Game Notes: 5/12/08 v. Toronto Marlies
Crunch Season Ends with Game Seven Loss in Toronto
Toronto, ON (May 12, 2008) – The Syracuse Crunch the Toronto Marlies tonight, 3-2 at Ricoh Coliseum in front of 4,753 fans.
Both teams came out looking for a fast start in the seventh and deciding game of this North Division Final series, and both teams got just that.
Toronto was the first team to get on the board when Brent Aubin deflected an Alex Foster shot past Kark Goehring on the Marlies’ first shot of the game at the 2:47 mark.
The Crunch had a quick answer when Derek MacKenize got the puck on his backhand in the slot and ripped a shot over the left shoulder of Scott Clemmensen to tie the game at 1-1 just 41 seconds later.
Toronto took the lead back before the period was halfway through when Aubin notched his second of the game. Aubin took a feed from Foster, skated down the middle and wristed a bullet over the shoulder of Goehring to give the Marlies a 2-1 lead.
Toronto outshot the Crunch 13-8 in the first frame.
The Marlies could not capitalize on a carry-over power play to start the second stanza. Just 45 seconds in, Bryan Muir took a hooking penalty, but the Crunch were not able to take advantage either.
The Toronto defense kept the Crunch’s shots mostly from the outside and did a good job clogging up the middle to take away Syracuse scoring chances.
Syracuse fell behind by two at the 7:20 mark of the third period. John Mitchell cashed in when he tipped in a Jiri Tlusty pass past Goehring to make it 3-1.
The Crunch would not go quietly into the night as Gilbert Brule fired a rocket past Clemmensen on a one-time pass from MacKenzie to make it 3-2 just two and a half minutes later.
Syracuse tried to get the equalizer and had a great chance when, with under three minutes remaining, Kris Newbury was sent to the box for tripping.
The Crunch could not score on the power play and time ran out on the game and their season.