Crunch reclaim series lead in OT

Published on April 26, 2008 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Manitoba Moose News Release


WINNIPEG, MB. -- For the fourth time in five games this series, the Moose and Crunch required extra time to decide a winner Saturday night. 11 minutes into the extra frame, Crunch forward Derek MacKenzie beat Moose goalie Cory Schneider to give his club a 3-2 OT win and 3-2 series lead heading into Monday's Game 6 in Syracuse.

Six minutes and two Moose shots into the game, enforcers Mike Brown and Derek Dorsett got caught up between the benches and decided to drop the gloves. Despite tumbling to the ice a few times, the pair appeased the crowd by keeping the fight going until the linesmen jumped in to break up the scrap. Brown and Dorsett earned five minutes each for fighting, but Brown wouldn't be alone long in the penalty box, as Moose forward Alexandre Bolduc took a goaltender interference penalty only 23 seconds later. Although the Crunch assumed a 5-2 shot lead on the powerplay, the club was unable to solve goalie Cory Schneider.

With four minutes left on the clock, Nathan McIver and Zenon Konopka decided to pick up where Brown and Dorsett left off, going toe-to-toe in front of the Crunch bench. After fighting penalties were assessed, Dorsett joined Konopka in the Crunch penalty box and the Moose benefited from their first powerplay of the game.

Manitoba manged only one shot on the man-advantage, bringing their period total to four. Syracuse, by comparison, carried 13 shots into the second period.

Though the Crunch dominated the first three minutes of the second, the Moose were the first to hit the back of the net. After fishing the puck out of the corner, Jason Jaffray fed Jannik Hansen at the hash marks, and the great Dane backhanded the puck over Karl Goehring's right shoulder to score the first goal of the game.

Exactly one minute after the goal, Moose blueliner Maxime Fortunus took a holding penalty, offering the Crunch their third powerplay. Third time would prove to be a charm for the visitors, as winger Nate DiCasmirro fooled Schneider with a slapshot from the point to even the score 1-1.

The tail end of a second-period penalty and a post-buzzer infraction to DiCasmirro put the Moose up two men to start the third period. Though the five-on-three didn't result in a go-ahead goal, the home team made it happen during five-on-four, with Greg Classen tipping in Danny Groulx's shot from the point renew Manitoba's one-goal lead.

With just under 10 minutes left to play, Syracuse's Derek Brassard followed up a shot that hit the post with the game-tying goal. After dropping back to the bottom of the near face-off circle, Brassard went top shelf on Schneider to set the score 2-2 and force overtime.

Manitoba cracked the 20-shot mark and Syracuse edged closer to 30 in the first five minutes of sudden death. 11 minutes and 33 Crunch shots into overtime, Derek MacKenzie ended the suspense. After sweeping into the Moose zone, MacKenzie received a feed from Brassard and beat a sliding Schneider to secure a 3-2 OT win and 3-2 series lead for the Crunch. The series continues with Game 6 Monday night in Syracuse.

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American Hockey League Stories from April 26, 2008


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