Syracuse Crunch

Catastrophic meltdown in key divisional matchup.

SYR-1
ALB-6

Adam Wilcox allowed 6 goals on 29 shots before being lifted for Kristers Gudlevskis, who stopped all 6 shots he faced the rest of the way.

First Period
15:22 ALB Rooney (9), (Kujawinski, MacWilliam)
18:20 ALB Sexton (18), (Quenneville, Gibbons)(PP)

Second Period
12:39 ALB Gibbons (11), (Coleman, Scarlett)
14:26 ALB Coleman (17), (Novak, MacWilliam)
16:18 ALB Quenneville (11), (Sexton, Auvitu)(PP)
19:21 ALB Mozik (8), (Straka, Scarlett)(PP)

Third Period
4:34 SYR Comrie (7), (Morin)

Well, at least they won the Third Period.

Syracuse falls 1 point behind Albany atop the North Division with the loss, although they still hold 2 games in hand on the Devils.

Box score from TheAHL.com.

By Jeremy Houghtaling

Adam Erne looks like he hasn’t missed a beat.

The Syracuse Crunch forward missed a little more than a month with a lower body injury, but was able to return to the lineup last weekend. Erne recorded three points in a 5-2 win over Rochester Saturday, and added a goal in Sunday’s 3-2 victory in Utica.

Erne is focused on consistency as he pushes for a spot in the NHL.

“It’s just a matter of getting back in a game and getting used to the speed and whatnot,” Erne said of his return. “Luckily, it didn’t take too long. Now it’s just a matter of doing it night in and night out.”

Crunch finds the antidote to rid themselves of UTI.

SYR-3
UTI-2

Kristers Gudlevskis put on a show, turning aside 39 of 41 shots for the win, therby helping Syracuse overcome a 41-17 shot deficit.

First Period
6:54 SYR Erne (11), (Brodeur, Koekkoek)

Second Period
5:52 SYR Gourde (18), (Conacher)(SH)
10:12 UTI Rendulic (5), (Kunyk, Grenier)(PP)
13:25 SYR Vermin (11), (Peca)

Third Period
13:52 UTI Pedan (3), (Archibald)

Gudlevskis and Joel Vermin were the game's first and second stars.

Adam Erne now has goals in each of his two games since returning from injury. You can't help but wonder if his cup of coffee with the Lightning gave him an extra jolt of confidence that's showing up in his play. He's a first round caliber talent if he puts it all together.

Syracuse moves 1 point up on Albany for the top spot in the North Division with the win.

Box score from TheAHL.com.

By Jeremy Houghtaling

There was a big hit, a fight and two goals — and that was just the first 3:34.

Mike Halmo’s bout and goals by Yanni Gourde and Cameron Darcy got the Crunch out to a fast start against the Americans, as Syracuse defeated Rochester, 5-2, at the Onondaga County War Memorial Saturday.

“I thought we were ready for this game tonight,” Crunch head coach Benoit Groulx said. “Obviously, Mike Halmo set the tone right away, right off the bat. He’s a competitor and he’s a guy that when he gets involved physically, he’s at his best.”

Erne's return spurs crushing Crunch win.

RCH-2
SYR-5

Kristers Gudlevskis allowed 2 goals on 27 shots for the victory.

First Period
2:28 SYR Gourde (17), (Taormina, Conacher)(PP)
3:34 SYR Darcy (2), (Letourneau-Leblond, Morin)
4:38 RCH Baptiste (19), (Schneider, Burgdoerfer)

Second Period
3:43 SYR Erne (9), (Koekkoek, Gourde)
14:54 RCH Austin (1), (Schneider, O'Reilly)

Third Period
4:09 SYR Conacher (10), (Peca, Erne)(PP)
19:36 SYR Erne (10), (Taormina)(PP)(EN)

Cory Conacher, Adam Erne, and Yanni Gourde were the game's three stars. Erne returned to the lineup in a Syracuse jersey for the first time since New Year's Eve and had 2 goals and a helper.

Syracuse still sits 1 point back of Albany for tops in the North Division with 2 games in hand on the Devils.

