Game 13: Syracuse Crunch vs. Adirondack Phantoms
7:30 p.m. at War Memorial Arena, Syracuse, N.Y.
Following a 6-1 thumping of Hershey Friday, Syracuse faces Adirondack for the third time this year Saturday, having lost to the Phantoms in overtime at the War Memorial Oct. 28, 4-3, and won at the Glens Falls Civic Center Nov. 2, 4-1. The Phantoms enter the contest at 6-7-0-0, 3rd in the Northeast Division and 11th in the Eastern Conference. They suffered a 5-2 loss in Binghamton Friday and are off Sunday. The Flyers' AHL affiliate has just four wins in nine games away from home. Brayden Schenn leads the Phantoms with 11 points (4g, 7a) including four against Syracuse Oct. 28.
Coverage
Listen to live play-by-play on
TheScore1260 with pregame coverage starting at 7:15 p.m. For in-game updates on Twitter, follow
@SyracuseCrunch and broadcaster
@Dan_Duva. Check
SyracuseCrunch.com for post-game recap. Pay-to-watch video is available on
AHL Live.
Offensive Jolt
The Crunch scored six goals for the second time this season Friday against Hershey, the largest output at home in five games. The only other time they've posted six goals this season was a 6-5 overtime victory at Binghamton when the Crunch pulled off the biggest comeback in franchise history after trailing 5-0 halfway through the game.
First Time Scoring
Both
Danick Gauthier and P.C. Labrie scored their first goals of the season Friday against the Hershey Bears. Gauthier's was his first as a professional, following an 86-point (47g, 39a) 2011-12 with Saint John in the QMJHL. For Labrie, a sixth-year pro, his two goals Friday were his 40th and 41st in the American Hockey League. Also on Friday, defenseman
Evan Oberg posted his first point (1a) of the season.
The Tried and True
Two of Syracuse's most reliable scorers tallied points in Friday's win over Hershey.
Tyler Johnson opened the scoring with his team-leading ninth goal of the season, tied for third most in the AHL.
Cory Conacher notched two points, his first multi-point game since the last meeting with Hershey, Oct. 13, and now has 15 points for the year, top-5 in the AHL.
Milestone
With a goal and an assist Friday vs. Hershey, reigning AHL defenseman of the year
Mark Barberio eclipsed the 100-point mark as a professional and now has 101 points in AHL regular-season play. In 2012-13 the Montreal native has three goals and six assists, and for his career has 25 goals and 76 assists.
Last Time They Met: Nov. 2
The Crunch earned a measure of revenge Nov. 2 in Glens Falls, defeating the Phantoms, 4-1. Adirondack had stunned the Crunch at the War Memorial four days earlier, 4-3 in overtime, with a six-on-three goal to tie and a five-on-three goal to win. On Friday, the Crunch gave Adirondack seven power plays, but-unlike the previous meeting-zero five-on-three power plays; the Crunch penalty killers stopped all seven.
Though Syracuse could not score a power play goal of its own for just the second time this season (losing 4-1 to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on the previous occasion) and shot the puck only 18 times (a season low), the Crunch had plenty of offense.
Cory Conacher scored at 10:03 of the first-his sixth of the season-extending his league-best scoring streak to eight games.
Mark Barberio got the helper, his seventh point (2g, 5a) of the year. After Harry Zolnierczyk tied the game late in the first for Adirondack, Syracuse regained the lead on
Richard Panik's second of the season, assists to
Tyler Johnson and
Ondrej Palat, at 5:44 of the second. Ninety seconds later,
Matt Taormina made a long-distance pass in stride to
Tyler Johnson who beat Cal Heeter with his sixth of the year.
J.P. Cote earned the secondary assist for his first point of the year. Taormina added a short-handed empty-net goal with 39 seconds left in the third to seal the win.
Dustin Tokarski was named the game's first star, picking up his fourth victory in six games while making 23 saves on 24 shots. In the loss, Heeter made 14 saves. The win improved the Crunch record when leading after two periods to 4-0-1-0.
