Sports stats



AHL Syracuse Crunch

Dodero's First Goal Caps Crunch 3-2 Comeback Win

February 5, 2015 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Syracuse Crunch News Release


SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Syracuse scored three third-period goals in a span of 5:37 to topple Hartford, 3-2, at the War Memorial Arena on Wednesday. The comeback victory, sealed by Charlie Dodero's first AHL goal, extends the Crunch win streak to five games and narrows the margin for the AHL's best record to just one point behind Oklahoma City. Yanni Gourde assisted on all three tallies, while Kristers Gudlevskis stopped 15 shots to earn his 15th win of the season.

Syracuse capitalized on its fourth and sixth power plays of the night to tie the game. Trailing 2-0 halfway through the final frame, Wolf Pack forward Chad Nehring was assessed two minutes for goaltender interference, before his teammate, Joey Crabb, took two minutes for tripping. In the ensuing 5-on-3, Syracuse defenseman Jake Dotchin fired a one-timer from the high slot, giving Syracuse its first goal of the contest, his second in three games. Yanni Gourde and Vladislav Namestnikov earned the helpers.

Four minutes later, after an Oscar Lindberg tripping minor, following Joey Mormina point drive, Dalton Smith found a loose puck near the crease and jammed it home to tie the game, 2-2. Slater Koekkoek and Yanni Gourde assisted on Smith's 10th goal of the season at the 14:39 mark.

The Crunch gained the lead 76 seconds later. Defenseman Charlie Dodero, playing in his eighth AHL game, received a crisp pass from Namestnikov at the right point and ripped a slap shot that found its way through the pads of Wolf Pack netminder Yann Danis. Namestnikov and Gourde provided helpers on Syracuse's 49th third-period goal of the season, second most in the AHL. Gourde notched his 11th multi-point game and has five points in two games and 34 for the season.

Although the first period was a scoreless one, the teams combined for seven minor penalties. Dylan Blujus and Slater Koekkoek earned minors just 1:06 apart early in the game, resulting in a 5-on-3 for the Wolf Pack. Kristers Gudlevskis stood tall, stopping four shots during the two-man advantage. Two of Hartford's three power-play chances came in the first period, but it wasn't until the second period that they got on the board.

The Wolf Pack's Ryan Haggerty broke the scoreless tie 2:50 into the middle stanza. Chris Mueller fired the initial shot, which was padded aside by Gudlevskis, but Haggerty was there to pot home the rebound for his eighth goal of the season. At the 10:18 mark, following a Jake Dotchin tripping penalty, the Wolf Pack doubled up the Crunch. Marek Hrivik accepted a behind-the-net pass from Conor Allen and roofed a one-timer from the slot to make it a 2-0 game.

Hrivik's tally was the only power-play goal in three opportunities for the Wolf Pack, while the Crunch scored multiple power-play goals in a game for the fourth time this season. Hartford goaltender Yann Danis stopped 42 shots in the losing effort and was slapped with his second loss in six games this season.

Syracuse hosts Bridgeport Friday at 7 p.m., the Sound Tigers first of four visits to the War Memorial this season.

Check out the Syracuse Crunch Statistics

• Discuss this story on the American Hockey League message board...

American Hockey League Stories from February 5, 2015


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central