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AHL Syracuse Crunch

Crunch Weekly

December 31, 2013 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Syracuse Crunch News Release


Last Week

Fri., Dec. 27 - Crunch at Hershey - W, 3-2

Sat., Dec. 28 - Crunch vs. Norfolk - L, 6-3

This Week

Tue., Dec. 31 - Crunch at W-B/Scranton - 5:05 p.m.

Fri., Jan. 3 - Crunch at Toronto - 7 p.m.

Sat., Jan. 4 - Crunch at Binghamton - 7:05 p.m.

Need to Know

- Brett Connolly has a five-game scoring streak, his longest of the season, with six points (3g, 3a) since Dec. 20.

- Dmitry Korobov recorded his first NHL point in his third game Sunday and was reassigned to Syracuse Monday.

- The Crunch close out the calendar year Tuesday in Wilkes-Barre, the start of a season-long, five-game road trip.

Syracuse split two games in Week 13, but its loss to Norfolk Saturday dropped the Crunch to fifth place in the East Division. In a stretch of six consecutive division matchups, the Crunch are 1-3-0-1 in the first five. The string ends along with the calendar year Tuesday in Wilkes-Barre.

While Tuesday's game marks the end of 2013, it launches Syracuse on its longest road trip of the season. The five-game, four-city slate bring the Crunch to two new destinations: Toronto on Jan. 3 and Providence Jan. 10. The next game at the War Memorial Arena comes Jan. 11 against the Bruins.

Transactions

12/31/2013 PC Labrie (LW) Reassigned from Tampa Bay (NHL)

12/29/2013 Dmitry Korobov (D) Returned on loan from Tampa Bay (NHL)

12/27/2013 Dmitry Korobov (D) Recalled from loan by Tampa Bay (NHL)

Korobov collects first NHL point before returning to Crunch

The Tampa Bay Lightning reassigned Dmitry Korbov to the Syracuse Crunch Monday. Korobov, 24, played in two games with the Lightning after being recalled Dec. 27. The defenseman recorded his first NHL point Dec. 29 with an assist in the Lightning's 4-3 loss to the New York Rangers. The Novopolotsk, Belarus native got his first call up last month making his NHL debut Nov. 19 in Los Angeles. He has recorded 12 assists and 30 penalty minutes in 26 games with Syracuse this season. He leads all Syracuse defensemen with a plus-two rating.

Counting Connolly's Consistency

Brett Connolly extended his scoring streak to four games with an assist Saturday against Norfolk. He has six points (3g, 3a) in that span and nine points (4g, 5a) in his last eight games. The third-year pro has recorded at least one point in 10 of the last 12 games; he posted just one assist in his first eight games.

His two-goal performance against the Bears on Dec. 27 against Hershey was his first multi-goal game of the season and the fifth of his AHL career. Connolly has recorded 13 points (5g, 8g) in 20 games for the Crunch this season. His longest scoring streak last season was nine games to begin February with 12 points (7g, 5a).

Rankin' Rankin's Goals

With five goals in the last five games Evan Rankin has doubled his goal total for the season and leads the Crunch with ten. Rankin's first five goals of the season came in his first 16 games before a Nov. 22 injury kept him out of nine consecutive contests. Rankin's 13 points (10g, 3a) this season rank third among active Crunch players behind Vlad Namestnikov's 21 (8g, 13a) and Cedric Paquette's 18 (8g, 10a).

Rankin has never produced so many goals in so few games. During the 2011-12 season with Rochester the Notre Dame alum managed four goals in five games twice: Dec. 10-18, 2012 and Apr. 4-13, 2013. His Dec. 18 hat trick was the first of his AHL career.

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

Game 29: Crunch hold off Bears, win 3-2

A pair of Brett Connolly goals helped the Crunch end a three-game skid, defeating the Bears Friday, 3-2, in Hershey. Kristers Gudlevskis stopped 24 of 26 shots to earn his sixth win of the season.

Three consecutive goals, two by Connolly and one by Geoff Walker, helped the Crunch build a 3-1 lead after Peter Leblanc gave the Bears a 1-0 lead just over halfway through the first. Brett Connolly's second of the game late in the second period proved to be the difference.

Syracuse was held to only three shots in the final period as Hershey attempted to overcome a 3-1 deficit as they did successfully versus Syracuse December 18. But this time the comeback fell short with Gudlevskis stopping 11 of 12 shots in the final frame to end the contest with the Crunch on top 3-2.

Cedric Paquette garnered assists on both of Connolly's goals for his fifth multi-point game of the year and fourth in December. Jon DiSalvatore picked up an assist in his return to Hershey, his former team. Tanner Richard and Nikita Nesterov also tallied assists for the Crunch.

Game 30: Late comeback not enough as Crunch fall to Admirals 6-3

A 4-0 deficit was too much for the Crunch to overcome Saturday at the War Memorial Arena and Norfolk defeated Syracuse, 6-3. The Admirals struck twice on the same penalty kill in the first with shorthanded goals from Emerson Etem and Max Friberg. Rickard Rakell and Chris Wagner scored early in the second at even strength.

