Crunch fall to Thruway rivals

3-1 loss

Syracuse, NY - The Syracuse Crunch fell to Thruway rivals the Utica Comets 3-1 tonight at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.

The season-high sixth consecutive loss brings the Crunch's overall record to 17-20-2-4 and road record to 10-11-2-2. The Crunch are now 1-1-0-0 in the best-of-four season series against the Comets.

Utica netminder, and reigning CCM/AHL Player of the Week, Joacim Eriksson stopped 31 of 32 shots faced. Crunch defenseman Andrej Sustr scored the Crunch's lone goal, ruining Eriksson's shutout bid with 1:05 to play in regulation. Crunch goaltender Cedrick Desjardins made 26 saves on 29 shots. Each team was scoreless on five power-play opportunities.

After a scoreless first period the Comets struck twice in the middle frame to carry a two-goal lead into the third period. Utica's Brandon DeFazio opened the scoring by beating a sprawling Desjardins 3:24 into the second period. Former Crunch forward Pascal Pelletier doubled the Comets lead at the 13:31 mark. Pelletier drew Desjardins to the left before cutting back to an open net.

Darren Archiblad made it 3-0 when he potted the rebound of an Alexandre Grenier shot 14:46 into the final frame.

The Crunch return home to host the Norfolk Admirals at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 1.

Crunchables: After tonight's game goalies Cedrick Desjardins and Kristers Gudlevskis were both recalled to the Tampa Bay Lightning...The Crunch have held their opponents scoreless on the power-play in four of their last five games...Andrej Sustr's third period goal was his first since Game 6 of the 2013 Calder Cup Finals.

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