SYRACUSE, N.Y. —
Mike Angelidis scored the game-winning goal on the power play Saturday against Hartford, as the Crunch (26-11-5-0) held off the surging Wolf Pack (24-13-3-2), 3-2, to move into first place in the Northeast Division.
Mike Angelidis tallied the game-winner when he poked a blocked point shot from
Joey Mormina past Yann Danis for the power-play tally, the Crunch's first power-play goal in 26 attempts. The game-winner is Angelidis's second against the Wolf Pack this season. The Crunch and Wolf Pack have decided five of their six contests this season by one goal.
"I think that was a playoff hockey atmosphere out there tonight," Angelidis said after scoring his third game-winner this season. "We're fortunate enough we got to capitalize on it with the power-play [goal]."
Even though the teams don't have much history, meeting only 10 times in the past five seasons, two large scuffles and back-and-forth scoring demonstrated the growing rivalry six games into an eight-game season series.
In a scoreless second period,
Jonathan Marchessault was knocked down leading to a scuffle that saw
Matt Corrente fight Conor Allen and
Charlie Dodero square off with Ryan Bourque. Dodero received a game misconduct for instigating.
Midway through the third period, a second scuffle started, once again in front of the Hartford net, and once again involving Marchessault.
Tanner Richard was charged with roughing after he sandwiched Conor Allen to the boards. Along with the third-period scrum, three goals were tallied in the frame.
After Hartord took a 2-1 lead on a Marek Hrivik shot 2:31 into the frame,
Mike Blunden netted his second of the game on a shorthanded rush with
Vladislav Namestnikov. The All-Star entered the zone on the left-wing side and fed a pass across the slot to Blunden's stick. The 6-foot-4 winger whacked the puck into a wide open net for his 13th goal of the season.
"I thought, 'Just don't miss,'" Blunden said with a laugh about having an open net in front of him with the puck on his stick. "Last night he gave me one of the those passes in the slot on a 5-on-3 and I missed the net, so I wanted to make sure I hit it [tonight]."
Blunden found the net for the first goal of the game on a breakaway 1:29 into the first.
Slater Koekkoek lasered a pass to Blunden's stick, who sniped a rocket over the glove of Danis.
Matt Corrente recorded his fourth assist of the season and third in as many games. Koekkoek's assist increased his season total to 12 points (3g, 9a).
Hartford responded to Blunden's goal with a power-play marker after Syracuse was called for too many men on the ice. Conor Allen squeaked a puck past
Andrei Vasilevskiy at 5:17 in the period, the Wolf Pack's first power-play goal in their last 11 attempts.
Vasilevskiy recorded his 13th win of the season with 30 saves, six of which came with Hartford on a 6-on-4 advantage in the final minute because of a penalty and pulling its goalie. Danis finished with 23 saves and suffered his seventh loss of the season.
Most players have a four-day break for the AHL All-Star Classic, but Namestnikov and Marchessault are headed to Utica to compete in the festivities Sunday and Monday. Syracuse returns to action Jan. 30 against Rochester.
