Syracuse Crunch 3/15/2014 11:03:00 PM

Shootout goal lifts Bulldogs over Crunch, 2-1

2-1 loss

Syracuse, NY – Mike Blunden scored in the ninth round of the shootout to lift the Hamilton Bulldogs over the Syracuse Crunch, 2-1, tonight at the War Memorial Arena.

The loss moves the Crunch to 24-26-4-6 on the season and 0-2-0-1 in the season series with the Bulldogs. With points in the last three games, the Crunch now have 58 points on the season.

Syracuse goaltender Kristers Gudlevskis stopped 28 of 29 shots and eight of nine shootout attempts in defeat, while Hamilton goaltender Robert Mayer stopped 31 of 32 shots and made nine shootout saves. The Crunch were unable to convert on three power-play opportunities. The penalty kill unit was successful against all six Bulldog power plays.

After two scoreless periods, the Crunch and the Bulldogs both scored in the third to send the game into overtime. Vladislav Namestnikov passed back to Brett Connolly who tipped the puck past Mayer on the glove side at the 6:42 mark. Four minutes later, Louis Leblanc slid the puck across the goal line from the left side of the crease off an assist from Morgan Ellis to send the game into an extra frame.

Neither team scored in overtime, forcing a shootout. Blunden scored the shootout's only goal, beating Gudlevskis in the ninth round to give the Bulldogs a 2-1 victory over the Crunch.

The Crunch travel to Albany tomorrow to face the Devils at 5 p.m

Crunchables: Vlad Namestnikov has points in six of his last seven AHL games (4g, 5a)…Brett Connolly is on a four-game point streak (2g, 4a)… Phil Paradis dropped the gloves twice tonight, the first multi-fight night of Phil Paradis' career … Paradis now has seven fights this season for the Crunch.

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