AHL Syracuse Crunch

Week Twenty Two: Mitchell Maturing

Published on March 8, 2011 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Syracuse Crunch News Release


Like any rookie in the American Hockey League, it took Crunch left wing John Mitchell a little while to find his game. Through his first 39 professional contests, the Neenah, Wisconsin native recorded six points (4g, 2a) and was at times a healthy scratch in a Crunch lineup littered with first-year players. In addition, Mitchell was also assigned to Elmira for a brief stint in the ECHL.

Mitchell has made great strides since the beginning of the season and has grown into a more offensive role as a power forward, seeing a lot of minutes on the top two lines. That move has paid off for the Crunch, as the University of Wisconsin product has doubled his point total from his first 39 games to collect six points (4g, 2a) over his last eight games.

The 6-foot-5, 215-pound Mitchell has scored the game's first goal in each of the last two contests. In addition, he has tallied two points in a game three times this year, all within the last 18 games he has skated in, and recently contributed a goal and an assist in the Crunch's 3-1 win over Texas on Monday, March 7. In 47 games for the Crunch this season, Mitchell has registered 13 points (7g, 6a) and 60 penalty minutes.

McGRATTAN MAKING AN IMPACT: Crunch newcomer Brian McGrattan has made a good first impression with his new team, but maybe not for the reason most would expect. As a player known mostly for his physical play and ability to stick up for his teammates, McGrattan has shown a deft scoring touch in his first three games with the Crunch after being acquired by Anaheim from Boston in a deadline-day deal on February 28.

Although he did not register a point in his Crunch debut on Friday, March 4 at Houston, McGrattan showed that he has a nose for the net by registering four shots on goal. That talent paid off on Saturday at San Antonio, when he used his hand-eye coordination to re-direct a Nick Bonino point shot through Matt Climie on the power play to give the Crunch a 2-1 lead, a lead they would not relinquish as his tally stood up as the game-winner.

The 6-foot-4, 235-pound McGrattan was at it again on Monday, using his size and strength to find a loose puck in front of the net and muscle it past Tyler Beskorowany to give his club a 3-0 lead in an eventual 3-1 win. In 238 career AHL games with the Crunch, Binghamton, San Antonio and Providence, McGrattan has notched 53 points (30g, 23a).

UPCOMING GAMES:

TEXAS STARS (DALLAS STARS): The Syracuse Crunch welcome the Texas Stars to The Oncenter War Memorial Arena on Friday to finish off a home-and-home series, the clubs' only two games against one another this season. The Crunch defeated Texas at the Cedar Park Center on Monday, March 7 on the strength of a two-point performance (1g, 1a) from John Mitchell, a 27-save effort from Ray Emery and goals from Brian McGrattan and Matt Kennedy. Texas captain Brad Lukowich scored the only goal for his club on the power play. Goaltender Tyler Beskorowany was chased after letting in three goals on six shots while Richard Bachman stopped all 13 shots he faced in relief for Texas.

ROCHESTER AMERICANS (FLORIDA PANTHERS): The Crunch welcome I-90 rival Rochester to The Oncenter War Memorial Arena on Saturday, March 12 for the ninth of 10 meetings between these two clubs this year. Syracuse is 3-4-1 in the first eight contests against the Americans this season and is led in scoring in the season series by Patrick Maroon, who has nine points (5g, 4a) in eight games, including two points (1g, 1a) in one game while playing for Adirondack earlier this year. In addition, center Maxime Macenauer has recorded eight of his 21 points and three of his six goals this season against Rochester. For the Americans, veteran Chris Taylor leads the way in scoring against the Crunch this year with nine points (2g, 7a), while teammates Scott Timmins (4g, 2a) and Mike Kostka (2g, 4a) have both notched six points in the season series.

CRUNCH IN THE COMMUNITY:

LABATT'S CELEBRITY BARTENDING SERIES CONTINUES AT DODESTER'S - MARCH 9: Crunch players Nicolas Deschamps, John Mitchell and Sean Zimmerman will serve as celebrity bartenders at Dodester's from 5-7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 9. Dodester's is located at 120 St. Marks Ave. (at the very end of Fayette St. by Strathmore paints). For directions, call (315) 488-2411. Players are subject to change. All proceeds generated by the players that night will be donated to the Central New York Cat Coalition. CNYCC is an all-volunteer run organization whose objective is to help reduce the feral, stray cat overpopulation in CNY by non lethal means.

CRUNCH PLAYERS TO SIGN AUTOGRAPHS AT DICK'S SPORTING GOODS - MARCH 9: Crunch players Nick Bonino and Brian Lebler will be signing autographs from 6 - 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 9. Dick's Sporting Goods is located in the Great Northern Mall at 4081 Route 31 in Clay. Please call (315) 652-7674 for directions. In addition, anyone who stops by the autograph session will receive a $5.00 Dick's Sporting Goods bonus certificate.

