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AHL Syracuse Crunch

Crunch Grind out 5-4 Overtime Win against Marlies

November 25, 2016 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Syracuse Crunch News Release


SYRACUSE, N.Y. - After climbing back from a three-goal deficit in under four minutes in the second period, the Syracuse Crunch went on to defeat the Toronto Marlies, 5-4, with Dylan Blujus's overtime game-winner tonight at the War Memorial Arena.

The Crunch trailed the Marlies 3-0 after 21 minutes of play, but were able to grind out a three-goal streak in just 3:32. Jeremy Morin kicked it off with his first of the season, followed by Joel Vermin and Michael Bournival. Toronto snuck one more in to take the lead for a second time, but Matt Taormina was there to even it up. Two minutes into the extra frame, Blujus scored his first of the season to push the Crunch to 9-5-0-1 as they take the first game in an eight-game season series with the Marlies.

Crunch goaltender Kristers Gudlevskis earned the win with a 26-save performance. Antoine Bibeau stopped 28-of-33 in net for the Marlies. Syracuse was able to convert on 2-of-7 power plays and shut down 4-of-5 Toronto man-advantages.

The Marlies opened scoring just 3:41 into the game. After wrapping around the cage, Colin Greening backhanded a feed across the slot for Kasperi Kapanen to net backdoor. Justin Holl grabbed the secondary assist. Halfway through the first, Toronto doubled up with the same play. Brendan Leipsic sent the puck across the zone where Byron Froese redirected it in from the bottom of the right circle.

A minute into the middle frame, Greening made it 3-0 shorthanded before the Crunch went on a three-goal run in just under four minutes. At 2:10, Morin scored during a 5-on-3 advantage. He got the puck in the right circle and waited before firing it crossbar and down. Assists went to Taormina and Adam Comrie. Three minutes later, after some slick tic-tac-toe passing, Vermin one-timed a shot with the help of Cameron Darcy and Matthew Peca on the power play. Bournival finally knotted the game at 5:42. Dominik Masin carried the puck into the zone and dropped a pass back for the winger to send home.

The Marlies went back up at the 15-minute mark with a power-play tally of their own. During a battle in front of the net, Kerby Rychel shoveled a goal in, but Taormina got it back 23 seconds later with a shot from the high slot. Bournival and Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond earned points on the equalizer.

After a scoreless third period, the game moved to overtime. Just 1:59 into 3-on-3 action, Daniel Walcott fired on net and was stopped, but the rebound kicked out for Blujus to clean up and steal the victory. Yanni Gourde recorded the secondary assist.

The Crunch start their first six-game road trip of the season when they travel to Binghamton to face the Senators tomorrow at 7:05 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: Jeremy Morin and Dylan Blujus both notched their first goal of the season tonight...Tanner Richard had a career-high five-game points streak snapped (6g, 1a)...Yanni Gourde is tied with Cory Conacher for the team's scoring lead with 12 points...Adam Comrie scored his first point with the Crunch tonight...The Crunch are 3-0 when tied after two periods.

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