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AHL Syracuse Crunch

Crunch Weekly

April 1, 2014 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Syracuse Crunch News Release


Last Week

Wed., Mar. 26 - Crunch vs. St. John's - W, 3-2

Fri., Mar. 28 - Crunch vs. Adirondack - W, 6-4

Sat., Mar. 29 - Crunch vs. Binghamton - SOL, 4-3

This Week

Wed., Apr. 2 - Crunch at Rochester - 7:05 p.m.

Fri., Apr. 4 - Crunch vs. Albany - 7 p.m. (TV)

Sat., Apr. 5 - Crunch vs. Utica - 7 p.m. (TV)

Need to Know

- The Crunch have seven of eight possible points in their last four games with nine contests to play in the season.

- With two home wins at the War Memorial in Week 26, Syracuse's home record improved to 14-12-2-5 (.530).

- New additions to Syracuse's roster include right wing Joel Vermin, 22, and left wing Adam Erne, 18.

The Crunch captured five of six possible points in Week 26 and seized 12th place in the Eastern Conference. With nine games remaining in the regular season, Syracuse is 12 points short of a playoff spot. The team's Week 27 schedule features local rivals, starting with a visit to Rochester Wednesday followed by home games against Albany and Utica Friday and Saturday. Both home games will be televised on Time Warner Cable Sports Channel.

Transactions

- 04/01/2014 Adam Erne (LW) ADD Signed to ATO

- 03/31/2014 Geoff Walker (RW) DEL Reassigned by Tampa Bay (NHL) to Florida (ECHL)

- 03/30/2014 Joel Vermin (RW) ADD Reassigned by Tampa Bay (NHL) from Bern (Swiss)

- 03/27/2014 Jordan Henry (D) DEL Returned on loan to Florida (ECHL)

Vermin and Erne join Crunch

Syracuse has two new players on its roster entering Week 27, forwards Joel Vermin (vuhr-MEEN) and Adam Erne (UHR-nee). Vermin will wear #92; Erne will wear #73.

Tampa Bay reassigned Vermin, 22, to the Crunch from Bern of the Swiss-A league Sunday. The 5-11, 192-lb. Swiss winger tallied 18 points (6g, 12a) in 49 games with Bern. In 177 career games he has 81 points (31g, 50a) over parts of five seasons. Vermin was Tampa Bay's seventh-round pick in the 2013 NHL Draft, 186th overall.

Erne, 18, signed an entry-level contact with Tampa Bay Tuesday, and joins Syracuse on an Amateur Tryout Contract (ATO) for the remainder of the AHL season. The New Haven, Conn. native had 62 points in 48 games for Quebec of the QMJHL. The 6-1, 206-lb. forward also skated in five games for the United States at the 2014 IIHF World Junior Championship in Sweden, posting one assist. He was Tampa Bay's second-round choice in the 2013 NHL Draft, 33rd overall.

Lights out in shootouts

Goaltenders have stolen the show in Crunch shootouts this season, mostly to Syracuse's detriment. The team has a 3-7 record in 10 shootouts; the only AHL team with fewer wins in as many shootouts is Oklahoma City (1-9).

With 11 goals on 58 attempts the Crunch are converting on only 19.0% of shootout chances, 28th in the AHL. Crunch goalies have limited opponents to a 27.8% shootout success rate (15-for-54), the AHL's 8th best mark.

Syracuse shooters have been blanked in the last three shootouts, 0-for-18, while Crunch goalies Kristers Gudlevskis (2-for-13) and Allen York (2-for-3) allowed 4-for-16 in that span.

Gudlevskis is 2-4 in six shootouts, stopping 75.7% of attempts (28-for-37). Only nine goalies have faced more shootout attempts than Gudlevskis, and only five of those nine have better save percentages. None have as few victories as Gudlevskis. Cedrick Desjardins is 1-2 in shootouts, stopping 10 of 14 attempts (71.4%).

