AHL Syracuse Crunch

Crunch Weekly

Published on January 29, 2014 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Syracuse Crunch News Release


Last Week

Fri., Jan. 24 - Crunch vs. Hershey - L, 4-1

Sat., Jan. 25 - Crunch at Hershey - L, 3-2

Sun., Jan. 26 - Crunch at Bridgeport - L, 6-5

This Week

Wed., Jan. 29 - Crunch at W-B/Scranton - 7:05 p.m.

Fri., Jan. 31 - Crunch at Utica - 7 p.m.

Sat., Feb. 1 - Crunch vs. Norfolk - 3 p.m.

Need to Know

- Top-line winger Richard Panik returned to the Crunch Saturday after 39 games in the NHL to start the season.

- Saturday in Hershey Tanner Richard became the sixth Crunch player to record his first AHL goal this season.

- Wednesday in Wilkes-Barre and Friday in Utica cap a four-game road trip before the Crunch host Norfolk Saturday.

Syracuse dropped each game of a three-in-three series, running its losing streak to four games, despite the return of winger Richard Panik Saturday and combined totals of 12 fights and 10 goals scored. Syracuse sinks to (17-18-2-4) and 14th in the Eastern Conference, 10 points out of a playoff spot with 35 games to play.

The Crunch play the Penguins Wednesday in Wilkes-Barre and the Comets Friday in Utica. A home game Saturday vs. Norfolk begins at 3 p.m., the earliest start time for a Crunch home game this year.

Transactions

- 1/24/2014 Richard Panik (RW) Syracuse ADD Loaned from Tampa Bay (NHL)

The first time...

- For the first time since Oct. 11, Nikita Kucherov does not have sole possession of the Crunch goals lead. Saturday Vladislav Namestnikov's 13th tied Kucherov who had 13 goals in 17 games and hasn't played for Syracuse since Nov. 23. (Kucherov has eight additional goals in 29 games for Tampa Bay.) Dana Tyrell led the Crunch in goals to start the year, scoring two in the season opener at Binghamton Oct. 5. Kucherov's hat trick in Syracuse's second game, Oct. 11, put him atop the Crunch goal leaderboard alone for 107 days.

- Richard Panik made his Crunch season debut Saturday, playing in a Syracuse uniform for the first time since June 18, Game 6 of the Calder Cup Finals. Panik, who had five goals in his last five playoff games and led the AHL in game-winners, had an assist Saturday following 11 points (2g, 9a) in 39 games for Tampa Bay to begin the year.

- Tanner Richard scored his first professional goal Saturday in Hershey in his 47th pro game. This season he has nine points (1g, 8a) in 40 games. He collected 62 points (11g, 51a) in 52 games for OHL-Guelph in 2012-13.

- With two goals Sunday, Mike Angelidis had his first multi-goal game since Jan. 20, 2012, when his Norfolk Admirals played at Syracuse. He has nine multi-goal efforts (all two-goal games) in his eight-year AHL career.

- P.C. Labrie had three fights in Week 17 (two Saturday, one Sunday) his first with the Crunch since Feb. 15. Labrie has two fights in 13 games with Tampa Bay this year. In 2012-13 he had four fights with the Lightning and nine with Syracuse.

- The Crunch did not have more than three fights in a game through their first 39 contests but had five fights in each of their last two, Saturday in Hershey and Sunday in Bridgeport. The Crunch have taken 58 major penalties this season, third most behind Bridgeport (81), Norfolk (66) and Hartford (62).

- Nikita Nesterov's goal Sunday, his third of the year, was his first since Nov. 6. All of the rookie defenseman's goals have come on the power play as have four of his eight assists.

- Syracuse has gone four games without collecting at least one point for the first time since Feb. 7-12, 2012.

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

Game 39: Bears pull away from Crunch for 4-1

Patrick Wellar and Matt Watkins each scored twice to lift the Hershey Bears over the Syracuse Crunch, 4-1, Friday at the War Memorial, Hershey's first regulation victory against Syracuse this season in four meetings.

