Game 58: Syracuse Crunch (24-26-4-5) vs. Hamilton Bulldogs (25-29-1-4)
7:00 p.m., War Memorial Arena, Syracuse, N.Y.
The Crunch play the middle game of a three-in-three weekend at home against the Hamilton Bulldogs, the third of four meetings between the teams. Hamilton won each of the first two on back-to-back nights in November, including one at Bell Centre in Montreal.
The Bulldogs have lost four in a row, and seven of ten to drop to last place in the Western Conference with 55 points. With two straight wins the Crunch are 13 points out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with 57 points.
Broadcast Coverage
In the hunt |Â
AHL Standings |
In 13th place at 57 points, Syracuse is 13 points out of a playoff spot, needing to jump at least five teams to secure a berth. The Crunch have 17 contests remaining and need to pass, Hartford (58pts), Bridgeport (58 points), Worcester (60pts), Hershey (68pts) and Albany (70pts). In the season's final six weeks, the Crunch play Albany four times. | AHL Standings |
Last time out
Jon DiSalvatore scored 1:50 into overtime as the Crunch defeated the Hershey Bears, 3-2, last night at the War Memorial Arena, closing out the season series with five wins in eight games.
The Bears connected on their only power play of the game 9:50 into the first to grab a 1-0 lead.
Charles Landry tied the game at one later in the period, scoring his first career AHL goal on a shot from the right point. In the second
Dalton Smith backhanded home his first goal with the Crunch for a 2-1 lead.
After Hershey tied it in the third to send it to overtime, DiSalvatore popped in a bouncing puck early in overtime to give the Crunch their second win in a row.
Kristers Gudlevskis stopped 31 shots in the win.
First Timers
Last night was a first on a number of fronts for the Crunch.
Charles Landry's goal at 14:04 of the first period was his first in the AHL. In 56 career regular season games since the start of the 2011-12 season, the Longueuil, Quebec native has eight assists to go along with his first goal.
Dalton Smith, playing in his third game with the Crunch since being acquired from the Springfield Falcons at the trade deadline March 5, scored his first goal with the Crunch in the second period. The 21-year-old now has 10 points (5g, 5a) in 53 combined games with Springfield and Syracuse this season.
Yanni Gourde made his Syracuse debut last night after signing a contract Sunday. He recorded an assist, his first point with the Crunch, on Landry's first-period goal. The 22-year-old had 24 points (4g, 20a) in 25 games with Worcester before joining the Crunch.
With Gourde and Smith getting their first points with the Crunch, 35 different players have at least a point with Syracuse, matching last season's total.
In the Crunch's win over Hershey, the two teams combined for two penalty minutes, a
Dalton Smith interference minor in the first period. It's the fewest number of combined penalty minutes in a Crunch game in franchise history.
The last time an opponent had zero penalty minutes against the Crunch came March 18, 2011 when Toronto didn't commit an infraction in a 1-0 Crunch win. Syracuse had six penalty minutes in the game.
Last night was also the first time since 1990 that Hershey had not taken a penalty in a game. The only time in Crunch history they haven't taken a penalty in a game was Nov. 19, 2000 against Springfield.
Head-to-head
The Crunch and Bulldogs have met twice this season with former Crunch netminder
Dustin Tokarski getting the better of his old team, limiting Syracuse to one goal on 69 shots. Since being dealt by the Crunch last February, Tokarski has three wins and two shutouts in three games against Syracuse.
The two teams played a home-and-home Nov. 22-23 with the Bulldogs outscoring the Crunch 7-1. The first game was at Bell Centre in Montreal, a 4-1 Hamilton win.
Tanner Richard (1a), Phil Paradis (1a) and
J.P. Cote (1g) are the only Crunch players to record a point against the Bulldogs. Cedrick Dejardins has appeared in both games against his old team posting a 0-2-0 record with a 3.03 goals against average and .898 save percentage.
Scouting the Bulldogs
Offensively Martin St. Pierre leads Hamilton with 41 points (10g, 31a) in 55 games. St. Pierre is one of two players with three points (3a) against the Crunch, the other being Mike Blunden (2g, 1a). Rookie Sven Andrighetto is second on the team with 31 points (14g, 17a). Blunden is third with 29 points (14g, 15a). Christian Thomas, the son of former Crunch and current Lightning coach Steve Thomas, has 19 points (8g, 11a) in 38 games this season.
Although Carey Price is expected to return from injury tonight in Montreal, Bulldogs workhorse and former Crunch netminder
Dustin Tokarski is still in the NHL. Tokarski played in 34 games for Hamilton prior to being recalled Feb. 26, posting a 17-13-3 record with a 2.34 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage.
Devan Dubnyk, acquired March 5 from Nashville, has started three of the last four games for the Bulldogs including last night's 5-1 loss to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The Regina, Saskatchewan native has posted an 0-3-0 record with an a 3.89 goals-against average and .873 save percentage. He was pulled last night after allowing four goals on 14 shots and was replace by Robert Mayer, who has also seeen time in Tokarski's absence. His season totals in 23 games include a 7-13-2 record, a 2.91 goals-against average and .904 save percentage.Â
The Hamilton power play has been held off the board in five of the last six games (1-for-28). This season Hamilton is 29th on the power play (13.4%). Only Chicago (34) has scored fewer goals on the man advantage than Hamilton (36). Three of those power-play goals came in Syracuse as the Bulldogs went 3-for-7 Nov. 23.
Opponents have been successful against the Bulldogs penalty kill lately, scoring at least once in each of the last four games and in seven of the last ten. In the last four games opponents are 6-for-18 with the man-advantage (33.3%). Overall the Bulldogs have the 18th ranked penalty kill (81.6%).
Prior to last night the Crunch had scored power-play goals in back-to-back games. With no opportunities on the man advantage last night the Crunch power play remained 21st in the AHL (15.9%).
Syracuse allowed a power-play goal for the fourth straight game last night when the Bears converted on their only opportunity. In the last four games the Crunch have killed off 12 of 18 penalties (66.7%). Syracuse is ranked 16th on the kill (81.6%).
