Syracuse edges Utica 2-1

2-1 Win

Utica, NY – Cedric Paquette scored in the sixth round of a shootout to lift the Syracuse Crunch over the Utica Comets 2-1 tonight at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.

The win improves the Crunch to 3-2-1-0 on the season. Crunch goaltender Cedrick Desjardins made 19 saves for his first win of the season. Utica goaltender Joacim Eriksson made 32 saves in defeat.

The Comets took their first lead of franchise history on a power-play goal from Colin Stuart 4:39 into the first period. Stuart beat Desjardins with assists on the goal going to Yann Sauve and Zac Dalpe. The Crunch applied heavy pressure in the second half of the period but the Comets carried their one-goal lead into the first intermission.

Forward Nikita Kucherov converted on the Crunch's fourth power-play chance of the game at the 6:43 mark of the second stanza to even the score 1-1. Eriksson saved the initial point shot from Matt Taormina but Kucherov was in the right place to score his sixth goal of the season on the rebound.

The Crunch outshot the Comets 30-19 through regulation, but Eriksson forced the overtime period, making 16 saves in the third period. Syracuse didn't allow a shot during the extra frame, but Eriksson turned away three Crunch bids to force a shootout.

Paquette scored the game-winner in the sixth round, beating Eriksson five-hole. Desjardins stopped the last five Comet shooters, while Tanner Richard also scored for the Crunch.

The Crunch return to action on Saturday Oct. 26 when they host the Bridgeport Sound Tigers for Pink in the Rink night presented by Upstate University Hospital.

Crunchables: With assists on Nikita Kucherov's second period goal Matt Taormina and Vlad Namestnikov each extended their point streak to five games…Kucherov leads all AHL rookies in scoring with nine points (6g, 3a) in six games played…Taormina is fifth among AHL defenseman in scoring with eight points (1g, 7a) in five games.

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