AHL Syracuse Crunch

Crunch Bury Binghamton 6-4 in Front of Largest Crowd this Season

Published on April 1, 2011 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Syracuse Crunch News Release


Syracuse, NY - The Syracuse Crunch fell behind 2-0, but rallied for a season-high five second period goals to pull out an eventual 6-4 win over the Binghamton Senators tonight in front of a sellout crowd of 6,348 fans tonight at The Oncenter War Memorial Arena. The win marked a season-high fifth straight for the Crunch and improved the club's record to 12-3-0-0 over its last 15 games. It also snapped a six-game losing skid for the Crunch against the B-Sens.

Nick Bonino collected three helpers, while Josh Green and Patrick Maroon chipped in a goal and an assist each and recently-named Reebok/AHL Rookie of the Month Kyle Palmieri added a goal to extend his season-high point streak to nine games (13g, 3a).

The game started off slowly, as both teams appeared to be feeling each other out in the early going of the first period. After just five combined shots in the first 10 minutes of the game, the action picked up later in the stanza, with Binghamton controlling most of the flow and piling up time in its attack zone.

Derek Grant scored a power play goal, his first professional tally, to give Binghamton the early 1-0 lead at the 15:21 mark of the first after Joe DiPenta was called for tripping. That goal broke the Crunch's streak of scoring first in eight straight games and snapped a streak of killing off 20 straight penalties dating back to their March 23 game, ironically against these same Senators.

Binghamton struck again just over four minutes later and with just 26 seconds remaining in the period to grab a 2-0 lead when Colin Greening cashed in on a one-timer from Roman Wick past Timo Pielmeier.

A scrum at the end of the first period resulted in a Crunch power play to start the second stanza, in which they took full advantage of when Maroon re-directed a Green centering feed past Robin Lehner to cut it to 2-1 just 33 seconds in.

Just 41 seconds later, Rich Schofield lasered home a long rebound from the slot off a shot from Brian McGrattan to knot it up at 2-2.

The Crunch kept dominating the second and were given a golden opportunity again on the power play when Palmieri was hauled down on a breakaway, resulting in a penalty shot.

Palmieri moved in on Lehner and slipped backhand through the legs of the Swedish netminder to give the Crunch their first lead of the game at 3-2 seven minutes into the second.

Mat Clark pounded a centering feed from Bonino past Lehner at the 8:36 mark to make it 4-2 and Mark Mitera let go a wrister that caromed in off a shin guard in front of the net past Lehner to extend the Crunch lead to 5-2 with just over six minutes left in the second.

Jim O'Brien and R.J. Anderson added third period markers for Binghamton to cut it to 6-4, but Pielmeier stood tall, stopping all 22 shots he faced in the frame to pick up his fifth win in his last five starts.

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American Hockey League Stories from April 1, 2011


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