Evan Rankin's third multi-point effort of the year (1g, 1a) helped the Crunch cut the Admirals lead to 4-3. But Etem's second of the game pushed the Norfolk lead back to two and Maxime Sauve ended hopes of a Crunch comeback with a power-play marker with just over a minute remaining in regulation.

With an assist on Mike Angelidis's power-play marker in the second period, Brett Connolly extended his point streak to four games (3g, 3a). Drew Olson picked up his second goal of the season in the third period.

Former Crunch netminder Igor Bobokov made 37 saves on 40 shots for the Admirals defeating Syracuse for the second time in two attempts this season. Goaltender Kristers Gudlevskis was chased early in the second period after allowing four goals on 12 shots. Cedrick Desjardins made 16 saves on 18 shots for the Crunch in relief appearing in his 200th career AHL game. Norfolk leads the season series, 3-2.

THE WEEK AHEAD

Crunch at W-B/Scranton-Tuesday, 5:05 p.m.

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

Syracuse travels to Wilkes-Barre Tuesday to play its sixth straight game against an East Division opponent and the fifth of ten meetings with the Penguins. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton took a 2-1 victory over the Crunch Dec. 21 at Mohegan Sun Arena. Since that victory, the Pens have dropped games to Norfolk and Hershey. The Penguins have dropped three of their last four games but still sit in second place in the East Division with 38 points.

Tom Kostopoulos leads the Penguins with 20 points (11g, 9a) through 27 games this season. Former Crunch defenseman Brendan Mikkelson is second on the team with 18 points (3g, 15a). Both Kostopoulos (3g, 1a) and Mikkelson (1g, 3a) have recorded four points in four games against the Crunch this season. Six of the Penguins top ten scorers have been recalled to the NHL, but defenseman Brian Dumolin and left wing Harry Zolnierczyk were sent down by Pittsburgh Monday.

Jeff Deslauriers has appeared in 21 games in net for the Pens but rookie Eric Hartzell has played in four of the last six. Deslauriers has posted a 12-7-2 record with a 2.28 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage. Hartzell has posted a 4-2-1 record with a 1.99 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage.

Evan Rankin leads all Syracuse scorers against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this season with four points (3g, 1a) in four games this season. Vladislav Namestnikov has four points (2g, 2a) in three games this season.

Crunch at Toronto-Friday, 7 p.m.

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

The Crunch and Marlies meet for the first of two times this season Friday at Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto. Last season Syracuse fell in Toronto, 6-3, Mar. 6 two weeks after topping the Marlies in a shootout at the War Memorial, 4-3.

Toronto (17-10-2-1) leads the North Division and is third in the Western Conference. The Marlies dropped back-to-back games to the Hamilton Bulldogs last weekend, but topped Grand Rapids in a shootout, 4-3, Monday in the SiriusXM Hockeytown Winter Festival at Comerica Park in Detroit. The teams play again Tuesday in Grand Rapids.

With two helpers Monday, right wing Spencer Abbott leads the Marlies with 28 points (5g, 25a). Defenseman T.J. Brennan right behind at 29 points (13g, 16a). The next highest scorers on the Toronto roster have half as many points: Greg McKegg (6-9-15), Carter Ashton (9-4-13) and Sam Carrick (4-9-13).

In net Drew MacIntyre has started 24 of 30 games posting a 15-8-1 record with a 2.22 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage. Rookies Christopher Gibson (2-1-0) and Garret Sparks (0-3-0) have each appeared in three games for the Marlies.

Crunch at Binghamton-Saturday, 7:05 p.m.

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

Syracuse travels to Binghamton for the final time of the season Saturday meeting the Senators for the seventh of ten matchups. The Senators sit atop the East Division with 39 points, nine points ahead of the Crunch. After snapping a seven-game skid against the Crunch Dec. 20, the Sens are on a four-game winning streak. They host Norfolk and Manchester before Syracuse visits Saturday.

The Senators have won five of the first six battles with the Crunch, with Syracuse's lone victory coming Oct. 19 at the Broome County Veterans Memorial, 4-1, with Riku Helenius earning the victory..

Chris Wideman and Mike Hoffman have led the Binghamton offense against the Crunch. Wideman (0g, 8a) has recorded three assists in a game twice against the Crunch. Hoffman, Binghamton's leading scorer (15g-18a-33pts), has recorded six points (4g, 2a) in six games against Syracuse.

Goalie Nathan Lawson has played in all six meetings, posting a 4-1-0 record. Overall he's 11-4-0 with a 2.42 goals-against average and a .928 save percentage. Cedrick Desjardins has appeared in three games versus Binghamton, losing all three. Kristers Gudlevskis suffered a 4-1 loss in his lone appearance against the Senators.

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