LAVAL, QUEBEC –
Otto Somppi scored the game-winner in the sixth round of a shootout to give the Syracuse Crunch a 3-2 victory over the Laval Rocket tonight at Place Bell.
The win advances the Crunch to 15-6-2-0 on the season and 2-0 in the six-game series against the Rocket.
Goaltender
Eddie Pasquale stopped 21-of-23 shots and 5-of-6 shootout attempts to pick up the win. Michael McNiven turned aside 25-of-27 shots and 4-of-6 shootout attempts in net for the Rocket. Syracuse was unable to convert on three power play opportunities, while shutting down 6-of-7 Laval man-advantages.
The Crunch jumped out to an early lead just 2:26 into the game. After
Nolan Valleau fired from the blue line,
Dennis Yan tipped the shot down low. Somppi earned the secondary helper.
The Rocket evened the score 1:04 into the middle stanza. Maxim Lamarche threw the puck down the slot where Alexandre Alain grabbed it and chipped a shot over Pasquale. Michael McCarron earned a point on the goal. Three minutes later, Laval took the lead on the power play. Alex Belzile's right point shot kicked off the post for McCarron to clean up.
Alex Volkov tied the game at the 6:41 mark with a wrist shot from the right circle. Assists went to
Cory Conacher and
Andy Andreoff.
After a scoreless third period and overtime frame, the game went to a shootout. Volkov put the Crunch up in the first round, but Daniel Audette responded in the second. The teams went back-and-forth until Somppi finished it off in the sixth round.
The Crunch and Rocket rematch tomorrow at 3 p.m.
Single game tickets and packages for the 2018-19 season 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 online through
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.
Crunchables: The Crunch are 1-2 when requiring overtime this season.
