AHL Syracuse Crunch

Syracuse Crunch Clinch Western Conference Title

Published on April 6, 2002 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Syracuse Crunch News Release


Syracuse--David Ling scored with one-second left in regulation and then netted the game-winner in overtime to earn the Syracuse Crunch a 3-2 win over the Albany River Rats Saturday in the American Hockey League.

Ling's heroics sent the sellout crowd of 6,381 fans into an absolute frenzy.

Ling also set up the first goal of the game for the Crunch.

Syracuse peppered Albany goalie Scott Clemmensen with 49 shots but could not find a chink in his armor. That was until Syracuse pulled goalie Jean-Francois Labbe for an extra skater and Ling blistered a shot from the high slot as the clock ticked down.

In overtime Albany was whistled for too many men on the ice. Syracuse on the 4-on-3 power play had Ling fire the game-winning shot from the top of the circle to the right of Clemmensen. Clemmensen blocked the shot with his blocker but the puck fluttered up into the air and landed in the net for the victory.

"I didn't know how much time was left until I looked up when I got back to the bench," Ling said. "I had been missing the net all night. (Clemmensen) had been making saves all night and I knew there was a little traffic in front and knew if I hit the net it was going to go in and it did."

Clemmensen deserved a better fate due to a great effort in between the pipes and Labbe went directly to offer his congratulations to the Albany goalie on his performance after Ling's game-winner.

"I have to give (Clemmensen) a lot of credit he made the big saves," Ling said. "I had put the puck in that same spot earlier and he made the save. This time there was too much traffic, too may guys on the ice."

Labbe earned his 27th win of the season and 201st of his career stopping 32 Albany opportunities.

The win earns the Central Division Champion Crunch the Western Conference title as well and if Syracuse can earn at least a point in its final game coupled with a Bridgeport Soundtigers' loss it will have the most points in the league and home-ice advantage throughout the Calder Cup Playoffs.

Syracuse scored first at 9:44 of the first period. Ling setup Jonathan Schill who had an open net to sweep the puck in for the score.

Albany responded with two goals in the second. The first by Joel Bouchard on the power play at 14:48 and one by Jiri Bicek with 39 seconds left in the period.

Syracuse will finish the regular season Sunday in Albany and even though Labbe needs one more shutout to set the record for most shutouts in a season don't expect him or many of the high powered regulars in the lineup.

In the playoffs Syracuse will face one of the teams vying for the seventh through 10th positions. Those teams will play a play-in round starting Tuesday. It will be a best of three series with all three games at teams seven and eight.

Who those teams will be won't be clear until Sunday night. What is known is team-9 will be Rochester and team-10 will be Cincinnati. Teams seven and eight, who will be hosting the games, can be Hershey, Chicago or Philadelphia. One of those teams will finish sixth and then the other two. Philadelphia goes head-to-head with Hershey while Chicago hosts Houston.

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American Hockey League Stories from April 6, 2002


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