Syracuse Crunch Year in Review
Syracuse, NY, (Friday, May 1, 2009)
2008-09 RECORD: 40-32-5-3, 88 points, (25-11-3-1 home, 15-21-2-2 road), fifth place, North Division.
15 YEARS IN THE BOOKS: The Syracuse Crunch competed in their 15th anniversary season in 2008-09. In 15 years, the Crunch have compiled an overall record of 520-503-96-57-24 (W-L-T-OTL-SOL), good for a .518 winning percentage. Syracuse has made the playoffs in 9 of its 15 seasons. In 2008-09, the Crunch compiled 40 wins, the third highest win total in franchise history. The club’s 88 points was the fifth highest total in team history.
RECORDS ARE MADE TO BE BROKEN: The Syracuse Crunch won their final 15 regular season games of the 2007-08 season, setting a new franchise record. The American Hockey League record for consecutive regular season wins still stood at 17 heading into the 2008-09 campaign. The mark was held by the Philadelphia Phantoms, who won 17 consecutive games from October 22 – November 24, 2004.
After defeating Rochester twice in a home-and-home series to open the regular season, the Crunch had a chance to make history October 17 at Binghamton.
After going down 2-0, Syracuse stormed back with two third period goals to force overtime and eventually a shootout. Dan LaCosta made 36 saves and the Crunch converted on four of five shootout attempts to win the contest and set the AHL record for consecutive regular season wins (18).
Even after dropping their next game on the road in a 7-1 loss at Hershey on October 18, the Crunch continued playing well at home.
After putting together a 17-game home points streak to close out the 2007-08 season, Syracuse continued its dominance at the War Memorial at Oncenter to begin 2008-09. The Crunch went 7-0-0-0 to start the season at home, tying the all-time AHL overall home undefeated/points streak at 24 games (22-0-0-2). Syracuse now shares the record with the Springfield Falcons, who went 18-0-6 from February 8 – November 14, 1997.
MILESTONES REACHED THIS SEASON:
Players that made their professional debut:
Sebastian Dahm – October 11 vs. Rochester
Tim Filangieri – April 11 vs. Rochester
Nikita Filatov – October 10 @ Rochester
Matt Greer – April 11 vs. Rochester
Stefan Legein – January 16 vs. Albany
Matt Kennedy – April 3 vs. Rockford
Steve Mason – October 29 @ Grand Rapids
Maksim Mayorov – October 10 @ Rochester
Tim Miller – April 11 vs. Rochester
Nick St. Pierre – March 20 vs. Rochester
Blair Yaworski – October 17 @ Binghamton
Dan LaCosta:
Moved into fifth place all-time in games played by a Crunch goaltender (79)
Moved into fifth place on the Crunch’s all-time list in wins (33)
Moved into third place on the Crunch’s all-time list in shutouts (6)
Jonathan Sigalet:
Appeared in 200th AHL game – October 10 @ Rochester
Dan Smith:
Appeared in 100th game as a member of Crunch – December 6 @ Houston
Appeared in 700th professional game – December 14 @ Rochester
Appeared in 700th AHL game – February 6 @ Lake Erie
Tom Sestito:
Appeared in 100th professional game – February 28 vs. Albany
Appeared in 100th AHL game – March 3 vs. Hamilton
Steve Kelly:
Tallied 300th AHL point – October 11 vs. Rochester
Appeared in 700th professional game – March 6 vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
Ryan Garlock:
Appeared in 100th AHL game – January 6 @ Lake Erie
Alexandre Picard:
Scored 100th AHL and Crunch point – March 20 vs. Rochester
Tied a Crunch franchise record by recording four goals in a game– March 21 vs. Albany
Set a Crunch franchise record by scoring seven combined goals on March 20 and 21, the most goals ever by a Crunch player in a two-game span.
Moved into sixth place on the Crunch’s all-time list in power play goals (28)
Derek MacKenzie:
Appeared in 500th professional game – December 13 vs. Toronto
Appeared in 100th game as a member of the Crunch – February 16 vs. Hershey
Appeared in 500th AHL game – April 4 vs. Rochester
Tallied 100th point as a member of the Crunch – April 8 vs. Binghamton
Aaron Rome:
Set new Crunch single-game record for penalty minutes (53) – January 17 vs. Hamilton
Trevor Frischmon:
Appeared in 100th AHL and Crunch game – November 1 @ Rockford
Jon Mirasty:
Moved into seventh place on the Crunch’s all-time list in penalty minutes (408)
Appeared in 100th AHL and Crunch game – March 20 vs. Rochester
TEN TO REMEMBER – Ten standout games from this season
October 10 @ Rochester – The Crunch kick-off their 15th anniversary season with a win over rival Rochester. 18-year old Russian rookie Nikita Filatov scores a goal in his professional debut and Mike York tallies the game-winner, his first of a team-leading 58 points in the 4-3 win.
