AHL Syracuse Crunch

Crunch Weekly

Published on March 12, 2014 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Syracuse Crunch News Release


Last Week

Fri., Mar. 7 - Crunch at Rochester - L, 4-1

Sat., Mar. 8 - Crunch vs. Rochester- L, 5-3

Sun., Mar. 9 - Crunch vs. Binghamton - W, 4-3

This Week

Fri., Mar. 14 - Crunch vs. Hershey, 7 p.m.

Sat., Mar. 15 - Crunch vs. Hamilton- 7 p.m.

Sun., Mar. 16 - Crunch at Albany - 5 p.m.

Need to Know

- The Crunch acquired three players in Week 23: left wings Jonathan Marchessault, Dalton Smith and Yanni Gourde.

- Syracuse's 4-3 win Sunday vs. Binghamton was its first when trailing after two periods since Nov. 1 vs. Rochester.

- Each Crunch game this weekend airs on KROCK 100.9 FM, Syracuse; 106.5 FM, Oswego.

Following two losses to Rochester, the Crunch capped Week 23 with a come-from-behind win over Binghamton, 4-3, Sunday at the War Memorial Arena. Vlad Namestnikov, riding a five-game scoring streak, provided the game winner set up by newcomer Jonathan Marchessault. Along with forward Dalton Smith, Marchessault was acquired Wednesday from Columbus in exchange for Dana Tyrell and Matt Taormina. The Lightning bolstered Syracuse's roster further Sunday evening, signing left wing Yanni Gourde to a multi-year pact. The Crunch expect Gourde to debut this weekend as Syracuse hosts Hershey Friday and Hamilton Saturday before visiting Albany Sunday.

In the hunt

Syracuse fell one point further out of a playoff spot in Week 23, now trailing the Eastern Conference's eighth-place team Albany by 15 points. Syracuse (23-26-4-5), at 55 points, would have to jump five teams to secure a postseason berth: Albany (70pts), Hershey (67pts), Worcester (58pts), Bridgeport (58pts) and Hartford (56pts).

Transactions

- 03/10/2014 Dan Milan (D) DEL Reassigned by Tampa Bay (NHL) to Brampton (CHL)

- 03/10/2014 Yanni Gourde (LW) ADD Signed to SPC

- 03/08/2014 Jordan Henry (D) ADD Recalled from loan to Florida (ECHL)

- 03/05/2014 Dalton Smith (LW) ADD Loaned from Tampa Bay (NHL)

- 03/05/2014 Dana Tyrell (LW) DEL Recalled from loan by Tampa Bay (NHL)

- 03/05/2014 Jonathan Marchessault (LW) ADD Loaned from Tampa Bay (NHL)

- 03/05/2014 Matt Taormina (D) DEL Recalled from loan by Tampa Bay (NHL)

- 03/05/2014 Richard Panik (RW) DEL Recalled from loan by Tampa Bay (NHL)

- 03/05/2014 Vladislav Namestnikov (C) ADD Returned on loan from Tampa Bay (NHL)

Tampa Bay makes roster moves, three new faces in Syracuse

In advance of the NHL trade deadline 3 p.m. March 5, the Tampa Bay Lightning traded two players who had been on the Crunch. Matt Taormina and Dana Tyrell were sent from the Crunch to Columbus and its AHL team, Springfield, in exchange for forwards Jonathan Marchessault and Dalton Smith.

Marchessault, 23, made his Crunch debut Friday in Rochester and was scoreless. He picked up his first point with the Crunch Sunday, an assist on Vladislav Namestnikov's game-winning goal. The Quebec City native owns the team lead in points (42) and assists (28).

Smith, 21, also made his Crunch debut Friday in Rochester. The 6-2, 218-lb. left wing has played in two games for Syracuse and picked up a fighting major, his 16th, Saturday against Rochester's Tim Schaller.

The Lightning signed left wing Yanni Gourde to an entry-level contract Sunday, after he was released from his PTO with Worcester (AHL). Along with 24 points (4g, 20a) in 25 games with the Sharks, the 22-year-old produced 34 points (15g, 19a) in 30 games with the ECHL's Kalamazoo Wings.

Slump Busters

Week 23 turned into a week that ended several droughts for the Crunch. Cedric Paquette, who had gone eleven games without a goal, snapped that stretch with a goal Saturday night. The rookie, who is second on the team with 16 goals, added another Sunday, and now has goals in back-to-back games for the second time this season.

