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Syracuse Crunch

McGinn Tyes first-round series for Crunch in double-overtime thriller

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By Steven DiOssi | @StevenDiOssi | Like us on Facebook
April 22, 2017

In a thrilling and sometimes controversial double-overtime affair, the Syracuse Crunch found a way to tie the best-of-five opening series against St. John’s at a game apiece.

The Crunch overcame a two-goal deficit in the third period and a waived off goal in overtime before Tye McGinn tallied the game-winner in the second overtime to defeat the St. John’s IceCaps 4-3 at Mile One Centre on Saturday.

The series now shifts to Syracuse for the remainder of the series, starting Wednesday with Game 3.

But earning their first victory of the postseason as an uphill battle for the Crunch.

Mike McKenna got his second straight start in goal for the Crunch and stopped 38-of-41 shots while Charlie Lindgren stopped 46 shots for St. John’s. The Crunch went 0-for-3 on the power play but held the IceCaps scoreless in five attempts with the man advantage, including one in the second extra session.

Syracuse outshot St. John’s 12-9 in the first period but were unable to find the back of the net and the game remained scoreless heading into the first intermission.

McGinn was awarded a penalty shot in the second period with the chance to break the deadlock after he was brought down from behind on a breakaway at 7:13 of the middle frame but was unable to beat Lindgren as the game remained scoreless.

The IceCaps opened the scoring when Stefan Matteau sped into the zone along the right wing and thread a pass underneath a diving Adam Erne to Jacob de la Rose who chipped the puck past McKenna’s blocker side at 8:33 of the second period.

It didn’t take long for the Crunch to answer, as Slater Koekkoek tallied his first goal of the playoffs at the 10:10 mark.

Matthew Peca handled the puck at the top of the right circle and faked a shot before skating toward the St. John’s net and feeding a backhand pass across the zone to Koekkoek who one-timed it past Lindgren. Erik Condra also was credited with an assist on Koekkoek’s first goal of the postseason.

As the second period came to a close, the Crunch outshot the IceCaps, 14-9, but the game remained knotted 1-1.

But that would change quickly in the third period.

The IceCaps took the lead on Charles Hudon’s goal at 4:46, pouncing on a turnover in the Syracuse end, before Matteau made it a two-goal game at 8:30 of the period.

Just 1:18 later, Dominik Masin was called for a high-sticking penalty but the Crunch were able to kill off the ensuing power play. Syracuse went on the man advantage at 12:24 but was unable to capitalize and remained down two-goals as the game entered the final five and a half minutes of play.

With the Crunch just minutes away from falling into a two-game hole in the series, their offense surged to tie the game sparked with a bold move by head coach Ben Groulx, who pulled McKenna for an extra attacker with 4:35 remaining in the third period.

Just after McKenna vacated the net and Matteau missed an empty net by inches, Erik Condra fed a pass to Taormina along the boards who fired a shot towards the St. John’s net. Lindgren got a piece of it but was unable to make the save as the puck snuck past him and over the goal line with 4:17 left in regulation. Conacher also added an assist on the goal.

But Conacher and the Crunch weren’t done yet.

With McKenna again pulled for an extra attacker, this time on a delayed IceCaps’ penalty, the Crunch controlled the puck in the offensive zone. Conacher fired a shot towards the net from the top of the right circle but it was blocked and bounced back to himhim. Conacher grabbed the puck and fed it to Ben Thomas back at the center point. Thomas controlled the puck momentarily before sending it back to Conacher who delivered one-timer rocket past Lindgren to tie the game with just 2:44 remaining. Taormina earned his first multi-point game of the playoffs.

In the first OT, the IceCaps thought they had the game won on a play in front of the net that had McKenna looking behind him for the puck and the IceCaps started celebrating. But the goal light never went on and the play went to review. After a short delay, the officials returned to the ice and waived the goal off, presumably because the puck never cross the line, which allowed play to continue.

The Crunch continued to outshoot the IceCaps for the fourth straight period, this time by a 9-8 mark, but the game remained tied.

In the second OT, the Crunch appeared to win it early in the second session after Taormina wristed a shot past Lindgren. But the goal was immediately waived off as Gabriel Dumont was ruled to have made contact with Lindgren and the game continued.

Byron Froese was called for a delay of game penalty at the 8:10 mark, putting the Crunch down a man for two minutes, but Syracuse kept the IceCaps off the board.

Just 27 seconds after Syracuse got back to even strength, McGinn tallied the game winner to complete the comeback.

During a play behind the net, McGinn had his stick knocked out of his hand. As the puck continued around the boards, McGinn went back to retrieve his stick, he got lost behind the play and was left wide open on the back door as Peca slid a pass to the right point to Taromina who found McGinn open back down low. McGinn was so open he had enough time to coral and settle the puck on his stick before depositing it in to the vacant side of the net to give Syracuse the first double-overtime victory in franchise history.



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