Jon DiSalvatore didn't manage Syracuse's first goal until the midway stages of the third when Syracuse already trailed by three. Brett Connolly created the play, skating from defensive zone to offensive zone, attacking the left post. His centering pass was banged in by DiSalvatore, the veteran's third goal and 10th point with Syracuse since arriving 13 games ago. Connolly's 15th assist improves his season scoring total to 27 points, one shy of Vladislav Namestnikov's team-best 28 points. Dmitry Korobov had the second assist on the Crunch's lone goal, his 16th, tied for the team lead with Namestnikov.

Two fights featured Eric Neilson meeting Patrick Wellar in a rematch of last Friday's bout. Philippe Paradis, in his first game since an injury Dec. 28, fought Dane Byers after a crushing check on Cameron Schilling. Kristers Gudlevskis suffered the loss, dropping to 10-6-2, with 21 saves on 24 shots. Neither side managed a power play goal, with Syracuse 0-for-3 and Hershey 0-for-5, leaving both sides scoreless on special teams in the season series.

Game 40: Penalty-laden struggle tips Hershey's way, 3-2

Cedric Paquette had his seventh multi-point game (a goal and an assist) and Tanner Richard potted his first professional goal, but Syracuse fell to Hershey, 3-2, Saturday at Giant Center. The Crunch are 2-2-0-1 vs. Hershey.

Richard Panik, making his season debut with Syracuse, set up Paquette's game-tying goal in the first period 39 seconds after Hershey potted the game's first goal.

In the second, just as a 4-on-4 hockey became a 5-on-4 Syracuse power play, Paquette found Richard out of the penalty box for a breakaway marker, the first man-up goal for either team in the season series. However, Richard's first goal came on one of only 19 Syracuse shots in the game, Syracuse's lowest total since 15 at St. John's Dec. 10.

Cedrick Desjardins, despite stellar glove saves, suffered the loss (5-10-2) with 23 stops in his first full game since New Year's Eve. Desjardins' most spectacular glove stop robbed Michael Latta at close range, but later, a blue-line snap shot from Latta tipped off the Crunch goalie's glove to tie the game, 2-2. Latta scortched the game winner unassisted after instercepting a Crunch break-out pass at the blue line. The teams combined for 128 penalty minutes, including five fights and the first two for P.C. Labrie of the season.

Game 41: Crunch keep coming back but Sound Tigers prevail, 6-5

Syracuse dropped its fourth consecutive game Sunday in Bridgeport, 6-5, to conclude its first three-in-three weekend of the year. Syracuse tied the score three times (1-1, 4-4 and 5-5) but the Sound Tigers never trailed. John Persson recorded a hat trick and 11 other players recorded points in the Bridgeport win. Five Crunch players had multi-point nights in defeat, including two goals for Mike Angelidis (6, 7), a goal and an assist for Vladislav Namestnikov (for a team best 30 points), and two assists each for Brett Connolly Evan Rankin and Dana Tyrell.

After allowing only two power-play goals in the previous seven games, the Crunch allowed to to Bridgeport. Syracuse managed two man-up goals of its own, both from defensemen, Matt Taormina and Nikita Nesterov. With 49 penalty minutes aside, including five fights and two game misconducts (P.C. Labrie and Anders Lee), each side had five power-play chances. The Crunch had a six-on-four advantage for the last 78 seconds but couldn't find a third power-play score to force overtime.

Syracuse produced 32 shots on goal while holding the Sound Tigers to 23, but Kristers Gudlevskis (who shut out Bridgeport, 5-0, in his AHL debut Oct. 26) could only make 17 saves in defeat while Kenny Reiter notched his second win in as many nights with 27 saves. The season series ends with one regulation win for each side.

THE WEEK AHEAD

Crunch at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton-Wednesday, 7:05 p.m.

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

The Crunch open another busy week with a visit to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Wednesday. It's the seventh of ten regular season meetings between the East Division foes, with the Penguins winning four of the first six. The Crunch did win the last match, 4-2, Jan. 8. Wednesday will be the final time the Crunch visit Mohegan Sun Arena this season.

Wednesday is the start of a five-game homestand for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton that runs through Feb. 8. The Penguins will wrap up the week with Norfolk on Friday and Rochester on Saturday. At 25-14-1-3 and 54 points, the Penguins are in second in the East Division and fourth in the Eastern Conference, and they are three points behind division leading Binghamton.

