Erne returns to Syracuse lineup to lead Crunch to victory

by Erik Erlendsson | @Erik_Erlendsson | Like us on Facebook
February 11, 2017

The Syracuse Crunch welcomed by Adam Erne to the lineup and trounced the Rochester Americans on Saturday with a 5-2 victory

Erne, who suffered a fractured foot while up with the Lightning in January, played his first game with the Crunch since Dec. 31 and scored twice and added an assist.

Yanni Gourde and Mike Halmo scored in the opening five minutes of the game and the Crunch never looked back to improve to 24-14-4-5 on the season. Cory Conacher and Cam Darcy also scored for Syracuse, which completes a three-in-three weekend at Utica on Sunday.

Kristers Gudlevskis finished with 25 saves for the victory.

Gourde would open the scoring with his 17th goal of the season just 2:28 in to the game, one-timing a Matt Taormina pass on the power play. Darcy added to that lead just 1:14 later pumping in a reboun at 3:34 for his second of the season.

Rochester would pull to within 2-1 at 4:38 of the first period.

Erne scored his first of the night 3:43 in to the second period as Slater Koekkoek sent a backhand pass through the crease to Erne, who was stopped on the initial chance but as the puck popped up in the air, he was able glove it down and shovel the puck in net to give the Crunch a 3-1 lead.

The Americans again made it a one-goal game heading in to the third, but Conacher scored the second power play goal of the night for Syracuse 4:09 in to the third to regain the two-goal advantage. Erne added an empty net goal with 24 seconds left for his second of the game and the third power play goal for Syracuse.