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Syracuse Crunch

Late power play chance dooms Crunch in return to home ice

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by Steven DiOssi | @StevenDiOssi | Like us on Facebook
February 10, 2017

The Syracuse Crunch returned home after a six-game road trip, but their homecoming was spoiled as they fell to the Binghamton Senators 3-2 at War Memorial Arena on Friday.

The Crunch overcame a one-goal deficit in the third period when Jeremy Morin capitalized on a penalty shot opportunity before Senators forward Max McCormick tallied the game-winner on a shorthanded goal with just 54 seconds left in the contest. It was a disappointing finish for a Syracuse team playing their first home game since Jan. 21.

Joel Vermin scored the other goal for the Crunch who dropped their second straight game and are now 23-15-4-5 overall this season. They maintain their lead in the North Division with 55 points, with two games in hand over the second place Albany Devils.

Adam Wilcox made 19 saves while Senators goaltender Matt O’Connor stopped 25-of-27 shots in the winning effort. The Crunch went 0-for-4 on the power play but kept the Senators scoreless in three chances with the man advantage.

The Crunch outshot the Senators 10-4 in the opening frame but were unable to find the back of the net or convert on three power plays. Binghamton opened the scoring when Casey Bailey tipped a Ben Harpur shot past Wilcox for this 12th goal of the season at the 13:06 mark.

The Senators took a two-goal lead early in the second period when Phil Varone skated into the offensive zone along the right wing and fed a pass through the slot to Andreas Enguland who beat Wilcox with a shot from the left circle at 4:06.

Syracuse cut Binghamton’s lead to one goal when Cory Conacher got open near the left circle in the offensive zone and wristed a shot past the net that hit the back boards and bounced out on the right side of the net before Vermin swatted a backhander into the net for his 10th goal of the season at 17:22 of the period. Conacher’s assist was his 30th on the year and moved him into the team-lead in scoring with 39 points. He’s currently on a seven-game points streak and has tallied 23 points in his past 17 contests. Yanni Gourde also added an assist on the tally and his 35 points are third overall to Matt Taormina’s 38.

The Crunch received a penalty shot opportunity after Slater Koekkoek fired a shot on the Senators’ net that was covered by a Binghamton player in the crease after a scramble for the puck. On his penalty shot attempt, Vermin skated in wide on the left wing before veering towards the slot and making a quick deke move and firing a wrist shot through O’Connor’s five-hole for his ninth goal of the season with 9:03 left in the final period.

Syracuse had a prime opportunity to take the lead late in the game when Senators forward Chad Nehring was called for a tripping penalty at 18:20, giving the Crunch their fourth power play of the evening. But as the game entered the final minute of regulation, an errant pass in the neutral zone got behind Matthew Peca and Binghamton Kyle Flanagan skated around him and picked up the puck in the left circle. He faked a shot at the left faceoff dot and fed a pass across the slot to McCormick who fired a one-timer past Wilcox to take a 3-2 lead with just 54 seconds remaining.

The Crunch outshot the Senators by a 9-7 margin but they were unable to overcome the late tally to force overtime.

Syracuse will return to action against a divisional rival, the Rochester Americans, at home on Saturday.

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