Box score from TheAHL.com.

Late mistake costs Crunch.

BNG-3
SYR-2

Adam Wilcox allowed 3 goals on 22 shots for the loss.

First Period
13:06 BNG Bailey (12), (Harpur, McCormick)

Second Period
4:07 BNG Englund (2), (Varone, Akeson)
17:22 SYR Vermin (10), (Conacher, Gourde)

Third Period
9:03 SYR Morin (9), (unassisted)(PS)
19:06 BNG McCormick (13), (Flanagan)(SH)

Joel Vermin was the game's second star.

The stunning late loss stings with the Crunch 1 point behind Albany for the top spot in the North Division.

Box score from TheAHL.com.

By Jeremy Houghtaling

The Syracuse Crunch squandered a golden opportunity.

With the score tied in the final two minutes against the Senators, the Crunch were awarded a power play after a tripping call. Instead of the Crunch completing a comeback, Max McCormick converted on a 2-on-1 shorthanded chance to lift Binghamton to a 3-2 win over Syracuse at the Onondaga County War Memorial Friday.

“It’s tough. There’s only 1:40 left and we’re going on the power play to win it, not to lose it,” Crunch alternate captain Matt Taormina said. “It takes a little bit of a bounce over (Matthew) Peca’s stick, and we don’t take guys going back to the net or anything, and that kind of takes the wind out of the sails a little bit.”

By Jeremy Houghtaling

Breaking down the video helped show Tanner Richard his options.

The Syracuse Crunch center sat down with head coach Benoit Groulx for a 25-minute video session after Richard returned to the lineup last week. Richard, who has been primarily a pass-first type of player, and Groulx went through each shift by the second, shared their thought processes and the choices available on each play.

Richard hopes to continue to refine his decision-making skills with the puck as he continues to develop with the Crunch.

“We were looking at shifts and the passes I made and he would ask what I should have done there,” Richard said. “I’m thinking ‘Well, I made a pretty good pass right on our guy’s tape and he got in a shooting position,’ but then he’s like ‘OK, look at all this free ice. You could have taken it yourself.’

“You want to try and take more control of the game instead of always giving the puck away.”

Crunch can't parlay the false hope goal into real hope.

SYR-2
TOR-3

Adam Wilcox allowed 3 goals on 28 shots for the loss.

First Period
9:44 TOR Froese (18), (Griffith, Rychel)(PP)

Second Period
19:23 TOR Froese (19), (Campbell, Johnsson)

Third Period
6:42 TOR Rychel (9), (Dermott, Froese)(PP)
13:10 SYR Richard (12), (Conacher, Condra)(PP)
14:52 SYR Comrie (6), (Taormina, Conacher)

Tanner Richard was the game's third star.

A three goal deficit in the Third Period of a pro hockey is just a death sentence 99% of the time. You'll see teams get that "false hope goal" to pull within one, but they rarely have enough gas to get the equalizer. It happened again to Syracuse today. They managed to get the false hope goal with a good 5+ minutes to go, but just couldn't find the equalizer. That's why you need timely goaltending and goal scoring to stay within 2 and give yourself a chance, because it's doom if you get down by 3.

Box score from TheAHL.com.

No problem scoring goals for Conacher, Crunch.

SYR-5
TOR-3

Adam Wilcox made a stout 37 saves on 40 shots for the victory.

First Period
2:47 SYR Conacher (8), (Thomas)
3:17 SYR Richard (11), (Ikonen, Hart)
9:17 TOR Timashov (7), (Wrenn)
19:28 TOR Moore (5), (Griffith, Dermott)

Second Period
0:42 SYR Halmo (13), (Condra)
17:15 TOR Moore (6), (Griffith, Timashov)(PP)

Third Period
6:13 SYR Conacher (9), (Halmo)
12:57 SYR Lynch (1), (Conacher, Halmo)

Cory Conacher and Mike Halmo were the game's first and third stars.

Syracuse seized, for the moment, a 1 point lead over Albany for the top spot on the North Division standings. Albany plays Binghamton later tonight.

Box score from TheAHL.com.