October 11 vs. Rochester – The Crunch continue their dominance over the Amerks with a 6-1 pounding of Rochester in their home opener in front of 6,142 fans at the War Memorial at Oncenter. Tom Sestito tallies a career-high three points (1g, 2a) while Mike York adds three helpers in a game that saw 112 combined penalty minutes.
October 29 @ Grand Rapids – Steve Mason returns from a knee injury to make his long-awaited professional debut and does not disappoint, stopping 32 of 33 shots and all four shootout attempts to lift Syracuse to a 2-1 win over the Griffins at Van Andel Arena. The contest was one of only three games Mason appeared in for the Crunch before being recalled by Columbus on November 4. Nikita Filatov scores the only regulation goal and tallied in the tiebreaker to help secure the win.
November 22 vs. Albany – The Crunch and Albany are deadlocked in a scoreless game and combine for 80 total shots through regulation and overtime. Derek MacKenzie scores in the fourth round of the shootout as Dan LaCosta stops 36 shots and all five Albany shooters in the tiebreaker to seal a 1-0 shutout win for the Crunch.
January 10 @ Wilkes-Barre/Scranton – Syracuse pulls off one of its most dramatic wins of the season in a 4-3 shootout win over the Penguins. Ben Lovejoy scores with just under two minutes to play when his dump-in attempt deflects off a partition and past Sebastian Dahm as he went out to play the puck. With Dahm pulled for the extra-attacker, Steve Kelly scores his second goal of the game with six seconds left in regulation and force overtime and the eventual shootout. Kelly also tallies twice in the tiebreaker and Dahm makes 31 saves and stops four of six shooters to seal the victory.
February 13 vs. Grand Rapids – Sebastian Dahm out-duels Syracuse native Jimmy Howard, making 40 saves and denying all three shooters in the shootout to give the Crunch a 2-1 win. Derek MacKenzie nets the lone goal, a shorthanded maker, two and a half minutes into the third period.
February 14 vs. Springfield – The Crunch win in a shootout on Valentine’s Day and for the second straight night as Aaron Rome notches the only regulation goal and Sebastian Dahm turns in his second straight stellar performance, making 27 saves and stuffing all five Springfield shooters in the tiebreaker to seal the 2-1 win.
March 21 vs. Albany – Alexandre Picard ties a franchise record by scoring four goals in a single game, as the Crunch come back for a 5-4 win against the Albany River Rats at the War Memorial at Oncenter. The four tallies gave Picard seven goals in two games after registering a hat trick the night before, setting a franchise record for the most goals by a Crunch player in a two-game span. The win was also the Crunch’s season-high fifth straight.
March 29 @ Toronto – Kevin Lalande, acquired by Columbus and sent to Syracuse at the NHL trade deadline, makes 29 saves and stops four of five Marlies in the shootout to lift the Crunch to a 4-3 win over Toronto and move the club into a fourth place tie for the North Division’s final playoff spot with five games remaining in the regular season. Mike Blunden notches two points (1g, 1a) and Nikita Filatov scores in regulation and the tiebreaker.
April 11 vs. Rochester – After officially being eliminated from playoff contention the night before, the Crunch went out in their regular season finale and disposed of Rochester by a 4-2 count, their twelfth straight win against the Amerks at the War Memorial at Oncenter dating back to the 2007-08 season.
2008-09 SYRACUSE CRUNCH TEAM AWARD WINNERS:
Ray Schultz Memorial Trophy (defenseman who has shown the most character while excelling at his position): Dan Smith
Unsung Hero: Trevor Frischmon
Bryant & Stratton Smart Player of the Year: Mike York
Lamacchia Honda Power Forward of the Year: Alexandre Picard
Eastern Shore Associates Most Improved Player of the Year: Nick Holden
Davis-Ulmer Crunch Protector Award: Mike Blunden
Metalico Scrappiest Player of the Year: Jon Mirasty
Arrow Fence Defenseman of the Year: Dan Smith
Community Man of the Year: Trevor Frischmon
Rookie of the Year: Maksim Mayorov
Re-Max Realty Plus Co-MVPs: Derek MacKenzie and Alexandre Picard
CRUNCHABLES: Left wing Alexandre Picard finished the 2008-09 season with 20 goals in his final 22 games…Center Trevor Frischmon was the only player to appear in all 80 games for the Crunch this season…Frischmon has now skated in 126 consecutive games, including last year’s playoffs, the most of any active Crunch player…After a December that saw the Crunch go 1-8-1-1, the Crunch put together a 25-17-4-1 mark from January on…The Crunch were 23-1-0-0 when scoring four or more goals…Syracuse finished second in the AHL in penalty minutes (1,830), averaging 22.88 per game…The Crunch finished tied for the sixth most home wins (25) in the AHL, two shy of the franchise record (27)…The Crunch used 49 different players this year from five different countries (United States, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark and Russia).