By Jeremy Houghtaling

Vladislav Namestnikov dipped his shoulder, turned the corner on the defenseman and drove right to the net.

The Crunch forward plowed through Springfield Falcons goalie Curtis McElhinney, creating a rebound for Mark Barberio to bury less than a second later to give Syracuse a two-goal lead in the fourth game of the Eastern Conference Semifinals last week. It was Namestnikov’s first of two assists on the night, his first professional postseason points.

"Not a lot of players make that play," said Syracuse coach Rob Zettler. "A lot of players go behind the net instead of going to the front of the net. He's got the courage and the speed to make those plays."

For Zettler, it’s just one example of the recent development in Namestnikov’s game.

"Over the last two or three weeks, his play has really elevated," Zettler said of the 20-year-old. "He's really skating well, he's battling for pucks and going to the hard areas."

By Jeremy Houghtaling

For a 30-goal scorer, Brett Connolly is essentially flying below the radar.

Overshadowed by the success of the Syracuse Crunch's top line, Connolly has quietly continued his nearly one point per game pace in the Calder Cup Playoffs. He has five points in seven postseason games, having already notched 31 goals and 32 assists in 71 games in the regular season.

Bronze Medal Match
Finland 2 vs. USA 3 (SO)
Ben Bishop, USA, DNP
Tournament totals: 5 GP, 3-2-0, 0 SO, 2.83 GAA, .876 sv%

Matt Carle, USA, 0-0-0, -1, 0 PIM, 2 SOG
Tournament totals: 10 GP, 0-2-2, E, 0 PIM

Nate Thompson, USA, 0-0-0, E, 0 PIM, 2 SOG
Tournament totals: 10 GP, 1-2-3, +1, 8 PIM

Montreal's Alex Galchenyuk scored in the 4th round of the shootout to lift USA to a 3-2 win over Finland and a Bronze Medal at the IIHF World Championships. USA held a 2 goal lead heading into the Third Period on markers by Nashville's Craig Smith and Colorado's Paul Stastny, but Lauri Korpokoski scored a pair of goals in the final frame to force extra hockey. Ben Bishop sat backup for Team USA. The result is an excellent one for USA, which has often struggled in international tournaments outside the Olympics and World Cup, but is slightly bittersweet after their loss to Switzerland in the Semifinals.

In the day's other match, Sweden pummeled Cinderella Switzerland 5-1 to win the Gold Medal Match.

Semifinal Round
Switzerland 3 vs. USA 0
Ben Bishop, USA, DNP
Tournament totals: 5 GP, 3-2-0, 0 SO, 2.83 GAA, .876 sv%

Matt Carle, USA, 0-0-0, -1, 0 PIM, 1 SOG
Tournament totals: 9 GP, 0-2-2, +1, 0 PIM

Nate Thompson, USA, 0-0-0, E, 0 PIM, 1 SOG
Tournament totals: 9 GP, 1-2-3, +1, 8 PIM

Former Blues draft pick Reto Berra stopped all 29 shots he faced to send unlikely Switzerland to the Gold Medal Match of the IIHF World Championships. Berra received 1 goal and 1 assist of support from Islanders first rounder Nino Neiderreiter in the victory. Ben Bishop sat backup to Anaheim draft pick John Gibson for Team USA.

Switzerland will play Sweden in the Gold Medal Match. USA will conclude their tournament against Finland in the Bronze Medal Match tomorrow.

By Jeremy Houghtaling

With a one goal lead and the third period winding down, Matt Taormina found the puck on his stick and looked for an open shot.

After his first attempt was blocked, the Syracuse Crunch defenseman drove toward the net wristed another toward the Springfield Falcons' net. He lost track of it there.

"I shot and I didn't hear anything until the crowd reacted," Taormina said. "I finally knew it actually went in."

The goal put the exclamation point on Syracuse's 5-2 win in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at the Onondaga County War Memorial Friday, as the Crunch swept the Falcons 4-0 to move on to the conference finals.

"They were pressing, they could feel it," Syracuse coach Rob Zettler said of Springfield. "Then Taormina steps up and scores that goal, it's huge. It put a stamp on it for us."