Syracuse Crunch
Trade deadline acquisitions help Syracuse Crunch grab series lead against St. John’s
By Erik Erlendsson | 
@Erik_Erlendsson | 
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April 26, 2017
At the NHL trade deadline this season, the Lightning proved to be the biggest seller, moving Ben Bishop, Brian Boyle and Valtteri Filppula.
But when it came to addressing the Syracuse Crunch, Steve Yzmerman and assistant general manager Julien BriseBois were buyers at the deadline.
On Wednesday, those two moves paid dividends as Syracuse knocked off St. John’s 3-2 in Game 3 of the North Division semifinals. The Crunch lead the best-of-five series 2-1.
Iit was goaltender Mike McKenna and center Byron Froese – the two players acquired by the organization primarily to boost the Syracuse roster – who had the biggest impact in the victory.
Froese, who arrived in the deal that sent Boyle to the Toronto Maple Leafs, scored the game-winning goal in the second period while McKenna, acquired from Florida straight-up for goaltender Adam Wilcox, finished with 26 saves while stopping all nine in the third period to keep the lead intact, for the victory.
Those late-season additions sent a message to the Syracuse roster, Crunch ownership and, more importantly, to the fans of the team that winning matters throughout the organization, not just at the highest level.
The contributions of McKenna and Froese on Wednesday helped Syracuse take one step closer to winning a playoff round for the first time since reaching the Calder Cup finals in 2012.
The Crunch can clinch the series in Friday’s Game 4 back at War Memorial. The winner of this series would face the winner of the series between Toronto and Albany, currently led by Toronto following an overtime victory in Game 3 on Wednesday.
Should Syracuse be fortunate enough to advance, the addition of the experienced, veteran goaltender and the top line AHL center will be a big factor as the overall team depth has been bolstered.
Froese notched the winner on Wednesday coming off the bench during a line change and found a loose puck end up on his stick just inside the St. John’s blue line. After a quick move around the defense, Froese cut to his right and zipped a wrist shot from the right circle past Charlie Lindgren with 3:55 left in the second period to put the Crunch up 3-2.
”I jumped to the middle as the (forecheckers) went wide and the puck just happened to hop right to me,’’ Froese said. “I made a little move to get past the Dman and I saw the far top post was open.’’
It’s that type of shot and scoring ability Froese brought with him as he was leading the Toronto Marlies in goals at the time of the trade and finished the season with 27 goals overall. But Froese brings more than just an NHL-caliber shot to the Syracuse lineup.
”He’s not only a shooter, he’s a guy that can bring a 200-foot game,’’ head coach Ben Groulx said. “I thought he was solid (Wednesday) he played with a lot of poise and we needed that tonight.’’
They needed McKenna, as well, to play with the same poise and he brought that to his game on Wednesday, able to settle the game down in the second when things got away from the Crunch and then held the fort in the third to secure the victory.
”The last three games he’s been unbelievable back there,’’ Froese said of McKenna. “We’ve been giving up a little too much on the rush and breakaways and he’s been lights out down there for us. It gives a team confidence when your goalie can make big saves.’’
McKenna did just that.
First period goals by Joel Vermin and Erik Condra provided a 2-0 lead for the Crunch heading in to the second.
That lead was wiped out in the span of 28 seconds in the second period after a power play goal by Zach Redmond at 12:17 cut the lead in half and then on the next shift, Stefan Matteau tied it up at 12:45 on a breakaway.
McKenna, the AHL veteran, then stopped all nine shots in the third, including a breakaway chance by Charlie Hudon.
”These games are not going to be easy,’’ McKenna said. “We had a little lull in the second, but came right back and scored. That’s a big weight off your shoulders as a goalie. … And goals go in, that’s hockey, whether they are 28 seconds apart or 25 minutes apart, they can happen at any time. You can’t let it bother you, you are not going to get a shutout every game, those are rare. You just try to focus on the next save.’’
Now, the Crunch shift that focus to the next game, though they may have to do it without forward Adam Erne, who left the game in the second after absorbing a hit from behind late in the second and did not play in the third. Groulx did not have an update on Erne’s condition following the game.