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Game Notes: 3/26/08 v. Toronto Marlies
Crunch Keep Streaks Alive with Shootout Win Over Toronto
Syracuse, NY (March 26, 2008) - Make it a season-high six straight wins and a franchise record 14-game point streak for the Syracuse Crunch. David Cullen and Nate DiCasmirro scored in a shootout and gave the Syracuse a 3-2 win over the division-leading Toronto Marlies Wednesday at the Onondaga County War Memorial.
When it comes to shootouts, Syracuse has come out on the short end most of the season, but the Crunch’s magical run continued with only the second shootout win of the season and first since November 2.
Once again unlikely goal scorers such as Cullen stepped up to lead Syracuse.
Derick Brassard tapped home a centering feed from DiCasmirro in the first period. That was not unusual, but when Mark Rycroft joined the scoring parade in the second period, that was.
Rycroft duplicated Brassard's effort, this time tapping home a feed from Zenon Konopka notching his first goal since joining the Crunch. Newcomer Brian McGuirk scored his first AHL point with an assist on Brassard's goal.
There are not enough words of praise to describe the effort, once again, of Karl Goehring. Goehring kept Syracuse in the game in the first period stopping all 20 shots Toronto peppered him with.
Syracuse had a hard time finding the net with only five shots and not one until almost 12 minutes had elapsed. Goehring then stoned the final four Toronto shooters in the shootout to earn the win. Goehring stopped 39 shots compared to 17 for Marlies goalie Scott Clemmensen.
Syracuse had a hard time finding the net with only five shots and not one until almost 12 minutes had elapsed. Goehring then stoned the final four Toronto shooters in the shootout to earn the win. Goehring stopped 39 shots compared to 17 for Marlies goalie Scott Clemmensen.
Toronto notched a power-play goal in the second and again in the third, the latter on a blast by Brian Muir that tied the game at 2-2.
It was just 16 days ago that Syracuse took two games in three nights from the Marlies. Syracuse won the second of those two games 2-1 in Toronto in overtime, so bumping heads with the Marlies is very familiar to the Crunch who trail Toronto by 13 points for first place in the North Division.
3-Stars--No. 1, Goehring, No. 2, Cullen, No. 3, Dan Smith
ATTA-BOYS--To Clay Wilson. Wilson was recalled to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday and not only produced his first NHL point with an assist of Joakim Lindstrom's power-play goal in the second period against the Chicago Blackhawks, but scored his first NHL goal in the Blue Jackets three-goal third period in route to 4-0 win.