Only six active players (Marchessault, Paquette, Connolly, Gourde, Rankin, and Richard) have scored in the skills competition this season. Marchessault, 5-for-15, leads the team but is 0-for-2 since joining the Crunch. Similarly, Yanni Gourde was 2-for-2 with Worcester but 0-for-2 with Syracuse. Vlad Namestnikov is 0-for-5.

Paquette (3-for-8) leads Syracuse with two game-winning shootout goals. Richard (2-for-7) also has a game winner.

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

Game 65: Syracuse surges past St. John's, 3-2

The Crunch overcame a 2-0 deficit, rallying to beat the St. John's IceCaps, 3-2, Wednesday at the War Memorial Arena. For the third time this season Syracuse won when trailing after two periods, while St. John's lost in regulation for only the second time in 35 contests when leading after two.

Despite only seven first-period shots, the IceCaps took a 2-0 lead in the opening stanza on goals by John Albert and Ben Chiarot. Brett Connolly jolted the energy back into the Crunch with a goal 32 seconds into the second period, jamming home a loose puck on a feed from Dalton Smith.

Mike Angelidis knotted the game at two with a power-play goal, knocking in a rebound 2:32 into the period. Artem Sergeev gave the Crunch their first lead, finishing off a pass from Vlad Namestnikov for a shorthanded goal, the Crunch's eighth of the season. Kristers Gudlevskis made 26 saves, including 21 over the final two periods.

Game 66: Another Crunch comeback vanquishes Phantoms

A three-goal third period rallied the Crunch to a 6-4 victory over Adirondack Friday at the War Memorial, eliminating the Phantoms from possible playoff contention. Syracuse tallied six goals over the final two stanzas to overcome a 2-0 deficit and earn its third consecutive win.

Six players turned in multi-point performances, tying a season high. Of the five Crunch goal scorers, Cedric Paquette was the lone man with two markers, his 17th and 18th goals of the season, 70 seconds apart in the second frame. Brett Connolly, Yanni Gourde and Luke Witkowski provided two assists each.

Max Parent had his first career multi-point game and his go-ahead goal in the third proved to be his first game-winner. Jonathan Marchessault sealed the victory with his 16th goal, his game-high third point.

Kristers Gudlevskis notched his team-leading 16th win, stopping 21 of 25 shots.

Game 67: Senators survive Syracuse in shootout

Binghamton ended Syracuse's three-game win streak with a 4-3 shootout victory Saturday at the War Memorial. The Crunch finish the season 2-5-2-1 against their division rival.

Syracuse overcame a 1-0 deficit and managed a 2-1 lead on goals from Jonathan Marchessault (17) and Nikita Nesterov (4). Brett Connolly assisted on both to extend his scoring streak to five games (3g, 4a) while registering his second consecutive multi-point performance, his 12th of the year. Marchessault has points in four of the last five games (3g, 3a) and leads the Crunch with 48 points.

After the Senators re-tied the score, Geoff Walker potted his second power-play goal in as many games to reestablish a Syracuse lead, 3-2. The man-up marker was Syracuse's second of the game and ninth in the last five games. Syracuse last had power-play goals in five consecutive games Dec. 28-Jan. 8. The penalty kill was 5-for-6.

An even-strength goal for Alex Grant pulled the Senators even, 3-3, and forced overtime and eventually a shootout. Binghamton's Cole Schneider was the only man to score in the skills competition while Andrew Hammond stopped each of five Syracuse shooters.

Kristers Gudlevskis, making his fourth-straight start, made 25 saves. Mike Angelidis, Yanni Gourde, Dmitry Korobov and Andrej Sustr recorded assists in the game.

THE WEEK AHEAD

Crunch at Rochester-Wednesday, 7:05 p.m.

KROCK 100.9 FM, Syracuse; 106.5 FM, Oswego

Wednesday's Syracuse-Rochester meeting will be the seventh of eight between the teams. Syracuse won the first four contests before dropping both games of a home-and-home March 7 and 8. The Amerks come into the week on a nine-game winless streak dating back to March 8, a 5-3 victory over the Crunch. Rochester, with 70 points, sits 10th in the Western Conference, five points out of the playoffs.