Right wing Tom Kostopoulos leads active Penguins with 27 points (15g, 12a) in 40 games. Harry Zolnierczyk has 24 points (13g, 11a) in 34 games and Nick Drazenovic has 23 points (8g, 15a) in 32 games. Former Crunch defenseman Brendan Mikkelson leads the Penguins with 20 assists, and his 23 points are tied for 15th among defensemen in the AHL.

In net, Jeff Deslauriers has played the majority of the time for the Penguins, appearing in 29 games. He sports a 16-11-2 record, with a 2.39 goals-against average, and has been the goaltender of record (4-1-1) in all six games against the Crunch. Eric Hartzell, however, has seen action in each of the last six games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, going 3-1 in the span. Overall he is 8-3-1 in 16 games, with a 1.85 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage, which would rank second and fifth respectively if he qualified for the AHL leaders.

Vlad Namestnikov and Brett Connolly have provided the majority of scoring against the Penguins, with both players putting up five points apiece. Kristers Gudlevskis has won both of his starts against the Penguins, while Cedrick Desjardins has lost both of his starts.

Crunch at Utica-Saturday, 7 p.m.

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

The Crunch play their fourth consecutive road game when they visit the Utica Comets for the second time Friday. It is the last time they square off in Utica, as the final two meetings will come in Syracuse Feb. 21 and April 5. The Crunch emerged victorious, 2-1, in a shootout the first time they met Oct. 25.

After sweeping a two-game trip in Abbotsford over the weekend, the Comets open a three-game homestand this week with a match with Lake Erie on Tuesday. Following the Crunch on Friday, Utica will host Rockford on Saturday. The Comets are riding a four-game winning streak, moving to 15-20-2-3 on the season. But with 35 points, the Utica is fifth in the North Division and 15th of 15 in the Western Conference.

Pascal Pelletier leads the Comets with 36 points (7g, 29a) in 36 games, and his 29 assists are topped by just three players in the AHL. Benn Ferriero has 32 points (15g, 17a) in 40 games and Alexandre Grenier has 27 (15g, 12a) in 40 games.

In goal, CCM/AHL Player of the Week Joacim Eriksson has played 24 games for Utica, and is 11-11-1 with a 2.63 goals-against average and .911 save percentage. His lone shootout loss came against the Crunch. Over the last week, Eriksson was 3-0-0 with a 1.31 goals-against average and .953 save percentage. He's won seven of his last eight starts, sandwiching a two-week stint with the Vancouver Canucks.

The only goal scorer for the Crunch in the first match was Nikita Kucherov, who is in Tampa Bay. Cedrick Desjardins got the start and earned the win in a shootout.

Crunch vs. Norfolk-Saturday, 3 p.m.

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

The Crunch wrap up the weekend with an afternoon tilt with the Norfolk Admirals, the final match between the teams at the War Memorial this season. They close the season series with a pair Feb. 14 and 15 in Norfolk. The Admirals have won the last three against the Crunch, all in Syracuse, with the most recent a 6-3 win Dec. 28.

Norfolk has points in six straight (3-0-0-3) and nine of 10 after a shootout loss Saturday against the Penguins and the Admirals are now 22-13-1-7. With 52 points, they are third in the East Division and sixth in the Eastern Conference.

Emerson Etem leads Norfolk with 28 points (11g, 17a) in 22 games, including three points (2g, 1a) in his lone game against the Crunch. Rickard Rakell also has 28 points (10g, 18a) in 32 games. Devante Smith-Pelly (15g, 8a) and Max Friberg (11g, 12a) both have 23 points.

Five different goaltenders have seen action for the Admirals, but John Gibson leads the bunch with 29 games played, in which he's gone 13-9-4 with a 2.43 goals-against average and .918 save percentage. He's played in three games in the Crunch, allowing nine goals and going 0-2-0.

Four players for Syracuse, Mike Angelidis, Vlad Namestnikov, Cedric Paquette, and Dmitry Korobov, have three points in the season series with Norfolk.

Check out the Syracuse Crunch Statistics

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American Hockey League Stories from January 29, 2014


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