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AHL Syracuse Crunch

Crunch Edged by Comets, 5-4, in Shootout

February 8, 2020 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Syracuse Crunch News Release


SYRACUSE, N.Y. --- The Syracuse Crunch were edged by the Utica Comets, 5-4, in a shootout after a back-and-forth affair tonight at Adirondack Bank Center.

The Crunch held four different leads throughout the game, but the Comets always responded to tie it up before eventually taking the win. Syracuse is now 22-21-3-4 on the season and 2-3-0-1 in the 12-game series against Utica.

Goaltender Scott Wedgewood stopped 25-of-29 shots and 1-of-3 shootout attempts in net for the Crunch. Michael DiPietro turned aside 27-of-31 shots and 2-of-3 shootout attempts between the pipes for the Comets. Syracuse went 0-for-3 on the power play and 4-for-5 on the penalty kill.

The Crunch and Comets exchanged goals back-and-forth in the first period, but the Crunch went into the first intermission leading, 3-2. Syracuse opened scoring just 1:30 into the game. Boris Katchouk won the draw in the left circle and sent it back to Daniel Walcott. He skated it down and around the net before centering a feed for Taylor Raddysh to fire home. Three minutes later, Reid Boucher carried the puck into the zone down the right wing and dropped a pass back for Carter Camper to even the score.

The Crunch went back on top at 5:30 when Ross Colton dug the puck out from the end boards for Mathieu Jospeh to chip in as he came streaking down the slot. The Comets responded with a power-play goal at 13:20. Jonah Gadjovich redirected Olli Juolevi's shot from the left circle.

Syracuse took their third lead of the game with 1:48 remaining in the opening frame. DiPietro stopped Peter Abbandonato's first shot from the right wing and then Alex Volkov's rebound attempt, but Abbandonato got a stick on another rebound chance in chipped it in. Gemel Smith earned the secondary assist.

Utica knotted the game again off a shorthanded breakaway by Lukas Jasek 3:39 into the second period.

Raddysh scored his second of the game to put Syracuse back up 4:47 into the third stanza. His first shot from between the circles was stopped, but Danick Martel grabbed the rebound and set Raddysh up for a second shot that he buried. Katchouk made it a multi-point night with the secondary helper.

Four minutes later, the Comets came back yet again and evened it, 4-4, to eventually force overtime. John Stevens backhanded a centering feed from along the right-wing boards for Boucher to send home.

A scoreless overtime frame sent the game to a shootout. After Francis Perron scored in the second round, Alex Barre-Boulet kept the Crunch alive with a goal in the third, but Boucher followed up with the game-winner.

The Crunch travel to Binghamton to complete the four-game road trip on Wednesday.

Ticket packages and single game tickets for the 2019-20 season are on sale now and can be purchased in person at the Crunch office located inside the War Memorial Arena at 800 S. State St. in Syracuse, by calling the office at 315-473-4444 or online through Ticketmaster. 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.

Crunchables: Mathieu Joseph has goals in back-to-back games...Peter Abbandonato has three points in his last three games (2g. 1a)...Taylor Raddysh has two multi-goal games in his last four...The Crunch are 0-5-2-3 when tied after two periods...Boris Katchouk is on a four-game points streak with six assists.

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