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AHL Syracuse Crunch

Crunch Top Amerks, 5-4, in Final Seconds

February 24, 2017 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Syracuse Crunch News Release


ROCHESTER, N.Y. -Yanni Gourde netted the game-winner with just six seconds remaining to lift the Syracuse Crunch over the Rochester Americans, 5-4, tonight at the Blue Cross Arena.

After the Amerks netted the first goal, Matthew Peca put the Crunch on the board. Scoring went back and forth through the middle period until Syracuse took the lead off back-to-back markers from Joel Vermin and Kevin Lynch. Rochester went back on top for a second time in the final frame, but Adam Erne and Gourde scored in the last 1:11 to give Syracuse the win and advance the team to 27-17-5-5 on the season. The Crunch hold a 7-1-0-1 lead in the 10-game season series against the Amerks.

Crunch goaltender Kristers Gudlevskis earned the win turning aside 19-of-23 shots. Linus Ullmark stopped 31-of-36 in net for the Amerks. Syracuse went 2-for-4 on the power play and 2-for-3 on the penalty kill.

Rochester struck first when Brady Austin lit the lamp with a slap shot from the blue line off assists from Casey Nelson and Tim Kennedy at the 11:05 mark of the first period.

The Crunch evened the score with 49 seconds remaining on the first during a 5-on-3 advantage. Matt Taormina passed along the blue line for Adam Comrie at the right point. After faking a shot, he sent the puck to Peca at the goal line. The center lit the lamp from a hard angle after his shot bounced off Ullmark's stick and between his legs.

The Amerks went back up on top early in the middle frame, but Syracuse was there to knot the game for a second time. At the 6:44 mark, a puck trickled under Gudlevskis for Cole Schneider to get a stick on. Just 27 seconds later, the Crunch scored one of their own. Cory Ward fed Vermin to stick handle around an Amerks defender and net one from the left circle.

With 2:44 remaining in the second, Syracuse took the lead. During a battle in front of the cage, the puck snuck past Ullmark for Lynch to tap in. Mike Halmo and Vermin tallied the helpers.

The game was tied for a third time 1:27 into the final stanza. Erik Burgdoerfer's left point shot was blocked in traffic, but Hudson Fasching grabbed the loose puck and scored from the slot. Halfway through the frame, Fasching scored his second of the night to regain an Amerks lead. Patrick Mullen sent a cross-crease feed for Fasching to beat Gudlevskis five-hole from the left circle.

With just 1:11 remaining in the game, the Crunch added two goals to steal the victory. Erne made it 4-4 when he crashed the net and batted a loose puck out of the air during the power play. Peca and Comrie assisted on the equalizer. Gourde then netted the game-winner with just six seconds remaining from the left boards. Erik Condra earned the primary assist, while Peca made it a three-point night with the secondary helper.

The Crunch and Amerks rematch tomorrow night at the War Memorial Arena at 7 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: The Crunch won their first game when allowing the first goal since Dec. 10...Cory Ward earned his first point with the Crunch tonight...Head Coach Benoit Groulx earned his 100th AHL win tonight...Yanni Gourde has a team-high six game-winning goals this season...Matthew Peca recorded his first three-point game of the season.

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American Hockey League Stories from February 24, 2017


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