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AHL Syracuse Crunch

Crunch Defeat Comets, 4-3, in Shootout

January 28, 2017 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Syracuse Crunch News Release


UTICA, N.Y. - Cory Conacher tallied the game-winner in the third round of a shootout to lift the Syracuse Crunch over the Utica Comets, 4-3, tonight at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.

Joel Vermin opened scoring for the Crunch followed by Adam Comrie. After the Comets climbed back to even the score, Dominik Masin put the Crunch back on top. A second comeback forced overtime and an eventual shootout. The win pushes Syracuse to 22-12-4-5 on the season and 3-3-1-0 in the 12-game Galaxy Cup season series with Utica.

Crunch netminder Adam Wilcox stopped 5-of-7 shots before being relieved by Kristers Gudlevskis in the second period. Gudlevskis went on to stop 11-of-12 and all three shootout attempts. Thatcher Demko made 26 saves for the Comets and turned aside 2-of-3 shootout attempts. Syracuse was unable to convert on the power play and went 5-for-6 on the penalty kill.

Vermin opened scoring just 1:49 into the first period with a shorthanded marker. The Crunch doubled their lead less than two minutes later. Henri Ikonen kicked back a pass from the corner for Comrie to fire home from the high slot. Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond earned the secondary helper.

The Comets stole one back with 2:49 remaining in the opening period. Carter Bancks sped down the left wing side and solved Wilcox from the bottom of the circle. Assists went to Mike Zalewski and Wacey Hamilton.

Evan McEneny evened the score and chased Wilcox from the game at the 7:38 mark of the middle frame. Wilcox made the save, but the rebound dropped down, trickled behind him and crossed the goal line. Michael Carcone and Alexandre Grenier tallied points on the equalizer.

With 6:24 remaining in the second, the Crunch regained the lead. Matthew Peca passed across the zone for Conacher, who dropped the puck back to Masin. The defenseman scored his second of the season with a wrist shot from the slot.

The Comets knotted the score for a second time to forced overtime at the midway point of the third period. Jordan Subban powered in a slap shot from the right point on the power play with the help of Pascal Pelletier and Bancks.

After a scoreless overtime frame, the teams went into a shootout to decide the victor. Conacher netted the game-winner as the first shooter in the third round.

Following the AHL All-Star break, Syracuse will continue their six-game road trip in Albany on Feb. 2 at 7 p.m.

Syracuse Crunch single game and ticket packages for the 2016-17 season are on sale now and can be purchased either in person at the Crunch office located in the War Memorial Arena at 800 S. State St. in Syracuse or by calling the office at 315-473-4444. For the latest Crunch news, visit www.syracusecrunch.com or follow the club on Facebook (www.facebook.com/syracusecrunch), Twitter (@SyracuseCrunch) and Instagram (@syracusecrunch) using #SyrCrunch, #WeAreOne and #BLUnited.

Crunchables: Cory Conacher played in his 200th AHL game tonight...Henri Ikonen is on a career-high three-game points streak (1g, 3a)...The Crunch have gone into overtime 13 times this season.

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