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Game Notes: 3/08/08 v. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Crunch Keep Point Streak Alive
Syracuse, NY (March 8, 2008) - On an emotional night that honored the 1972-73 EHL Champion Syracuse Blazers in a pre-game banner-raising ceremony, the Syracuse Crunch stretched their point-streak to eight games with a 2-1 shootout loss to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Saturday night at the War Memorial at Oncenter in front of 5,742 fans.
Crunch rookie center Derick Brassard beat Wilkes-Barre/Scranton goalie John Curry with a snap shot to Curry's stick side to start the shootout but as he did in regulation and overtime, Curry had the Crunch scratching their collective heads the rest of the way. Curry stopped 37 shots.
The only one Curry allowed came off a rebound by Alexandre Picard while the Crunch were on the power play midway through the third period. Curry had stopped four previous shots by the Crunch but in need of a line change the Pens couldn't clear the zone and Duvie Westcott's shot from the point went right to Picard's stick.
In the shootout, Stone put home the game-winner by deking Crunch starter Karl Goehring, who got a piece of the puck with his glove but it just slipped over the goal line.
There is one thing for sure, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and the Crunch do not like each other. They are not in the same division but that hasn't stopped the Penguins from getting the best of the Crunch seven out of the eight meetings this season including back-to-back 2-1 shootout wins.
Curry was the main reason the Pens came away with the win. In the third when he faced 19 Syracuse shots, Curry made the spectacular saves look ordinary.
It was the last visit to Syracuse for Dennis Bonvie and the Penguins this season. Syracuse didn't have anything special planned but Crunch enforcer Jon Mirasty did and what happened four minutes into the second period was a classic heavyweight bout.
The fight by most would have been labeled a draw but it seemed to spark a Penguins team that to that point in the game had no sense of urgency.
Syracuse forward Kevin Jarman went off for high sticking 36 seconds after the Bonvie battle and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton put the pressure on Syracuse. Syracuse has killed off 33 straight penalties and officially that number is still intact but Johnathan Filewich gave the Pens the lead when he lifted David Gove's rebound over a fallen Goehring two seconds after the penalty had expired.
The only one Curry allowed came off a rebound by Alexandre Picard while the Crunch were on the power play midway through the third period. Curry had stopped four previous shots by the Crunch but in need of a line change the Pens couldn't clear the zone and Duvie Westcott's shot from the point went right to Picard's stick.
In the shootout, Stone put home the game-winner by deking Crunch starter Karl Goehring, who got a piece of the puck with his glove but it just slipped over the goal line.
There is one thing for sure, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and the Crunch do not like each other. They are not in the same division but that hasn't stopped the Penguins from getting the best of the Crunch seven out of the eight meetings this season including back-to-back 2-1 shootout wins.
Curry was the main reason the Pens came away with the win. In the third when he faced 19 Syracuse shots, Curry made the spectacular saves look ordinary.
It was the last visit to Syracuse for Dennis Bonvie and the Penguins this season. Syracuse didn't have anything special planned but Crunch enforcer Jon Mirasty did and what happened four minutes into the second period was a classic heavyweight bout.
The fight by most would have been labeled a draw but it seemed to spark a Penguins team that to that point in the game had no sense of urgency.
Syracuse forward Kevin Jarman went off for high sticking 36 seconds after the Bonvie battle and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton put the pressure on Syracuse. Syracuse has killed off 33 straight penalties and officially that number is still intact but Johnathan Filewich gave the Pens the lead when he lifted David Gove's rebound over a fallen Goehring two seconds after the penalty had expired.