Crunch blanked by Devils in Albany

Steven DiOssi | @StevenDiOssi | Like us on Facebook
April 5, 2017

The Albany Devils scored three special teams goals as they blanked the shorthanded Syracuse Crunch 3-0 at Times Union Center on Wednesday

The Crunch were playing without their leading scorer, Cory Conacher, and Michael Bournival, who were each recalled by the Tampa Bay Lightning earlier on Wednesday afternoon.

The call-ups came at a tough time for a Crunch team seeking to take back their lead in the North Division and clinch a playoff spot with just five games left in the regular season. The Crunch, who are now 34-24-6-7 on the year with 81 points, are second in a division were just nine points separate the first place Toronto Marlies (85 points) and the fifth place St. John’s IceCaps (76) as the season draws to a close..

Mike McKenna stopped 29-of-32 shots and Devils goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood made 33 saves to earn the shutout. The Crunch went scoreless in two power-play opportunities and held Albany to 1-for-7 with the man advantage.

The Crunch played an undisciplined opening frame, as they took four penalties and paid for it. Just seconds after killing off the first penalty of a 5-on-3 Devils’ power play, Albany forward Nick Lappin opened the scoring with his 10th goal of the year at 17:40 of the period.

Although Syracuse trailed by just a goal after the first period, two shorthanded markers in the second would put the game out of reach.

The Crunch went on the power play just 27 seconds into the middle frame but Lappin struck for the second time in the game after he forced a turnover in his own zone and beat McKenna on a breakaway at 2:12.

Syracuse went on their second power play at 7:29 of the period but had the same result as Albany forward Brian Gibbons potted a shorthanded goal and Lappin added an assist at the 9:14 mark.

The Crunch outshot the Devils 26-23 in the final two periods but were unable to find the back of the net as Blackwood earned his second shutout of the year.

With the loss, the Crunch have now dropped three straight as they enter the final week and a half of the regular season. Syracuse has continued to shuttle players to the injury-riddled Lightning but could have some help of their own on the way in the not too distant future.

The Crunch signed 19-year-old goaltender Connor Ingram to an amateur tryout (ATO) contract on Tuesday, meaning he can play with the club the rest of the season. He also inked a three-year, entry-level deal with the Lightning, which kicks in beginning next season.

Also, with forward prospects Brett Howden and Dennis Yan’s junior teams eliminated from the playoffs in their respective leagues, they are each eligible to make their professional debuts with the Crunch this season.

Howden, 19, was selected by the Lightning with the 27th pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft and has been an offensive force with the Moose Jaw Warriors in three full seasons in the WHL. This past season, he compiled 81 points in 58 contests and he’s part of the talented stable of young centers currently in the Lightning organization.

Yan, 19, was originally drafted by the Lightning 64th overall in the 2015 draft. The winger has spent the past three seasons with the Shawinigan Cataractes in the QMJHL and tallied 46 goals and 29 assists in 64 games this year.

Ingram, Howden and Yan are all expected to skate with Syracuse at Thursday’s practice, according to Crunch general manager Julien BriseBois.

Syracuse returns to game action when they take on the Binghamton Senators in a road matchup on Friday.