Syracuse Crunch
Conacher leads Crunch to Calder Cup Final
By Erik Erlendsson | 
@Erik_Erlendsson | 
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May 27, 2017
Cory Conacher sent the Syracuse Crunch to the Calder Cup Final.
The former American Hockey League MVP scored the tie-breaking goal with 5:06 left in the third period and then added an empty netter for his second of the night to lift Syracuse to a 3-1 victory against the Providence Bruins on Saturday at War Memorial.
The Crunch won the series in five games, winning all three games at home to close out the series. Syracuse will face the Grand Rapids Griffins in the Final, setting up a rematch of the 2013 Final.
Rookie defenseman Ben Thomas also scored an added an assist to help lift Syracuse to a second Calder Cup Final since the Crunch became the affiliate of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Mike McKenna stopped 27 shots to pick up the victory.
”It is a great feeling,’’ Syracuse head coach Ben Groulx said of reaching the Calder Cup Final. “When you start the year in this league you hope to make the playoffs, and we clinch with about five games to go, then we clinch first place in the last game of the year. Then we start the playoffs and you want to win the first round, then the second round and you know that each team you are facing are great teams. Now here we are and we are going to the Final, so that feels pretty good.’’
It’s a good feeling for Conacher, as well.
The 2012 American Hockey League MVP helped lead the Norfolk Admirals – then the Lightning affiliate – to a Calder Cup title the same year. After moving around organizations since then – from Tampa Bay to Ottawa to Buffalo to the New York Islanders before playing in Switzerland – Conacher returned to North America this season with the Lightning. Earlier in the season he returned to the NHL when he was called up to Tampa Bay, scoring his first NHL goal since Oct. 11, 2014.
Now the 27-year-old leads all players in playoff scoring with 20 points and is tied for the league lead with nine goals.
”It’s awesome, it’s a great feeling to see the clock wind down, after it was 3-1, to zero is just a great feeling wherever you are, and last year I was in Bern (Switzerland) and we won there,’’ Conacher said. “Everybody’s goal is to win the Stanley Cup, but if you are in the AHL or whatever league you are in, you want to win. You get just as excited like you were going for the Stanley Cup to win the Calder Cup. We are all in right now, we are all committed to the structure of our team right now and it’s going to be a lot of fun down the stretch here to watch this team pull off some big wins to try to raise that Calder Cup in the end.’’
After getting the blowout victory in Game 4 on Friday, the Crunch jumped on the Bruins – who started Malcom Subban in net for the first time – early in the game as Thomas, a first-year pro defenseman, scored his second goal inas many nights and fourth of the playoffs just 41 seconds in to the game to get Syracuse off on the right foot and put Providence in the position of having to chase the game.
McKenna, the starter in net for the Crunch since the opening of the playoffs, put together another strong effort in keeping Syracuse in the lead until late in the second period when Chris Porter tied the game with 6:33 left in the middle frame and send the game in to the third period tied.
But the Bruins would not get the chance to take the lead as Syracuse held Providence to just six shots on goal in the third period, allowing Conacher to pick up the series-clinching goal, chipping in a rebound from a Thomas shot to send the Crunch on to the next round.
”It’s an amazing feeling,’’ McKenna said. ‘But the way this team plays, that’s what has made this happen. It’s quite a feeling to be in this locker room right now.’’
Eastern Conference finals schedule
Game 1 — Syracuse 6, Providence3 (Syracuse leads series 1-0)
Game 2 — Providence 2, Syracuse 1 (OT) (Series tied 1-1
Game 3 — Syracuse 5, Providence 4 (Syracuse leads series 2-1)
Game 4 — Syracuse 7, Providence 2 (Syracuse leads series 3-1)
Game 5 — Syracuse 3, Providence 1. (Syracuse wins series 4-1)
Game 6* — Tuesday, May 30, 7:05 p.m. at Providence
Game 7* — Wednesday, May 31, 7:05 p.m.. at Providence
• – if necessary
• All times Eastern
Calder Cup Final schedule
Game 1 – Friday, June 2 – Syracuse at Grand Rapids, 7:00
Game 2 – Saturday, June 3 – Syracuse at Grand Rapids, 7:00
Game 3 – Wednesday June 7 – Grand Rapids at Syracuse, 7:00
Game 4 – Friday, June 9 – Grand Rapids at Syracuse, 7:00
*Game 5 – Saturday, June 10 – Grand Rapids at Syracuse, 7:00
*Game 6 – Tuesday, June 13 – Syracuse at Grand Rapids, 7:00
*Game 7 – Wednesday, June 14 – Syracuse at Grand Rapids, 7:00
*if necessary… All times Eastern