2
0
Syracuse answers the bell in a must-win type game.
TOR-1
SYR-5
Max Lagace allowed one goal on 26 shots for the victory.
First Period
15:53 SYR Hudon (25), (Barre-Boulet, Raddysh)
Second Period
5:00 SYR Hudon (26), (Dumont, Barre-Boulet)(PP)
11:57 SYR Perbix (1), (Barre-Boulet)
16:41 TOR Abramov (6), (Robertson)
Third Period
10:14 SYR Hudon (27), (unassisted)
13:31 SYR Walcott (6), (Fortier, Green)(SH)
Charles Hudon, Nick Perbix, and Lagace were the game’s three stars. Hudon with a hat trick in arguably the biggest game to date this season and Perbix with his first professional goal.
This wasn’t a “nice to have” win. This was an “absolutely gotta have it” win. Syracuse was holding onto the third spot in the division, which is the last first round bye, by its fingernails with Toronto just a few win percentage points in arrears. Adding to the urgency, Laval, Belleville, and Rochester all won in their games tonight. So this was a four point game where the loser really fell behind the eight ball in a hurry, and the Crunch dominated it en route to the win.
Syracuse maintains its position in that much-coveted third spot in the North Division. Belleville jumped Toronto into fourth place, but the gap is slightly more comfortable than it was 24 hours ago. The Crunch maintain their two point lead on current last-team-out Rochester with Syracuse holding a game in hand. Six games left on the schedule, and the stakes don’t fall off next week. Belleville (4th – North) on Friday, Laval (2nd – North) on Saturday, and then Hershey (4th – Atlantic) next Sunday. The final week of the campaign, they’ll draw Providence (3rd – Atlantic), Wilkes-Barre Scranton (5th – Atlantic), and Laval (2nd – North).
No easy outs, and every game so critically precious.
Box score from TheAHL.com.