Brett Connolly also shook free of his goal slump, breaking a 12-game goal-less stretch with a game-tying goal Sunday. Prior to the goal, Connolly hadn't scored since Feb. 5 at Rochester and had one marker in a span of 19 games. The 21-year-old has 14 tallies this season, after scoring 31 last year.

Points Across the Board

With Jonathan Marchessault and Kristers Gudlevskis both recording assists in Sunday's 4-3 win over Binghamton, 33 different players have scored at least a point while with the Crunch. Only three skaters have played for the Crunch and not added at least a point, and only one (Dalton Smith) is on the active roster.

Last season, 35 different players recorded a point with the Crunch, including three goalies (Cedrick Desjardins, Dustin Tokarski, and Riku Helenius). Only four skaters who logged a game with Syracuse did not record a point.

Kristers Returns

Crunch goalie Kristers Gudlevskis suited up in a Crunch jersey for the first time in over a month Friday night in Rochester. The 21-year-old netminder hadn't played for the Crunch since Feb. 5, prior to the Olympic break. He then spent time playing for Latvia at the Sochi Winter Games before returning to the Lightning serving as backup for four games. Gudlevsksi earned his first win since Feb. 5, making 33 saves in Sunday's 4-3 win over Binghamton.

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

Game 56: Amerks earn first win vs. Crunch, 4-1

Rochester scored three times in the first period, and once in the second to spoil Kristers Gudlevskis's return to the Crunch, beating Syracuse, 4-1, Friday at Blue Cross Arena in Rochester. The game marked the Crunch debuts of Jonathan Marchessault, Dalton Smith and Dan Milan.

The Crunch fell behind early, as Johan Larsson beat Gudlevskis 11:29 into the first. Just over three minutes later, Jamie Tardif connected on a power play for his 18th goal of the season to give the Amerks a 2-0 lead. Goals by Tim Schaller and Joel Armia made it 4-0 Rochester with under six minutes to play in the second period.

Mike Angelidis foiled Nathan Lieuwen's shutout bid, deflecting in his 10th goal of the season, to cut the deficit to 4-1, with Vlad Namestnikov and Nikita Nesterov picking up assists. Namestnikov extended his AHL scoring streak to three games. Gudlevskis stopped 22 of 26 shots in his first game with the Crunch since Feb. 5.

Game 57: Quick-strike power play lifts Rochester over Syracuse, 5-3

The Crunch allowed a pair of power-play goals and two empty-net goals in a 5-3 loss to Rochester Saturday at the War Memorial Arena. The defeat was Syracuse's third in a row following a four-game winning streak.

After a scoreless first, Vlad Namestnikov opened the scoring with a shorthanded breakaway goal to give the Crunch a 1-0 lead. The Amerks, on goals by Johan Larsson and Luke Adam, took a 2-1 lead midway through the second. In the third, Cedric Paquette tied the game at 2-2, burying a cross-crease pass from Jon DiSalvatore.

Larsson scored Rochester's second power-play goal to go ahead 3-2, and the Amerks would add a pair of empty-net goals, sandwiched around an Evan Rankin power-play goal for the Crunch, giving Rochester a 5-3 win. Cedrick Desjardins, who stopped 16 of 19 shots, had his two-game winning streak snapped.

Game 58: Crunch come back for dramatic 4-3 win over Senators

The Crunch overcame a two-goal third-period deficit to stun the Senators, 4-3, Sunday at the War Memorial Arena. It was the second time this season the Crunch won when trailing after two periods (2-22-1-1). The last time was Nov. 1 when Syracuse beat Rochester 5-4 in a shootout after trailing 4-1 in the second. Sunday's loss for Binghamton was its sixth straight and its second regulation loss when leading after two (25-2-1-2).

Binghamton jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period, on power-play goals from Shane Prince and Matt Puempel, both coming less than 15 seconds into the man advantages. The Crunch cut into the deficit in the second period, as Cedric Paquette snapped in a power-play goal of his own to make it 2-1 and giving him goals in back-to-back games. On the play, Vladislav Namestnikov picked up an assist to extend his scoring streak to five straight games, and goalie Kristers Gudlevskis added the secondary assist, his first in the AHL. The Senators upped the lead back to two with a goal less than four minutes later.

The comeback started in the third period on a Phil Paradis power-play goal to make it 3-2 at 7:42. Brett Connolly tied the game at 3-3 with 7:01 remaining, ending his 12-game goal-scoring drought. With 2:42 remaining, Namestnikov gave the Crunch their first lead, one-timing a pass from Jonathan Marchessault to go up 4-3. It was Marchessault's first point as a member of the Crunch, in his third game for Syracuse. In earning the win, Gudlevskis got his first victory for the Crunch since Feb. 5 at Rochester, due to stints in the Olympics and Tampa Bay.

