Undisciplined Crunch fail to keep pace with Devils

by Steven DiOssi | @StevenDiOssi | Like us on Facebook
February 15, 2017

The Syracuse Crunch had their two-game win streak halted as they fell to the Albany Devils 6-1 at Times Union Center on Wednesday.

It was a night where not much went right for Syracuse, which was outplayed by Albany for most of an important divisional contest between the clubs late in the season.

The Crunch were outshot 35-27 by the Devils, went scoreless in seven power play opportunities and received 45 minutes in penalties of their own. The Devils converted on 3-of-8 chances with the man advantage and beat Adam Wilcox six times on 29 shots through 40 minutes before Kristers Gudlevskis started the third period in relief. Devils goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 26-of-27 shots he faced in the winning effort.

The Crunch yielded six goals for the first time since a 6-1 loss to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins — the AHL’s leading team — back on Oct. 30. Syracuse fell to 2-2-1-0 in this season’s eight-game series against the Devils but maintain their lead over Albany in the North Division with a 25-16-4-5 overall record and 59 points, with two games in hand.

Albany opened the scoring at 15:22 of the first period when Ryan Kujawinski fired a backhand shot towards the Syracuse net from a sharp angle and Kevin Rooney deflected it past Wilcox. The Devils began their second power play of the evening at 18:12 and took a two-goal lead eight seconds later, as Ben Sexton redirected John Quenneville’s shot from the slot into the net for his 18th goal of the season.

While Albany held a 2-0 lead and a narrow 11-10 edge in shots on goal through twenty minutes, the middle frame is where things got out of hand.

The Devils brought it to Syracuse, outshooting them 18-6 and scoring four goals, including two on the power play. Dominik Masin, Adam Erne and Jonathan Racine each received fighting majors, while Masin was tossed from the contest with a game misconduct after his fisticuffs in a period that included 58 combined penalty minutes between the clubs.

The Crunch went on a brief power play after Albany defenseman Vojtech Mozik was taken off for interference but it ended prematurely when Matthew Peca was called for a tripping penalty at 12:22. The Devils took advantage of a 4-on-4 opportunity just 17 seconds later, building their lead to three goals when Brian Gibbons potted his 11th of the year off a backhand pass from Blake Coleman. Albany made it 4-0 when Coleman beat Wilcox with a one-timer at 14:26 of the period.

The Devils were not down there, however, as they continued to pile on their lead — this time on the power play.

After Erne dropped the gloves with Albany forward Ben Thomson at 15:16 of the period, they each received five-minute fighting majors but Erne was also called for a two-minute boarding penalty. The Devils capitalized on the ensuing man advantage as Quenneville scored from the left circle at 16:18.

Albany added their fourth tally of the period when Mozik deposited his eighth goal of the year with just 39 seconds left to play.

Comrie snapped Blackwood’s shutout attempt when he buried his seventh goal of the year from the left circle after receiving a pass from Jeremy Morin at 4:34 of the final period. While Syracuse outshot the Devils in the third period by an 11-6 margin, they were unable to find the back of the net again in the contest.

The Crunch continue their six-game road trip when they take on the St. John’s IceCaps on Saturday.