Syracuse Crunch make rare appearance in the loss column

by Steven DiOssi | @StevenDiOssi | Like us on Facebook
January 18, 2017

The Syracuse Crunch dropped a 4-2 decision to the Binghamton Senators at War Memorial Arena on Friday.

Jeremy Morin and Yanni Gourde tallied goals for the Crunch as they fell in regulation for just the second time in their past 10 contests. Despite the loss, Syracuse is 20-11-3-5 and maintains their position atop the North Division standings with 48 points.

Kristers Gudlevskis stopped 19-of-22 shots while Senators goaltender Matt O’Connor made 34 saves in the winning effort. Both teams were unable to convert on the power play as Binghamton was shut out in four attempts and held the Crunch scoreless on two chances.

{mprestriction ids=”1,2″}

Special teams was the difference, however, as Senators forward Phil Varone tallied two shorthanded markers as part of a four-point individual effort in the game.

Binghamton took an early 1-0 lead when Alex Krushelnyski received a pass near the Syracuse blue line and tapped the puck around Ben Thomas before picking up speed and skating in alone on Gudlevskis with Thomas trailing closely behind. Krushelnyski deked Gudlevskis and tallied his third goal of the season at 2:40 of the first period.

Syracuse answered soon after, as Jeremy Morin picked up a loose puck off of a faceoff in the Binghamton zone and fired a hard wrist shot into the top right corner of the net at 8:08 of the frame. Tanner Richard and Daniel Walcott each added assists on the goal. Richard’s helper extended his point streak to five games as he’s tallied two goals and five assists in that span. Walcott has now tallied five points in his last five games.

Keep doing this, @jmorin91. It’s working for us ? pic.twitter.com/VWyFaK9jbp

— Syracuse Crunch (@SyracuseCrunch) January 21, 2017

The Crunch put the Senators on back-to-back power plays after a bench penalty for too many men on the ice at 13:24 followed by a high-sticking penalty on Richard at 17:41 but kept Binghamton off the scoreboard. As the first period came to a close the teams were tied at one despite Syracuse outshooting the Senators, 17-9.

Binghamton went on the penalty kill late in the second period after Buddy Robinson was taken off for roughing at 16:31 but Varone got behind the Crunch defense and backhanded a shot past Guldevskis at 17:35 to give the Senators a 2-1 lead on a shorthanded tally.

The Crunch entered the final period of play down by a goal despite outshooting the Senators a combined 24-16 through 40 minutes of play.

Syracuse went on the power play in the the third period then Guillaume Lepine was called for a holding penalty at 8:44. The Crunch controlled the puck in the offensive zone before it got past Cory Conacher and out of the zone. Matt Taormina fell to the ice as he attempted to play the puck in the neutral zone and Varone picked it up and sped down the ice before snapping a shot off the post and into the net for his second straight shorthanded goal of the night at 10:31.

With time ticking down in regulation and Gudlevskis pulled for an extra attacker, Morin fed the puck to Conacher at the point. Conacher fired a shot towards the goal that was tipped by Gourde out front and past O’Connor for his team-leading 14th goal of the season at 17:07. Gourde extended his scoring streak to three straight contests while Conacher’s assist was his 12th point in his past nine games.

You voted, we listened. @YanniGourde came through with tonight’s @niceneasy goal of the game. pic.twitter.com/OYyWoTL2rO

— Syracuse Crunch (@SyracuseCrunch) January 21, 2017

Binghamton forward Max McCormick added an empty netter with just 42 seconds to play to regain the two-goal lead with Varone adding the lone assist.

The Crunch return to action when they face divisional foe, the Utica Comets, on Saturday.

Full Game highlights from Syracuse Crunch

{/mprestriction}