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Syracuse Crunch

Crunch outmatched by AHL’s top team

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By Steven DiOssi | @StevenDiOssi | Like us on Facebook
March 24, 2017

The Syracuse Crunch were outmatched against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and it showed as they dropped a 5-1 decision at War Memorial Arena on Friday.

Facing off against the AHL’s best team, the Crunch were without a handful of injured players, including Tanner Richard and Daniel Walcott. Slater Koekkoek was also out after being recalled by the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday morning. He was reassigned to the Crunch after the game concluded and could return to the team’s lineup as early as Saturday.

Add to it, the fact that the Crunch were also playing without Jake Dotchin, Adam Erne, Yanni Gourde, Joel Vermin and Luke Witkowski — all of which are playing for the injury-riddled Lightning right now — and Friday night’s result doesn’t exactly come as a surprise.

With the loss, the Crunch fell to 32-22-6-5 overall but continue to lead the North Division with 75 points.

It’s the sort of game the Crunch will need to put behind them quickly as they play three games in three days this weekend and have just 11 games remaining in the regular season.

Kristers Gudlevskis started in net for the Crunch but was pulled after giving up three goals on seven shots just 14:14 into the first period. Mike McKenna stopped 23-of-25 shots in relief. Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry made 27 saves in the winning effort, as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton beat the Crunch for the fifth time in six meetings this year. Syracuse was unable to capitalize on five power play opportunities but held the Penguins scoreless in eight chances with the man advantage.

It was the professional debut for Crunch defenseman Libor Hajek, who signed a three-year, two-way entry-level contract with the Lightning on Tuesday. The 19-year-old Czech blueliner registered three shots and was a minus-1 in the game.

The Penguins got off to a quick start in the contest, tallying three goals in the first 14:16 of the game. After Thomas Di Pauli opened the scoring at 5:22 of the first period, Kevin Porter and Zach Aston-Reese each added goals just 3:22 apart to give the Crunch a three-goal lead.

After Kevin Lynch was called for high-sticking at 14:34, the Crunch made it a two-goal game when Michael Bournival scored his sixth goal of the year on the penalty kill at 15:19. Bournival carried the puck with speed into the offensive zone with Cory Conacher. He fed the puck to Conacher who dished it back to Bournival and tapped past Jarry for a shorthanded goal. Conacher’s assist was his team-leading 39th and his 53 points pace all Crunch players in just 49 games.

Penguins defenseman Barry Goers made it 4-1 at 1:09 of the middle frame and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton lead in shots by a 23-15 margin through two periods.

The Penguins took a four-goal lead on Dominik Simon’s tally at 1:34 of the third and the Crunch could not find the back of the net, despite outshooting the Penguins 13-9 in the period.

The Crunch host the Utica Comets on Saturday in the second game of their three-in-three this weekend.

Full game highlights from Syracuse Crunch

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