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AHL Syracuse Crunch

Crunch Reeled in by Rampage

March 27, 2009 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Syracuse Crunch News Release


Syracuse, NY (March 27, 2009) - Leave it to a familiar face to end a six-game home winning streak. Crunch all-time wins leader Karl Goehring made 38 saves, including 23 in the third period to help San Antonio to a 4-1 win over the Crunch tonight, in front of 4,638 fans at the War Memorial at Oncenter.

The loss, coupled with a Toronto win over Philadelphia, puts the Crunch three points back of the Marlies for the North Division's fourth and final playoff spot with seven games left for both clubs in the regular season.

After going 1-2-0-0 on their recent three-game mini road trip, the Crunch looked to keep the home cooking going and continue their season-high nine-game home points streak (8-0-1-1).

Not having played each other since December 4, these two teams felt each other out in the first 20 minutes of play as San Antonio out-shot the Crunch by a 6-5 margin.

The Crunch almost tallied the games first goal halfway through the second stanza when Craig MacDonald fed Nikita Filatov set up on the left side of the net, but the 18-year old first round pick fanned on the shot and the contest remained scoreless.

After a Tom Sestito slashing penalty at the 12:12 mark, the Rampage capitalized and got on the score sheet first.

Joel Perrault took a pass from Brett MacLean, made a move to his forehand at the hash marks and wristed a shot that hit off the left pad of Kevin Lalande and into the back of the net for a 1-0 San Antonio lead.

San Antonio went up 2-0 just three and a half minutes into the third frame when Garth Murray re-directed a Sean Sullivan shot to the top right corner past Lalande to put the Rampage up by a pair.

The Crunch threw everything they had at Goehring in the third, blasting the Apple Valley, Minnesota native with a single period season-high 24 shots on goal.

Syracuse finally broke through at the 12:50 mark.

Mike York fed Alexandre Picard on the left goal line from behind the cage. Picard found some room and slid the puck into the open side before Goehring's outstretched left pad could deny him to cut the Crunch's deficit to 2-1.

The Crunch pulled Lalande for an extra attacker late in the frame, but empty-net markers from Wyatt Smith and Alexander Nikulin 12 seconds apart sealed Syracuse's fate and the Rampage skated away with the 4-1 win.

CRUNCHABLES: The Crunch have played six games in the last eight days and will finish up an eight game in 10 day stretch on Sunday in Toronto...With his goal tonight, Alexandre Picard now has 15 goals in his last 15 games...Kevin Lalande suffered his first home loss tonight as a member of the Crunch.

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