AHL Syracuse Crunch

Penalties Doom Crunch in 4-1 Loss to Penguins

January 19, 2011 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Syracuse Crunch News Release


Wilkes-Barre, PA (January 19, 2011) - The Syracuse Crunch gave up three power play goals in a game for the third time this season and allowed four unanswered goals, falling to the AHL-leading Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins tonight by a 4-1 score at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza.7 in 6

The Crunch have now dropped three straight and have just one win over their past seven games (1-5-0-1). Syracuse begins a five-game home stand on Friday, January 21 vs. Rochester at 7:30 p.m. at The Oncenter War Memorial Arena.

After a tough loss last night in which they only managed one goal at Norfolk, the Crunch came out buzzing and created offense right from the outset, putting six shots on goal before the Penguins could register one, and outshot Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 12-7 in the first period.

The Crunch kept plugging away to begin the second stanza and it paid off when the Penguins' Keven Veilleux was called for interference at the 2:24 mark. On the ensuing power play, Mark Mitera let go a shot from the point that David Laliberte re-directed past John Curry to put the Crunch up 1-0.

The Crunch then ran into penalty trouble when Maxime Macenauer was called for slashing at the 6:43 mark.

Nick Johnson scored the first of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's three man-advantage goals when he punched in a loose puck from the top of the crease on a centering feed from Eric Tangradi five minutes after Laliberte's goal to tie the game at 1-1

Bad luck bit the Crunch for the second straight night about eight minutes later when Bryan Lerg's pass intended for Nick Johnson inadvertently deflected off the stick of Mitera past Levasseur to push the Penguins in front 2-1.

More penalty trouble plagued the Crunch shortly thereafter, as Nick Bonino took a two-minute minor for high-sticking at the 17:54 mark and Josh Green took a double-minor for the same infraction just 41 seconds later, putting Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on a 5-on-3 advantage for 1:19.

The Penguins capitalized on the two-man advantage when Tim Wallace buried a loose puck from the top of the crease to make it 3-1 at the 19:18 mark.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton started the third period in the driver's seat, with 2:35 still left from Green's double-minor. Again, the Penguins took advantage, this time when Joey Mormina's wrister from the blue line eluded Levasseur to make it 4-1 two and a half minutes into the frame. Timo Pielmeier came in to relieve Levasseur after that goal, and stopped all seven shots he saw the rest of the way.

Curry ended up with 23 saves for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and picked up his 16th win of the season.

CRUNCHABLES: David Laliberte's goal was his first since a two-goal performance on December 8 @ Norfolk.Syracuse was 20-for-21 on the penalty kill over the previous five games before tonight. Nick Bonino had his three game point streak snapped tonight...The Crunch have been outshot in 31 of 43 games this season and are 10-18-0-3 in those contests.Syracuse has been held to under 30 shots in 24 of 43 games this year.

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American Hockey League Stories from January 19, 2011


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