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AHL Syracuse Crunch

Crunch Weekly

December 23, 2013 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Syracuse Crunch News Release


Last Week

Wed., Dec. 18 - Crunch at Hershey - SOL, 4-3

Fri., Dec. 20 - Crunch vs. Binghamton - L, 5-2

Sat., Dec. 21 - Crunch at W-B/Scranton - L, 2-1

This Week

Fri., Dec. 27 - Crunch at Hershey - 7 p.m.

Sat., Dec. 28 - Crunch vs. Norfolk - 7 p.m.

Need to Know

- Since returning from injury, Evan Rankin has four goals in three games, including his first AHL hat trick.

- J.P. Cote signed a new contract with Tampa Bay Wednesday and posted an assist in his Lightning debut Thursday.

- The Crunch post-holiday schedule resumes Friday in Hershey and Saturday at home vs. Norfolk.

Beginning a stretch of six consecutive games against East Division opponents, the Crunch managed one point in three games during Week 12. Two-goal leads evaporated Wednesday in Hershey and Friday vs. Binghamton, making the Crunch 10-1-1-2 when scoring a game's first goal. They never led Saturday in Wilkes-Barre.

The struggles leave Syracuse fifth in the East Division and 11th in the Eastern Conference though 28 contests. At 12-12-1-3, the Crunch have three wins in their last 15 games after winning nine of their first 13. After a respite for Christmas, Syracuse returns to work with a Thursday practice before heading to Hershey for a Friday night game. Saturday they play yet another division foe, Norfolk.

Transactions

- 12/20/2013 Philip-Michael Devos (C) Released from PTO

- 12/19/2013 Jean-Philippe Cote (D) Released from SPC

- 12/18/2013 Dana Tyrell (LW) Returned on loan from Tampa Bay (NHL)

- 12/18/2013 Matt Taormina (D) Returned on loan from Tampa Bay (NHL)

- 12/17/2013 Carl Nielsen (RW) Returned on loan to Florida (ECHL)

Cote earns promotion and new deal

J.P. Cote was signed to a two-year, two-way contract by Tampa Bay Wednesday and played for the Lightning Thursday night vs. Nashville, a 4-2 Tampa Bay win. It was his ninth NHL game and first since the 2005-06 season with Montreal. The 31 year old recorded his first NHL point Thursday, an assist on Alex Killorn's goal. The defenseman has nine points (2g, 7a) in 19 games with the Crunch after 17 points, a career best, in 74 games last year.

DiSalvatore debut

Veteran left wing Jon DiSalvatore played his first game with Syracuse Friday vs. Binghamton and recorded a power-play assist on Cedric Paquette's goal. DiSalvatore, an 11th-year pro, signed a one-year AHL contract on Monday. He started the season with Munich EHC (DEL) appearing in 22 games totaling 17 points (6g, 11a). The 32 year old has played in 799 AHL regular season and playoff games from 2003 to 2013 with 560 points (236g, 324a).

Rankin dazzles in return

Evan Rankin recorded his first AHL hat trick and potted a shootout tally Wednesday, his first game since a Nov. 22 injury against Hamilton. Rankin had three ECHL hat tricks with Toledo. His most recent three-goal effort was Nov. 5, 2010.

The Portage, Mich. native added his ninth goal of the year Saturday in Wilkes-Barre, surpassing Vlad Namestnikov and Cedric Paquette for the team lead, excluding Nikita Kucherov (13) who remains in the NHL.

Mike's Milestones

Mike Angelidis recorded his first Crunch three-point game Wednesday in Hershey and now has 200 professional points (100g, 100a). To complete the symmetry, he's set to play his 500th professional game when the Crunch take on the Bears Friday. It will also be his 100th game in a Syracuse uniform, with whom he has 13 goals and 18 assists.

The eighth year pro, has played seven NHL games with Tampa Bay, 467 AHL regular season games (Albany, 235; Norfolk, 134; Syracuse, 99) and 24 ECHL games with the Florida Everblades. He's also played 58 postseason games.

Connolly coming along

Brett Connolly has three points in the last two games, six in the last six, and nine in the last 10 games. His one-goal, one-assist effort Friday vs. Binghamton was his first multi-point effort of the year after 15 last season. With an assist on Rankin's goal Saturday, Connolly became the 10th Crunch player to reach 10 points for the season.

The week in review

Game 26: Hershey comeback spoils Rankin hat trick

Evan Rankin recorded his first career AHL hat trick in his first game since Nov. 22 but the Crunch saw a two-goal lead dissolve as the Bears defeated the Crunch 4-3 in a shootout Wednesday night at Giant Center.

The game was Rankin's second multi-point effort of the year and first multi-goal game as a member of the Crunch. Captain Mike Angelidis had a three-assist performance, his first three-point game with Syracuse. Artem Sergeev recorded two assists, his first multi-point game of his career.

Goals late in the second and late in the third pulled the Bears even after trailing 3-1. Former Crunch winger Nicolas Deschamps had Hershey's first goal; David Kolomatis and Brandon Segal provided the comeback goals.Segal had three points (1g, 2a) and former Crunch left wing John Mitchell had the shootout winner.

In net David Leggio made 29 saves plus nine in the shootout opposite Kristers Gudlevsis who made 34 saves through 65 minutes and stopped eight of 11 shootout attempts.

Game 27: Senators' surge overwhelms Crunch

Syracuse scored two power-play goals in the first period Friday against Binghamton, but the Senators tied the game in the second, built a lead in the third and defeated Syracuse 5-2. Binghamton has defeated Syracuse five times in six meetings.

