The 2021-2022 American Hockey League (AHL) season ended in heartbreaking fashion on Wednesday night for Airdrie's Aaron Dell.

Dell was playing his tenth consecutive game between the pipes for the Rochester Americans and faced the Laval Rockets in game three of the best-of-five Calder Cup North Division finals, trailing two games to none.

Although Dell played all ten games for the Amerks in the playoffs, the length of this one almost made him go to11.  The game went to triple overtime before Laval prevailed 6 – 5 to take a three-game series sweep over Rochester.

Dell was called upon for a career-high 54 save performance during the game. The 33-year-old Airdronian, who also spent time with the Buffalo Sabres of the NHL this season, finished the playoff run with a 5 – 5 record. Rochester opened the playoffs with a sweep of the Belleville Senators in two straight games, then went the distance against the Utica Comets before eventually winning that series three games to two with Dell starting all five games. The veteran netminder stopped all 13 shots in the opening period and 23 shots in the first and second overtimes combined against Laval.

The Americans appeared as though they would force the series to go to at least four games after scoring a pair of first periods goals and taking a 2 – 0 lead into period two, thanks in large part to Dell who faced 13 shots while Rochester could only manage six on Laval's goaltender. The lead didn't stand up long in the second as the Rockets scored four goals in a span of less than four minutes.

Rochester reclaimed their lead with three goals in the third before Laval tied it up with just 1:07 remaining in the third to force the long and dramatic overtime.

The triple overtime game was the first for Rochester since game three of the Calder Cup finals against Providence on June 9th, 1999 and was only the third in the team's history.

Laval, who is the AHL affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens, not awaits the winner of the Charlotte Checkers – Springfield Thunderbirds series for their opponents in the Calder Cup Eastern Conference Final. Springfield leads that best of five series two games to none.

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