THE WEEK AHEAD

Crunch vs. Hershey-Friday, 7 p.m.

KROCK 100.9 FM, Syracuse; 106.5 FM, Oswego

Syracuse and Hershey meet for the eighth time this season when the Bears travel to the War Memorial Friday night. The Crunch have won four of the seven so far this season including both games of a back-to-back set Feb. 22 and 23 in Hershey and Washington, D.C.

The Bears have lost seven of their last eight, including two to Syracuse, and with 67 points are ninth in the Eastern Conference, three points out of the playoffs.

Jeff Taffe (17g, 22a) and Brandon Segal (14g, 25a) are tied for the team lead with 39 points. Defenseman David Kolomatis is tied for the most points against the Crunch this season recording five points (1g, 4a) in six games. Winger Michael Latta leads all Bears in goals scored against the Crunch with three.

In net David Leggio and Philipp Grubauer have each seen significant time but Leggio has started each of the last three games. Leggio, who is 2-2-0 against the Crunch, has appeared in 36 contests posting a record of 16-16-3 to go along with a .909 save percentage and a 2.77 goals-against average. Grubauer, who saw action in 17 games with Washington this season, has appeared in 20 games for the Bears with an 11-8-1 record and a .909 save percentage and a 2.71 goals-against average. The German netminder was pulled from his last start after allowing four goals on 19 shots on March 1.

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

KROCK 100.9 FM, Syracuse; 106.5 FM, Oswego

The Bulldogs are in a much different position this week compared to their last visit to the War Memorial in November. Now 15th in the Western Conference with 55 points Hamilton has lost seven of its last ten and sits 11 points out of a playoff spot. The Bulldogs and Crunch faced off twice, Nov. 22 in Montreal and Nov. 23 in Syracuse, with the Bulldogs wining by a combined score of 7-1. This Saturday is the second game of a three-in-three roadtrip for the Bulldogs.

Offensively Martin St. Pierre leads Hamilton with 40 points (10g, 30a) in 54 games. St. Pierre is one of two players with three points (3a) against the Crunch, the other being Mike Blunden (2g, 1a). Rookie Sven Andrighetto is second on the team with 31 points (14g, 17a). Blunden is third with 28 points (13g, 15a).

With Carey Price injured in Montreal, Bulldogs workhorse and former Crunch netminder Dustin Tokarski is in the NHL. Tokarski played in 34 games for Hamilton prior to being recalled Feb. 26, posting a 17-13-3 record with a .919 save percentage and a 2.34 goals-against average. Devan Dubnyk, acquired Wednesday from Nashville, has started two of the last three games for the Bulldogs posting an 0-2-0 record with a .908 save percentage and 3.03 goals-against average. Robert Mayer has also seeen time in Tokarski's absence; his season totals in 22 games include a 7-13-2 record, a .904 goals against average and a 2.92 goals-against average.

J.P. Cote is the only Crunch player who has scored against Hamilton this season.

Crunch at Albany-Sunday, 5 p.m.

KROCK 100.9 FM, Syracuse; 106.5 FM, Oswego

The Albany Devils also come into the weekend on a skid having lost four of their last five, despite collecting at least a point in three of those games. With 70 points the Devils currently hold eighth place and the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Devils play in Springfield Friday and host Hartford Saturday before the Crunch visit Sunday. Syracuse has taken three of four points from the Devils this season defeating them 4-1 Oct. 30 before losing 2-1 in a shootout Nov. 16.

Joe Whitney leads the Devils with 45 points (20g, 25a). Mike Sislo (19g-15a-34pts) and Kelly Zajac (8g-24a-32pts) are second and third on the team in scoring. Sislo has scored goals in each of his last three home games. Reid Boucher, who has one goal against the Crunch this season, is second on the team with 16 goals.

Keith Kinkaid and rookie Scott Wedgewood have each logged significant minutes for the Devils. Both goaltenders have played against the Crunch (Kinkaid the Nov. 16 shootout win; Wedgewood the Oct. 30 loss). Kinkaid is 21-9-4 in 35 games with a .914 save percentage and 2.26 goals-against average. Wedgewood is 9-12-3 and has appeared in 26 games with an .888 save percentage and 2.75 goals-against average.

Check out the Syracuse Crunch Statistics

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