Cedric Paquette and Brett Connolly each had two power-play points, helping Syracuse end an 0-for-26 power play drought and potting more than one power play goal in a game for the first time since Nov. 1. Matt Taormina and Jon DiSalvatore added assists. The power-play unit finished 2-for-4 while the penalty kill stopped six of seven man-up chances for Binghamton.

However, the Sens capitalized on a double-minor power play with Eric Neilson in the box for goalie interference and unsportsmanlike conduct, taking the lead in the third period. Insurance markers including an empty netter gave Binghamton its first win in seven games. The Crunch, who'd been the loser in the Sens last victory Nov. 27, had not lost in regulation when scoring a game's first goal all season and are now 10-1-1-2 when scoring first.

Kristers Gudlevskis, making his third consecutive start, suffered the loss, stopping 31 of 35 shots he faced. He drops to 5-3-1 with a 2.42 goals against average. Nathan Lawson, who'd played only two of the last seven games for Binghamton because of illness and injury, picked up his ninth win with 18 saves.

Game 28: Penguins hold off Crunch, 2-1

Evan Rankin scored his fourth goal in three games since returning from injury, but it was too little and too late for Syracuse. The Crunch dropped their third straight game Saturday in Wilkes-Barre, 2-1.

Two successful power plays supplied the offense for the Penguins, scoring with a man advantage nine minutes into the first period and two minutes into the third. Zack Torquato, signed to a PTO earlier in the day, scored in his Penguins debut. Brendan Mikkelson, the Pens' top-scoring defenseman who played with Syracuse and Tampa Bay last year, potted the second. Barry Goers assisted on both.

Syracuse was outshot 19-13 through the first two periods, but counterbalanced the Penguins attack in the third with a 13-2 shots disparity. Syracuse got its fourth and fifth power-play chances in the final frame, but only managed to score during four-on-four play with under two minutes left. On Rankin's ninth goal of the year, Tanner Richard notched his fourth assist and first since Nov. 22. Brett Connolly had the secondary assist, his third point in two games and 10th point of the season.

Cedrick Desjardins stopped 19 of 21 shots in the loss and is now 5-7-2. Jeff Deslauriers made 25 saves on 26 saves to earn his third win in four games against Syracuse.

The week ahead

Crunch at Hershey-Friday, 7 p.m.

ESPN Radio 97.7 FM & 1200 AM, Syracuse; 100.1 FM & 1440 AM, Oswego

The Crunch return to Chocolatetown, USA on Friday to face the Hershey Bears in their first game following the Christmas break; the Bears visit Binghamton the night before. Friday's game is just the second of eight meetings between the East Division rivals. The Bears overcame a 3-1 deficit to win 4-3 in an 11-round shootout in Hershey last Wednesday.

After beating the Crunch on Wednesday, the Bears split a pair of games against the Worcester Sharks, moving to 6-3-0-1 in their last ten. With that, Hershey is 12-10-2-3 on the season, good for 29 points, which puts the Bears in fourth in the East Division and ninth in the Eastern Conference, a point better than the Crunch.

The Bears are led by right wing Brandon Segal's 16 points (4g, 12a). Nicolas Deschamps (8g, 7a), Peter LeBlanc (6g, 9a), and David Kolomatis (4g, 11a) all have 15 points apiece. Segal had a hand in all three Hershey goals in the first meeting against the Crunch, scoring a goal and assisting on the other two.

In net, former Rochester goaltender David Leggio has played in the majority of the games for the Bears this season. In 17 games, he is 7-8-2 with a 2.84 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage. He earned the shootout win against the Crunch last week.

For the Crunch, Evan Rankin scored a hat trick in the first match against the Bears. Mike Angelidis assisted on all three goals..

Crunch vs. Norfolk-Saturday, 7 p.m.

ESPN Radio 97.7 FM & 1200 AM, Syracuse; 100.1 FM & 1440 AM, Oswego

The Crunch play their fifth straight game against the East Division when the Norfolk Admirals visit the War Memorial on Saturday. It marks the fifth meeting between the clubs this year, with each team winning a pair on the road. The Crunch won 2-1 and 4-0 on back-to-back nights Nov. 8-9 in Norfolk. The Ads responded with a 4-3 shootout win and 2-1 decision Dec. 6-7 in Syracuse.

The Admirals snapped a four-game losing streak with a 3-1 win over Adirondack Saturday. Overall, Norfolk is 14-11-1-4 on the season. With 33 points, the Admirals are third in the East Division and eighth in the Eastern Conference. Norfolk visits the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Friday before coming to Syracuse.

Rickard Rakell leads Norfolk in scoring with 20 points (7g, 13a). Left wing Max Friberg has 16 points (9g, 16a) and forward Steven Whitney has 14 points (7g, 7a). Rakell has three points (1g, 2a) in just two games against the Crunch. He has points in three straight games (5a) and in seven of his last eight. Friberg has points in five consecutive games (4g, 3a).

In net John Gibson has seen the majority of the ice time for the Admirals. In 23 games this year he is 9-8-3 with a 2.70 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage. He's lost his last three starts, allowing 14 goals in that stretch.

For the Crunch, Vlad Namestnikov (2g, 1a), Cedric Paquette (1g, 2a), and Dmitry Korobov (3a) each have three points this year against the Admirals. Cedrick Desjardins and Kristers Gudlevskis both have a win against Norfolk.

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