AHL Syracuse Crunch

Week Four - Crunch Putting in Overtime

Published on October 24, 2011 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Syracuse Crunch News Release


EXTRA SESSIONS: To say the Crunch have had many close games this season would be an understatement. Minus the two blowouts - a 6-2 win over Adirondack and a 7-0 loss to Hershey - every game has been decided by one goal. More specifically, they've had to be decided after regulation.

After three weeks of AHL action Syracuse leads the league with four overtime or shootout games. The Crunch have gone 2-1 in overtime, with wins over Binghamton on October 14 and Lake Erie on October 21. The second overtime win on Friday against the Monsters matched the overtime win total from all of last season. Since the 2005-06 season, the Crunch have scored more than two overtime goals in a season twice. They recorded seven overtime wins in 2007-08.

The Crunch have also taken part in one shootout this season, losing to Rochester on October 18. Kyle Palmieri scored the lone shootout goal for the Crunch. When Nick Bonino was stopped in the shootout, it was the first time in four tries that Bonino failed to score in the shootout while in the AHL.

SHOTS, SHOTS, SHOTS: Last season, it took the Crunch eight games to out shoot their opponent. What a difference a year makes. After six games played, the Crunch have out shot their opponent on five different occasions. The Crunch rank fifth in the league with 33.17 shots per game. Their season-high came on October 15, when the Crunch took 40 shots against Adirondack in a 6-2 win. Their fewest shots came against Lake Erie on October 22, when they fired 23 shots in a 3-2 overtime loss.

TRANSACTIONS: Left wing J.F. Jacques was recalled by Anaheim on October 23. While with the Crunch, Jacques collected an assist and two penalty minutes in four games. With Bryan Rodney out with an illness for Sunday's contest in Hershey, the Crunch were in need of a sixth defenseman, so they looked to a player who was at Crunch Training Camp earlier this month. Derrick LaPoint was signed to a PTO on Sunday having spent one game this season with Reading of the ECHL, registering a point. LaPoint is 23 years old and from Eau Claire, Wisconsin. He spent his college career playing for the University of North Dakota.

UPCOMING GAMES:

LAKE ERIE (COLORADO AVALANCHE): The Crunch will meet the Lake Erie Monsters for the third time in less than a week when they travel to the Quicken Loans Arena on Wednesday. The Crunch took three out of four points against the Monsters last weekend with a 4-3 overtime win on Friday and a 3-2 overtime loss on Saturday. The line of Patrick Maroon, Nick Bonino and Kyle Palmieri combined for ten points in the two-game set, including Maroon's overtime winner on Friday. After losing their first six games, the Monsters won back-to-back overtime games on Saturday against the Crunch and on Sunday against the Marlies in Toronto. Offensively, the Monsters are led by David van der Gulik, who has seven points (2g, 5a) on the season.

WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON (PITTSBURGH PENGUINS): The reigning regular season champions are currently tied with the Crunch for third in the East Division and will come to the War Memorial on Friday for the first of eight meetings. Last season, the teams split their six meetings, with each team winning three games. Nick Bonino (4g, 0a) and Nicolas Deschamps (2g, 2a) paced the Crunch against the Penguins last season. The top point-getter for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton against the Crunch last season - Nick Johnson - is now a member of the Minnesota Wild. This season, the Penguins are led offensively by Bryan Lerg, who has ten points on the season. Brad Thiessen is back with the Penguins in goal and leads the team in wins (3), goals-against average (2.23) and save percentage (.912).

NORFOLK ADMIRALS (TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING): The Norfolk Admirals visit the War Memorial on Saturday in the first of four meetings by these East Division rivals. Last year the Crunch took the season series, earning five wins in eight games. Nicolas Deschamps led the way last season with nine points against the Admirals. This season, Norfolk ranks second in the East Division, one point ahead of the Crunch. Rookie Carter Ashton leads Norfolk this season with ten points (6g, 4a). Former Crunch center Trevor Smith is right behind with nine points (3g, 6a).

UPCOMING PROMOTIONS: Pink in the Rink will be held October 29 when the Crunch face off against the Norfolk Admirals. In honor of October being breast cancer awareness month the Crunch Foundation is doing its part to raise awareness through a mystery puck fundraiser and silent auction. Festivities will take place in Memorial Hall beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday.

CRUNCHABLES: Kyle Palmieri scored the first goal of the game three consecutive times from October 15-21...Palmieri leads the league with eight goals, while Nick Bonino is tied for first with eight assists.

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American Hockey League Stories from October 24, 2011


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