Phil Varone leads the Amerks with 51 points (14g, 37a) in 60 games this season. The center has tallied seven points (1g, 6a) in five games against the Crunch. Luke Adam is second on the team with 47 points (27g, 20a). Jamie Tardiff, who is third with 37 points (18g, 19a), has recorded five points (3g, 2a) in six games against the Crunch. The Sabres assigned Mikhail Grigorenko, the 12th overall pick in 2012, to the Amerks on Sunday. The 19-year-old center had three points (2g, 1a) in 18 games with Buffalo at the start of this season before being returned to QMJHL-Quebec, where he netted 39 points (15g, 24a) in 23 games.

Injuries in Buffalo led to goalies Matt Hackett and Nathan Lieuwen being recalled to the Sabres. To fill the gap in Rochester, Buffalo reassigned Connor Knapp from ECHL-Alaska and Andrey Makarov from ECHL-Fort Wayne to the Amerks. Knapp has appeared in two games for Rochester posting an 0-2-0 record with a 4.03 goals-against average and a .873 save percentage. Makarov has started each of the last three games posting an 0-3-0 record alongside a 2.72 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage.

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

ESPN Radio 97.7 FM & 1200 AM, Syracuse; 100.1 FM & 1440 AM, Oswego - Time Warner Sports Channel (Ch. 19)

Syracuse hosts sixth-place Albany Friday at the War Memorial, trailing the season series, 3-1. The Devils, who've beaten Syracuse in the last three matchups, have 82 points, two short of fifth-place Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. They'll finish the six-game season series at Times Union Center April 13.

Joe Whitney has recorded a team-leading 50 points (21g, 29a) in 66 games for the Devils this season. Kelly Zajac is second with 40 points (10g, 30a). Zajac (1g,3a) and Whitney (4a) along with defenseman Raman Hrabarenka (1g, 3a) all lead the team with four points against the Crunch this season.

Keith Kinkaid and Scott Wedgewood have booth seen significant time between the pipes. Kinkaid has recorded four shutouts this season along with a 21-11-5 record, 2.40 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage. Wedgewood, who has appeared in 32 games (14-13-3), has a 2.46 goals-against average and a .897 save percentage. Wedgewood is 2-1-0 against the Crunch this season.

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

ESPN Radio 97.7 FM & 1200 AM, Syracuse; 100.1 FM & 1440 AM, Oswego - Time Warner Sports Channel (Ch. 19)

The Comets and Crunch meet Saturday at the War Memorial for the fourth time, capping the first season series between pro hockey teams from Syracuse and Utica since 1976 when the North American Hockey League's Syracuse Blazers won 12 of 14 games against the Mohawk Valley Comets en route to the final Lockhart Cup. The reborn rivalry has Utica ahead with five points to three. The Crunch took a 2-1 shootout victory Oct. 25, but the Comets won 3-1 Jan. 31 and 2-1 in overtime Feb. 21.

Utica is third in the North Division and 11th in the Western Conference, eight points out of the playoffs with nine games to play. Saturday's game will be the first of a five-game road stretch for the Comets before ending the regular season with three straight at home.

Pascal Pelletier paces the Utica offense with 55 points (15g, 40a), tied for 14th in the AHL. Benn Ferriero is second at 39 points (19g, 20a) with Alexandre Grenier (17g, 18a) and Cal O'Reilly (3g, 32a) tied for third with 35 points.

Rookie netminder Joacim Eriksson has appeared in the majority of games for the Comets posting a 21-21-2 record with a 2.63 goals-against average and .912 save percentage. Fellow rookie Joe Cannata has recorded a 9-11-0 record with a 2.91 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage in 25 games.

Crunch captain Mike Angelidis (2a) is the only player with multiple points against the Comets. P.C. Labrie and Andrej Sustr are the only active Crunch players who have scored against the Comets.

Check out the Syracuse Crunch Statistics



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