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Syracuse Crunch

Hajek’s first career goal highlights offensive outburst for Crunch

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By Steven DiOssi | @StevenDiOssi | Like us on Facebook
March 29, 2017

The Syracuse Crunch scored six unanswered goals, led by rookie defenseman Libor Hajek’s first professional goal, as they defeated the Binghamton Senators 6-1 at Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena on Wednesday.

It was the first game back in action for the Crunch since falling to second place in the North Division after a 4-0 loss to the Toronto Marlies on Sunday. Syracuse responded with a strong team effort against the Senators, as 11 different players figured into the scoring.

The Crunch improved to 34-23-6-5 overall and their 79 points tie them with the Marlies for the most in the North Division with just eight games left in the regular season.

Matthew Peca, John Kurtz and Michael Bournival tallied goals in the second period before Erik Condra, Kevin Lynch and Hajek added to the Crunch lead in the final frame. It was Hajek’s first professional goal and came in just his fourth AHL game since the 2016 second-round pick signed an entry-level contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning on March 21.

Mike McKenna stopped 20-of-21 to earn his 12th win of the season and third with the Crunch. Senators goaltender Chris Driedger made 27 saves and yielded all six goals in the losing effort. Syracuse went scoreless in three power play chances and held Binghamton to 1-for-3 with the man advantage.

The Senators got out to an early 1-0 lead after Jason Akeson beat McKenna with a one-timer on the power play at 7:06 of the first period.

The Crunch responded with three goals on nine shots in the second period. Peca put Syracuse on the board after a Matt Taormina slap shot ricocheted off of Peca’s leg and behind Driedger at 1:02 of the period. Ben Thomas also added an assist on the goal and Taormina’s helper moved him past Cory Conacher for the team-lead in assists with 41.

Kurtz gave the Crunch the lead 1:20 later, as he received a pass from Taormina at just above the goal line and wristed a shot from a sharp angle over the shoulder of Driedger and into the net. Taormina’s assist was his 56th point of the season, tying him with Conacher for first among all Crunch players.

With just 4:29 left in the middle frame, Bournival grabbed a puck out of mid-air on an errant Senators defensive zone clear, dropped it to the ice and fired a shot on goal from the top of the right circle. The puck sailed through traffic in front of Driedger and into the net for Bournival’s seventh goal of the year.

As the second period came to a close, Syracuse held a narrow lead in shots, 17-16, but carried a two-goal lead into the final frame.

In the third period, the Crunch picked up right where they left off, outshooting the Senators 16-5 in the third period and adding three more goals. Just 31 seconds into the period, Mathieu Brodeur took a pass from Slater Koekkoek and one-timed a shot on goal from the right point. It was turned aside by Driedger, but Condra tapped in the rebound as he slid towards the crease on his knees.

Brodeur carried the puck along the left boards in the offensive zone and sent a pass toward Peca, who was skating towards the net near the slot. Peca moved his stick like he was accepting the pass. The move got Driedger to bite just enough that it put him out of position as the puck continued to Lynch untouched and he wristed a low one-timer into the net at 10:07. Koekkoek was also credited with an assist on the goal.

With just 43 seconds left in the game, Hajek received a pass at the point from Tanner Richard and fired a one-timer into the net to tally the first goal of his AHL career. Richard’s assist came in his return to the lineup after being out since Feb. 10 with a lower-body injury.

The Crunch have a chance to re-take their lead in the North Division when they host the Marlies in the first of back-to-back games beginning Friday.

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