AHL Syracuse Crunch

Crunch Drop Overtime Thriller to Binghamton

April 8, 2009 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Syracuse Crunch News Release


Syracuse, NY (April 8, 2009) - Zack Smith's goal with just four seconds remaining in regulation tied it and Peter Regin's tally just 32 seconds into overtime sent home a stunned crowd of 5,059 at the War Memorial at Oncenter tonight, as the Binghamton Senators downed the Crunch by a 4-3 count.

The Crunch remained one point back of Toronto for the North Division's final playoff spot as the Marlies earned a point by losing in overtime to Rochester.

With three games remaining in its regular season before the start of tonight's game, the Crunch knew it was do or die time and got on the board with a goal from its fourth line 11:38 into the opening period.

The Crunch worked the puck back to the point where Grant Clitsome let one go from just inside the blue line.

Newcomer Matt Kennedy found the rebound and poked it just over the goal line past Jeff Glass to put Syracuse up 1-0. The marker was Kennedy's first as a professional.

Syracuse held that one-goal lead until just under three minutes into the second stanza. Former Crunch member Greg Mauldin picked up the puck along the right wing boards after an errant pass and broke in on a 2-on-1 with Regin.

Mauldin elected to shoot and beat Kevin Lalande with a wrister to the top right corner to knot the score at 1-1.

Just as Binghamton did in the second, the Crunch struck quickly to start the third and went up 2-1 when Maksim Mayorov's wrister from the top of the right circle ticked off of Drew Fata and beat Glass to the glove side.

The Senators tied the game once again when Mark Bomersback found the puck along the goal mouth and backhanded a shot through Lalande's legs to make it 2-2 just two minutes later.

The score stayed that way until the 13:40 mark of the third when the Crunch re-took the lead on a great individual effort by Alexandre Picard.

Picard took a long cross-ice feed from Derek MacKenzie and raced in down the right side. He gained step on B-Sens defenseman Drew Fata and cut to the middle of the ice.

Picard protected the puck well, made a move to his forehand and slid the disk past Glass for the 3-2 Crunch lead.

Lalande made 27 saves while Glass stopped 26 of 29 Crunch shots.

CRUNCHABLES: Alexandre Picard's goal was his 18th in the last 19 games...With his assist, Derek MacKenzie stretched his point streak to seven games (1g, 6a) and his assist streak to a season-high six games.

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American Hockey League Stories from April 8, 2009


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