Syracuse Crunch reach overtime again but fall at Utica

by Steven DiOssi | @StevenDiOssi | Like us on Facebook
January 11, 2017

The Syracuse Crunch dropped a 2-1 decision to the Utica Comets in overtime at the Memorial Auditorium on Wednesday.

Mike Halmo tallied his team-leading 12th goal of the season and extended his goal-scoring streak to four games as Syracuse fell to 18-9-2-5 on the season. Matt Taormina tallied his 23rd assist and is pacing the Crunch with 33 points, while Cory Conacher also assisted on the goal for a point in his fourth consecutive contest.

The Crunch have earned points in each of their past six games (2-0-2-2) and their 43 points lead the North Division, the seventh consecutive week in that position. Syracuse has been able to maintain the number one spot in the division despite a continuous string of Crunch players earning call-ups to the Tampa Bay Lightning as they battle numerous injuries to many key players through the first half of the NHL season.

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Syracuse is also dealing with injuries, as Adam Erne, who recently made his NHL debut with the Lightning during a four-game call-up, suffered a fractured left foot on Jan. 8 and is expected to miss four-to-six weeks, according to Lindsay Kramer of the Syracuse Post Standard.

The Crunch were also playing without Gabriel Dumont, who was recalled by the Lightning on Tuesday.

Kristers Gudlevskis received his third consecutive start for the Crunch, stopping 29-of-31 shots. Utica goaltender Thatcher Demko made 30 saves in the winning effort. Syracuse went 1-for-4 on the power play and held the Comets scoreless on two opportunities with the man advantage.

In the opening frame, the Crunch fired 12 shots on goal to the Comets’ seven, but both goalies were flawless despite each team trading a pair of power play opportunities in that span.

The Comets came out strong in the second period with a barrage of 15 shots on Gudlevskis, taking a 1-0 lead when Alexander Grenier found the back of the net for his 12th goal of the year at the 4:34 mark. Curtis Valk and Darren Archibald added assists on the play.

Syracuse added 10 shots on goal in the penalty-free middle frame and both teams entered the intermission tied at 22 shots through 40 minutes of play.

On their first power-play opportunity of the third period, Conacher fed the puck to Taormina below the Syracuse blue line. Taormina wristed a low shot that was tipped by Halmo past Demko at 7:04. Halmo’s four-game scoring streak is a new career-high for the first-year Syracuse winger and knotted the game at one goal a side.

?: @mhalmz

?: @MATaormina
?: @conhockey19 pic.twitter.com/Z9073Y4qIW

— Syracuse Crunch (@SyracuseCrunch) January 12, 2017

Syracuse had their second chance of the period with the man advantage after Utica forward Mike Zalewski was called for a boarding penalty at 12:12, but they were kept off the board and the game remained tied at the end of regulation.

The Crunch entered overtime for the fifth time in their past six contests, but were not able to muster a shot and Utica controlled the extra session with three shots on goal. Archibald secured the extra point for the Comets after carrying the puck coast-to-coast and beating Gudlevskis at 3:11 of overtime.

Syracuse returns to action to begin a three-game home stand when they take on the Toronto Marlies on Friday.

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