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Syracuse Crunch

Crunch rally twice in third, defeat Lehigh Valley in overtime

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By Steven DiOssi | @StevenDiOssi | Like us on Facebook
March 15, 2017

The Syracuse Crunch overcame two separate one-goal deficits to force overtime and defeat the Lehigh Valley Phantoms 5-4 at PPL Center on Wednesday.

After taking a 2-0 lead on goals by Slater Koekkoek and John Kurtz, the Crunch yielded three unanswered goals in the middle frame. They evened the score on a goal by Kevin Lynch at 8:16 of the third period before the Phantoms took the lead again with 2:04 left to play. Matt Taormina knotted the game at four goals a side with his power play tally with 1:04 remaining before Tye McGinn scored the game winner in overtime.

The Crunch earned two crucial points in their playoff push without some of their top forwards in the lineup and dressing just 16 skaters. Leading point-scorer Cory Conacher, leading goal-scorer Byron Froese, Tanner Richard and Michael Bournival were each out, as were defensemen Dominik Masin and Daniel Walcott

Despite playing with just three traditional centers, the Crunch improved to 31-20-6-5 and hold a three-point lead over the Albany Devils in the North Division with just 14 games remaining in the regular season.

Mike McKenna stopped 44-of-48 shots to earn his first win as a member of the Crunch since being acquired at the NHL’s trade deadline on March 1. Phantoms goaltender Alex Lyon made 27 saves in the losing effort. The Crunch went 1-for-5 on the power play and gave up two goals on four Phantoms’ opportunities with the man advantage.

The Crunch opened the scoring at 7:40 of the first period when Koekkoek tallied his second goal of the season. Joel Vermin sent a backhand pass from the right boards to Kevin Lynch in the offensive zone. Lynch fed a pass to Koekkoek, who one-timed a shot past Lyon on the back door.

The Phantoms outshot the Crunch 15-10 but trailed 1-0 as the teams entered the first intermission.

Syracuse added to their lead at 4:09 of the second period when Kurtz tallied his second goal of the year. Ben Thomas fired a shot on goal from the top of the left circle. Lyon made a left pad save but the puck landed in the crease and Kurtz quickly pursued the puck, backhanding it into the net. Dylan Blujus also added an assist on the goal

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Although Kurtz’s goal gave the Crunch a 2-0 lead, the Phantoms took over the second period, scoring three straight goals and outshooting Syracuse by a 21-4 margin.

Lehigh Valley forward Radel Fazleev got them on the board at 6:54 of the middle frame, before the Phantoms capitalized on two power-play opportunities later in the second period. Danick Martel tied the game at 12:15 before the Phantoms took the lead on Andy Miele’s tally at 13:15 of the period.

Lynch closed the gap just 8:16 into the final period, as he sent a puck past Lyon after Mike McNamee carried the puck around the Phantoms’ net and fed him a pass for an easy tap-in on the back door. The assist was McNamee’s first point as a member of the Crunch since he signed an amateur tryout contract on Feb. 28. Jonathan Racine also added an assist on the goal.

The Phantoms answered at 17:56 of the third period when Martel beat McKenna for the second time on the evening to take a 4-3 lead.

However, the Crunch weren’t finished yet.

When Lehigh Valley defenseman Samuel Morin was called for a hooking penalty at 18:52 of the period, Syracuse made their fifth power play of the game count.

Lynch won a draw from the left circle in the offensive zone to Taormina who wristed a shot towards the net. Erik Condra screened Lyon out front and the puck snuck through his five hole and into the net just four seconds into the man advantage.

The teams were unable to score in the final minute and four seconds of regulation, forcing overtime in the contest.

Syracuse got to work in the extra session, outshooting the Phantoms 5-2 and made their fifth shot count. McGinn skated into the offensive zone and ripped a shot from inside the right circle past Lyon at 3:51 to earn the the Crunch two big points. Taormina and Matthew Peca each added assists on the goal. Taormina’s assist moved him into a tie with Conacher for the team-lead in points with 52, while McGinn has now compiled six goals and one assists in nine games this season.

The Crunch continue their two-game road trip when they take on the Utica Comets on Friday.

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