CRUNCH PLAYERS TO SIGN AUTOGRAPHS AT SUNNY D DISPLAY AT TOPS FRIENDLY MARKETS - MARCH 9: Crunch players Maxime Macenauer and John de Gray will be signing autographs from 5:00 - 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 9. The TOPS Friendly Markets location at Airport Plaza is located at 3803 Brewerton Rd. in North Syracuse. For directions, please call (315) 458-0032.

UPCOMING PROMOTIONS:

US JEWELRY EXCHANGE NIGHT THIS FRIDAY, MARCH 11: At the Crunch's Friday, March 11 game vs. Texas, fans can bring their broken or unwanted gold jewelry, platinum, silver, coins, diamonds, stamps, rings and antiques and exchange them for cash at the US Jewelry Exchange table, which will be set up on the concourse of The Oncenter War Memorial Arena. Fans can start visiting the US Jewelry Exchange table when the doors open at 6:30 p.m. US Jewelry Exchange is locally owned and operated and is located at at 2105 West Genesee St. (across from Westvale Plaza). For more information about how to exchange your unwanted or broken jewelry for cash, please call (315) 877-0126.

TURNING STONE FAN APPRECIATION NIGHT THIS SATURDAY, MARCH 12: All fans in attendance at the Crunch's Saturday, March 12 game vs. Rochester can redeem their ticket stub to Turning Stone Resort and Casino at the Diamond Card Desk and receive either a $10 Free Play or Meal Credit, courtesy of Turning Stone Resort and Casino. In addition, there will be an opportunity for select fans to win an overnight stay in the hotel at the Turning Stone Resort and Casino during an on-ice promotion.

ASPEN DENTAL 'BATTLE FOR THE DENTURE' CUP AND 'WEEKEND OF WISHES': The Aspen Dental 'Battle for the Denture Cup' is a charity hockey game featuring the Syracuse Gray Wolves and the Rochester Rockers, two men's league teams whose ages are 50 and older. The Gray Wolves and Rockers face off prior to the Crunch's game vs. Rochester on Saturday, March 12 at 3:30 p.m. at The Oncenter War Memorial Arena. Central New York's meteorologist, Wayne Mahar, is scheduled to start in goal for the Gray Wolves.

For every ticket sold through the fundraising efforts of the Gray Wolves and Rockers to the Crunch's 7:30 p.m. game that night vs. Rochester, the Crunch will donate $4 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central New York, with a minimum donation of $1,500. In addition, Aspen Dental will match the Crunch's donation of $1,500. Admittance to the third annual Aspen Dental 'Battle for the Denture Cup' is free for all fans with a ticket to that evening's Crunch game.

In addition, the Crunch are celebrating a 'Weekend of Wishes' on Friday, March 11 and Saturday, March 12 by holding a pottery auction to aid the fundraising efforts for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central New York. On Wednesday, February 23, Crunch players Mat Clark, Nate Guenin and Kyle Palmieri decorated pottery with five wish kids at Feats of Clay in Fayetteville. The pottery will be auctioned on the second floor concourse during the Crunch's home games on March 11 and 12 with proceeds going to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central New York.

"HERB" PHILIPSON'S HIGH SCHOOL HOCKEY ALL-STAR VOTING: Beginning on Friday March 11 through Wednesday, March 16, fans can select the starting lineups for the North and South teams, which will feature a total of 42 players (21 per team) being selected from across the Central New York Region and Section III, by visiting area "Herb" Philipson's locations and filling out paper ballots. The starting lineups will be announced on Thursday, March 17. Coaches for each team, along with celebrity/honorary coaches, will be named later this week. Fans can get daily updates about the "Herb" Philipson's Central New York High School All-Star Game on twitter by following @CrunchHSAllStar.

QUICKWAY 'SCORE WITH YANCEY'S FANCY' PROMOTION: From now through April 1, anyone that purchases a Yancey's Fancy cheese product at a participating area Quickway location will receive $5 off a regularly-priced adult ticket to any remaining regular season Friday night Crunch home game. The Crunch's remaining Friday home games are March 11, March 18, March 25 and April 1. Fans must bring their Quickway Food Stores register receipt to the Oncenter Box Office to receive the discount. This cannot be combined with any other offers.

CRUNCHABLES: Matt Kennedy's penalty shot goal Monday was the first in the AHL since Brett MacLean's penalty shot tally on Ray Emery against the Crunch back on February 28.The penalty shot attempt was the Crunch's first since Nikita Filatov was denied by Marc Denis at Hamilton on February 22, 2009.It was the Crunch's first penalty shot goal since Derek MacKenzie scored on Jason Bacashihua vs. Lake Erie on December 2, 2007.The Crunch have scored the first goal in six of the last eight games.Josh Green saw his eight-game point streak (4g, 7a) snapped on Monday @ Texas.

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American Hockey League Stories from March 8, 2011


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