blues opening the scoring, then Rochester responding in kind, a flip of the normal trend of the Grizzlies scoring then giving up a goal shortly after.
From there, the Grizzlies controlled the puck for most of the night, piling up 39 shots to the Jr. Blues’ 21.
Baylor Stebbins (7) was the difference-maker up front, scoring twice in the first 40 minutes as Rochester built a 4–3 lead heading into the third. Mason Decker added his team-leading 17th goal of the season, while Felix Wadströmmer chipped in another tally in his first game of the season.
Despite a surge of pressure from St. Louis late, Callum Keating stood tall between the pipes, turning aside 18 of 21 shots to secure the win. The Grizzlies held the Jr. Blues scoreless in the final frame, sealing just their third win in their last eight outings. but one that felt pivotal.
On Sunday afternoon, the Grizzlies proved Saturday’s win was no fluke. Rochester again struck twice in the opening period, this time with no goals from the opposition, and kept the Jr. Blues playing catch-up all day.
Dominic Arndt (3) secured his first goal with the Grizzlies on the power-play, while Alex Arneson (3) doubled the lead with his third goal in five games.
Brett Ludvigsen (7) and Ole Fevold (6) buried second-period goals, giving the Grizzlies the cushion they needed.
Kyle Lappi delivered one of his strongest performances of the season, coming back from injury and making 30 saves in the 4–3 victory, shutting down multiple late pushes from St. Louis in the third.
Rochester was outshot 33–32 in the contest but executed when it mattered most, including winning the special teams battle with two power-play tallies..
Arneson led all Grizzlies skaters with a goal and an assist, while Ludvigsen’s two-point outing gave him 20 points on the year, tied for second-most on the roster.
For a team that had been struggling to find consistency, Rochester’s effort this weekend checked every box. The Grizzlies controlled pace, got contributions from across the lineup, won both special-teams battles, and protected leads in the third period, two games in a row.
The return of all three of Wadstromer, Lappi and Sawyer Zaruba proved crucial as well, as all three played pivotal roles in a statement-making sweep.
With momentum finally back on their side, the Grizzlies return home looking to build on a weekend that might just mark the turning point of their season.