Crunch take first blood in OT

Published on April 18, 2008 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Manitoba Moose News Release


SYRACUSE, NY. -- Tensions were high in Game 1 of the North Division Semi-final between the Manitoba Moose and Syracuse Crunch, especially when the hard-fought battle headed to overtime. But only 30 seconds into the extra period, Crunch sniper Joakim Lindstrom fired the game-winner past Cory Schneider to give Syracuse a 2-1 victory and a 1-0 series lead.

A few good scoring chances and even better saves at both ends of the ice carried both clubs to the midway point of the first. At the 12-minute mark, Syracuse's Derick Brassard was keen to drop the gloves with Manitoba sniper Brad Moran, but the Moose vet wanted none of it. At the following whistle, Brassard approached Moran and players from both teams joined the scuffle, resulting in four-minute roughing penalties to Alexandre Bolduc and Marc Methot.

Evenly-matched even-strength play continued through the rest of the first, and the Crunch carried their 11-8 shot lead into the second period.

A heated, nose-to-nose group discussion stalled the game two minutes into the middle frame, but like in the first period, roughing penalties to both sides were all that resulted. After Rick Rypien and Lindstrom rejoined the play, the Moose tied up the shot count and assumed the first lead of the game. Shortly after a neutral zone faceoff, Manitoba's newest acquisition, Zack Smith, burst into the Crunch zone with fellow rookie Juraj Simek. Though Karl Goehring stopped Smith's original shot, Simek snapped back the rebound to score Manitoba's first playoff goal.

A slashing penalty to Brassard at the seven-minute mark offered the Moose a powerplay opportunity to increase their lead. Though the visitors maintained pressure through the man-advantage, Goehring refused to surrender a second goal and kept his club within one.

Schneider soon got his chance to step up on the penalty kill when defenceman Shaun Heshka was called for holding, but Manitoba's disadvantage didn't last long as Crunch forward Gilbert Brule headed to the box for interference only 19 seconds later. The Moose were unable to increase their lead in their brief powerplay that followed Heshka's release, but the club concluded 40 minutes up two shots and one goal.

Syracuse fired three shots to Manitoba's two in the first five minutes of the third period, and a penalty to Moose defender Nathan McIver kept the home team on the offensive for two more minutes. With 22 seconds left in the powerplay, David Cullen got the equalizer. From the top of the face-off circle, Cullen fired a rocket past Schneider to score Syracuse's first goal of the playoffs and tie the game on the powerplay.

The man-advantage tipped in Manitoba's favour and then back to the Syracuse side in the following minutes, but neither club found the go-ahead goal by the end of regulation time. At the third-period buzzer, the Moose led the shot-count 30-29.

Though Manitoba and Syracuse couldn't settle on a winner in 60 minutes, Lindstrom needed only 30 seconds of overtime to seal Game 1 for the Crunch. While rushing up the Moose zone, the offensive forward beat Schneider with a quick release from the middle of the face-off circle to give Syracuse a 2-1 win and a 1-0 series lead heading into Saturday night's Game 2.

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



American Hockey League Stories from April 18, 2008


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central