AHL Syracuse Crunch

Syracuse Crunch Weekly

Published on January 1, 2019 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Syracuse Crunch News Release


The Crunch swept three games and scored a total of 20 goals to extend their winning streak to five games heading into 2019.

Syracuse (20-8-2-0) started the week with a 6-3 comeback win over the Binghamton Devils in the first game out of the holiday break Wednesday night. They followed that with their most lopsided victory in franchise history, a 10-1 win over the Utica Comets. It matched the franchise record for most goals in a game-now done three times-and set a team record for most shorthanded goals in a single game (3). The next night, the Crunch edged the Springfield Thunderbirds, 4-3, in overtime; the Crunch have won their last four overtime games.

The Crunch open 2019 with a rematch against the Comets Wednesday in Utica followed by home games against Bridgeport and Toronto Friday and Saturday.

TOP PERFORMERS

Rookie defenseman Cal Foote was named CCM/AHL Player of the Week after recording five points (4g, 1a) and a +7 rating in three games. Wednesday in Binghamton, the 20-year-old netted his first career multi-goal game with two goals, including the eventual game-winning goal. The very next game, the Tampa Bay Lightning's 2017 first-round picked (14th overall) made it back-to-back multi-goal games with his first career three-point performance (2g, 1a) in a win over Utica.

Foote has 13 points (6g, 7a) and two game-winning goals in 30 games this season. He is the second Crunch player this season to win CCM/AHL Player of the Week after Connor Ingram took the honor for the week ending Nov. 25.

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Rookie forward Ross Colton extended his scoring streak to a career-high five games with four points (2g, 2a) last week. The 22-year-old collect an assist Wednesday and Friday before breaking through with his first career multi-goal game Saturday against Springfield.

The University of Vermont product has seven points (4g, 3a) during his five-game points streak; Colton recorded eight points in his first 23 games of the season.

TEAM NOTES

By virtue of the Crunch's North Division-leading 0.700 points percentage, head coach Ben Groulx will represent Syracuse as the North Division's head coach at the AHL All-Star Classic in Springfield later in January. It's the second time in three seasons that Groulx will coach the North Division.

Additional Crunch All-Star representatives will be announced by the AHL later this week.

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Syracuse concluded the 2018 portion of their schedule with a 20-8-2-0 record. Dating back to Jan. 1, 2018, the Crunch are 48-18-4-3 in the regular season. The Crunch picked up 103 points in 73 games in 2018, good for an AHL-best 0.705 points percentage in that span.

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The Crunch carry the league's best goal differential (+42) into the new year and feature the best offense (4.03 goals per game) and second best defense (2.63 goals against per game). The next closest teams are Chicago and San Jose at +27.

The Crunch's best period is the third period. They have scored 36 goals and have only allowed 15 goals in 30 games, good for a +21 differential in the third period alone.

UPCOMING: UTICA, BRIDGEPORT, TORONTO

The Crunch hit the ice for the first time in 2019 with three games in four nights in Week 14.

Syracuse and Utica square off for the second time in less than a week as the teams meet in Utica Wednesday night. The Crunch lead the 12-game series 2-1, including Friday's 10-1 thrashing in Syracuse.

Friday brings Bridgeport to the War Memorial Arena for the only time this season. The Sound Tigers (21-9-4-1) are second in the Atlantic Division with 47 points in 35 games. They trail AHL-leading Charlotte by only four points.

Saturday, the Toronto Marlies arrive in Syracuse for the first time this season. The teams have split the first two games of the season series; the Crunch defeated Toronto, 8-1, Dec. 12.

Week 13 Results

Wednesday, December 26 | Game 28 at Binghamton | W, 6-3

Syracuse 2 2 2 - 6 Shots: 12-7-9-28 PP: 0/1

Binghamton 2 1 0 - 3 Shots: 9-13-11-33 PP: 0/1

1st Period-Foote 3 (Yan, Bourke), 12:41. Verhaeghe 11 (Gaunce, Dumont), 16:13. 2nd Period-Barré-Boulet 14 (Gaunce, Colton), 12:13. Foote 4 (Barré-Boulet, Volkov), 12:26. 3rd Period-Masin 1 (Labrie, Verhaeghe), 4:56. Katchouk 4 (Dumont), 11:40. . . . Pasquale 9-3-2 (33 shots-33 saves). A-3,651

Friday, December 28 | Game 29 vs. Utica | W, 10-1

Utica 0 1 0 - 1 Shots: 9-13-11-33 PP: 0/6

Syracuse 3 3 4 - 10 Shots: 18-12-11-41

PP: 1/4

1st Period-Valleau 1 (Raddysh, Katchouk), 4:11. Verhaeghe 12 (Raddysh, Dumont), 14:12. Foote 5 (Katchouk, Raddysh), 18:28 (PP). 2nd Period-Bourke 1 (Archambault, Yan), 3:17. Verhaeghe 13 (Unassisted), 12:08. Conacher 12 (Dumont, Raddysh), 18:44 (SH). 3rd Period-Dumont 3 (Andreoff, Gaunce), 7:52 (SH). Katchouk 5 (Raddysh, Foote), 8:17 (SH). Foote 6 (Colton, Bourke), 16:02. Yan 8 (Bourke, Volkov), 18:32. . . . Pasquale 10-3-2 (33 shots-32 saves). A-5,880

Saturday, December 29 | Game 30 vs. Springfield | W, 4-3 (OT)

Springfield 1 1 1 0 - 3 Shots: 10-9-14-0-33 PP: 1/4

Syracuse 2 0 1 1 - 4 Shots: 10-5-9-1-25

PP: 0/2

1st Period-Colton 5 (Volkov, Barré-Boulet), 1:32. Andreoff 14 (Yan, Masin), 13:20. 3rd Period-Colton 6 (Volkov, Koekkoek), 3:04. Overtime-Andreoff 15 (Conacher, Gaunce), 2:22. . . . Pasquale 11-3-2 (33 shots-30 saves). A-5,921

Category Average/Total AHL Rank (Prev)

Power Play 26.5% (36-for-136) 1st (1st)

Penalty Kill 83.0% (122-for-147) 9th (9th)

Goals For 4.03 GFA (121) 1st (3rd)

Goals Against 2.63 GAA (79) 2nd (2nd)

Shots For 28.30 SF/G (849) 24th (25th)

Shots Against 30.00 SA/G (900) 18th (14th)

Penalty Minutes 14.67 PIM/G (440) 9th (7th)

Category Leader

Points 35 Verhaeghe

Goals 15 Andreoff

Assists 22 Conacher, Verhaeghe

PIM 55 Andreoff

Plus/Minus +19 Gaunce

Wins 11 Pasquale

GAA 2.44 Ingram

Save % 0.920 Ingram

Single game tickets and packages for the 2018-19 season are on sale now and can be purchased in person at the Crunch office located inside the War Memorial Arena at 800 S. State St. in Syracuse, by calling the office at 315-473-4444 or online through Ticketmaster. For the latest Crunch news, visit www.syracusecrunch.com or follow the club on Facebook (www.facebook.com/syracusecrunch), Twitter (@SyracuseCrunch) and Instagram (@syracusecrunch) using #SyrCrunch.

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