2
0
Syracuse punches their postseason ticket in style.
SYR-3
HER-2 (OT)
Brandon Halverson allowed two goals on 23 shots for the OT victory.
First Period
4:42 HER Lapierre (6), (Leivermann, Limoges)
Second Period
11:31 SYR Szturc (7), (Crozier, Duke)
16:30 SYR Dumont (3), (Duke, Pouliot)(PP)
Third Period
3:08 HER Limoges (17), (Lapierre)
Overtime
0:23 SYR Sheary (19), (unassisted)
Conor Sheary was the game’s first star.
This is probably long overdue, but tonight I’m officially granting warlock status to Joel Bouchard. This team looked dead in the water a couple of months ago in danger of slipping out of the playoffs altogether. Tonight, they still sit in third place in the North Division with two games left to play in the regular season after defeating the Hershey Bears in their own barn. That’s the Atlantic Division leading, reigning Calder Cup champion Hershey Bears. In their own barn. Without Conor Geekie. In the eighth game of the experiment of playing Max Groshev at LHD after Declan Carlile went on the shelf a month ago (an experiment going well enough they’ve changed his position on the official roster altogether).
This team has an identity. They play great defense, holding Hershey to just 23 SOG tonight. And they manufacture just enough goals. They’re 8-2-0 in their last 10, again with most of those games featuring a freshly converted winger getting minutes on defense. Warlock status. Well earned.
Elsewhere, Toronto defeated Utica, but Cleveland lost to Rochester, and we don’t much care what Belleville does anymore. So, with two games left to go in the regular season, the Crunch hold third place in the division by two points over the Marlies and three points over the Monsters, and they hold a three game regulation wins advantage so any tiebreaker belongs to Syracuse. So, by my math, two more points by the Crunch will clinch the three seed and avoid the screwy play-in round. I’m really impressed the way this young club has come through adversity and played some of their best hockey when it was absolutely required.
Syracuse travels to Utica on Friday and the ends with Utica at home on Saturday. I’m 100% in favor of knocking a W out on Friday and giving the rookies like Mercuri, Kurth, and Flinton all the IT their hearts desire in the finale.
Box score from TheAHL.com.
