Syracuse Crunch

Crunch leave Toronto empty handed after double OT thriller.

Eastern Conference Semifinals

SYR-1
TOR-2 (2OT)

Toronto Leads the Series 2-0

Connor Ingram shined allowing 2 goals on 57 shots for the OT loss. He's exceeded expectations as a rookie and continues to make you think his ceiling could be higher than originally thought.

First Period
NO SCORING

Second Period
9:25 SYR Peca (3), (Stephens)

Third Period
6:52 TOR Marchment (2), (Moore)

Overtime
NO SCORING

Double Overtime
15:10 TOR Gauthier (1), (Engvall)

Ingram was the game's second star.

That's a tough one to take, given the Crunch were just a bounce away from putting themselves in a really good position in this series. As it is, there's no need to panic. It's not a series until someone drops a home game. But, it does put a lot of pressure on Syracuse to win the next two tilts at home to get the series back to level.

Box score from TheAHL.com.

Crunch drop opening round of heavyweight matchup with Toronto.

Eastern Conference Semifinals

SYR-4
TOR-6

Toronto Leads the Series 1-0

Eddie Pasquale allowed 5 goals on 20 shots for the loss. Yuck. That stat line may beg for a goaltending change for Game Two.

First Period
8:33 TOR Brooks (1), (Marincin, Marchment)
18:34 SYR Joseph (3), (unassisted)(SH)
19:16 TOR Timashov (4), (Moore, Mueller)(PP)

Second Period
10:55 SYR Verhaeghe (1), (Stephens)(PP)
15:15 TOR Dermott (1), (Johnsson, Grundstrom)(PP)

Third Period
7:56 TOR Marchment (1), (Gauthier, Marincin)
8:53 SYR Lynch (1), (Condra, Volkov)
12:46 TOR Engvall (3), (Moore, Brooks)
18:55 SYR Lynch (2), (Joseph, Verhaeghe)
19:23 TOR Smith (1), (Gauthier)(EN)

Mathieu Joseph was the game's third star.

Toronto draws first blood in what may be, arguably, the de fact Eastern Conference Final in a clash of two AHL titans. But the Crunch should not despair. They can still accomplish what they came to Toronto to do and they actually outshot the high-powered Marlies by a comfortable 32-21 margin (albeit score effects in the Third Period were heavily involved). This feels like a long series going into it, and each team's going to have to weather some haymakers if they want the prize.

Box score from TheAHL.com.

Bye, Rochester.

Eastern Conference Quarterfinals

SYR-6
RCH-3

Syracuse Wins the Series 3-0

Connor Ingram allowed 3 goals on 36 shots for the victory in his playoff debut.

First Period
3:25 RCH Redmond (2), (Porter, Blackwell (2) (PP)
19:16 SYR Peca (2), (Masin, Joseph)

Second Period
7:48 RCH Bailey (2), (Malone)
8:17 SYR Foote (1), (Verhaeghe, Joseph)
8:36 SYR Archambault (2), (Stephens, Peca)
10:49 SYR Stephens (1), (Dumont, Verhaeghe)

Third Period
6:05 SYR Joseph (2), (Volkov, Dumont)(PP)
13:50 RCH O'Regan (1), (Porter, Griffith)
19:08 SYR Volkov (3), (Peca, Condra)(EN)

Mitchell Stephens, Matthew Peca, and Gabriel Dumont were the game's three stars.

Well that was an interesting series considering the bluster from the Americans coming into the series based on their late regular season play against the Crunch. One of these teams clearly had an extra gear or two and the other was Rochester.

Box score from TheAHL.com.

Volkov and Crunch outlast Rochester in Game Two to hold serve at home.

Eastern Conference Quarterfinals

RCH-5
SYR-6

Syracuse Leads the Series 2-0

Eddie Pasquale allowed 5 goals on 25 shots for the victory. Bathe in sweet, sweet goal support.

First Period
3:48 SYR Peca (1), (Bodie, Condra)(PP)
15:43 RCH Blackwell (1), (Percy, Griffith)(PP)
18:31 SYR Joseph (1), (Peca, Masin)

Second Period
1:29 SYR Archambault (1), (Stephens, Peca)
2:15 SYR McNeill (1), (Condra, Lynch)
5:10 RCH Bailey (1), (Porter)(SH)
6:02 RCH Percy (1), (Malone, Blackwell)

Third Period
4:52 SYR Volkov (1), (McBain, Peca)
5:22 RCH Porter (1), (O'Regan)
5:59 SYR Volkov (2), (Bodie, Foote)
6:58 RCH Baptiste (1), (MacWilliam, Smith)

Matthew Peca, Alexander Volkov, and Erik Condra were the game's three stars.

The Crunch probably made this one a lot more exciting than it needed to be after staking themselves to a 4-1 lead early in the Second Period and surrendering a shorty to allow the Americans off the canvas. With that said, I'd have to think it's a pretty good endorsement of this past June's draft that Volkov and Cal Foote both figured in the eventual game winner.

Syracuse did what they needed to do by holding serve at home. But, just like with the big club, I have to caution that it's not a series until someone wins a road game. The Crunch can't get too high right now and need to play a solid road style to try to shorten this series and move along quickly. Nothing fancy. Just survive and advance as quickly as possible in this opening round best-of-five encounter.

Box score from TheAHL.com.