GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. – The Grand Rapids Griffins netted the game-winner with 14 seconds remaining in regulation to steal a 3-2 Game 1 win from the Syracuse Crunch to start the Calder Cup Finals series tonight at Van Andel Arena.
 
The Griffins opened scoring before Kevin Lynch evened the score with a shorthanded goal halfway through the first period. Joel Vermin gave Syracuse the lead less than a minute into the second, but Grand Rapids tied it up before the intermission. When it appeared the series was heading to overtime, the Crunch took a too many men on the ice call and gave up the game-winner in the final seconds.
 
Mike McKenna made 33 saves between the pipes for the Crunch. Jared Coreau earned the win stopping 22-of-24 shots. Syracuse was unable to convert on two man-advantages, but went 5-for-6 against the most productive power play team in the postseason.
 
Grand Rapids jumped out to a lead 4:56 into the game. Mitch Callahan backhanded one from the slot that was turned aside. The rebound came out to the left of McKenna for Tomas Nosek to clean up through an open back door. Tyler Bertuzzi earned the secondary assist.
 
The Crunch evened the score while on the penalty kill against a dangerous power play squad halfway through the opening frame. Cory Conacher brought the puck into the zone on a 2-on-1 shorthanded breakaway. At the last second, he passed to his right for Lynch to chip it in.
 
The Crunch went on top just 54 seconds into the middle frame. Gourde carried the puck across the blue line, banked it off the boards around a defender to himself and stopped in the right circle before sending a cross-slot feed for Vermin to net. Jake Dotchin got the secondary helper on the go-ahead tally.
 
With 2:48 remaining in the second period, the Griffins tied it up. Colin Campbell dug the puck out from the end boards for Nathan Paetsch to send home all alone in the slot. Bertuzzi made it a two-point night with the assist.
 
Grand Rapids capitalized on a power play opportunity with 14 seconds remaining to take the Game 1 victory. Tomas Nosek got the puck down low and found space on the short side to lift his team to victory. Matthew Ford and Matt Lorito helped on the game-winner.
 
The teams return to Van Andel Arena for Game 2 on Saturday at 7 p.m.
 
Single game tickets for the 2017 Calder Cup Playoffs presented by NAPA Auto Parts are on sale now and can be purchased in person at the Crunch office located inside the War Memorial Arena at 800 S. State St. in Syracuse, by calling the office at 315-473-4444 or by logging on to Ticketmaster. For the latest Crunch news, visit www.syracusecrunch.com or follow the club on Facebook (www.facebook.com/syracusecrunch), Twitter (@SyracuseCrunch) and Instagram (@syracusecrunch) using #SyrCrunch and #FIN15H.
 
Crunchables: Cory Conacher is on a four-game points streak with 11 points (5g, 6a) in that span…Yanni Gourde has eight points (2g, 6a) in the last four games.