Syracuse continues home success
Syracuse swept a three-game homestand in Week 9, outscoring opponents 12-7. The Crunch’s three-game win streak (the second time they’ve won three straight this season) keeps them atop the North Division and second in the Eastern Conference at 15-6-0-2. Syracuse’s .696 points percentage through 23 games is the team’s highest since starting 2-0-0-0.
Syracuse owns the best home record in the AHL, at 10-1-0-1 (.875). Saturday’s win over Utica extended Syracuse’s home win streak to seven games (since Nov. 12), the longest stretch in the league this year. Their home points streak stands at 10 games (since Oct. 29). No other team has points in more than seven games.
Yanni Gourde has a streak of nine home game with at least one assist, the longest such mark in the AHL this year. The Crunch are scoring 3.83 goals per home game, the second best mark in the conference.
Top Performers
Adam Wilcox (10-3-0) has won five straight starts and nine of his last ten. He’s tied for the Eastern Conference lead in wins, 10, a tie for second in the AHL. His 2.12 goals-against average is tied for third in the conference and eighth in the league. His .924 save percentage ranks third in the conference and 11th in the AHL.
Wilcox appeared in two of Syracuse’s three games in Week 9. He made a career-high 48 saves on 50 shots in his Dec. 7 win vs. Lehigh Valley. It marked the fourth time an AHL goalie recorded 48 saves or more in a game this season. The previous saves mark for Wilcox was 39 in a 6-5 overtime loss Dec. 20, 2015, at Hershey.
Wilcox saved 25 of 27 in Friday’s game, a 4-2 win vs. Albany, improving his home winning streak to six.
Yanni Gourde claimed the Crunch scoring lead with five points (2g, 3a) in three games. He has 21 points (7g, 14a) in 23 games, tied for 14th in the AHL. That equals his point production through 23 games in 2014-15 when he was the AHL’s player of the month for November. At this point last year, Gourde had 11 points (5g, 6a).
Gourde’s scoring streak stands at five games with seven points (3g, 4a) this month. He has points in eight of the last nine games and 14 of the last 18. He has five multi-point games this year, tied for the team lead with Matt Taormina. Gourde and Erik Condra had two multi-point games each in Week 9.
Condra, who was recalled by Tampa Bay Monday and reassigned back to Syracuse Wednesday, led the Crunch with six points in Week 9 with one goal and five assists. He recorded three helpers Dec. 7 vs. Lehigh Valley and followed with a goal and two assists Dec. 9 v. Albany.
His consecutive three-point efforts highlighted a stretch of nine points in four games. Though scoreless Dec. 10 vs. Utica, he equaled a season high five shots. Condra is plus-5 in the last five games. His 18 points (5g, 13a) rank third on the Crunch despite missing four games.
Jake Dotchin recorded five points (1g, 4a) in Week 9, the most productive three-game stretch of his career. He scored his second goal of the season Dec. 7 vs. Lehigh Valley followed by a three-assist performance Dec. 9 vs. Albany, the first multi-point game of his season and second of his career. He last had multiple points Nov. 1, 2014, at Binghamton (2a).
Saturday vs. Utica Dotchin extended his scoring streak to three games (tying a career best set March 11-13) with a shorthanded assist. Dotchin leads AHL defensemen in shorthanded points, two (1g, 1a). Dotchin has 10 points in 21 games (2g, 8a), one shy of his total in 67 games last year. He had 20 points (6g, 14a) in 55 games as a rookie.
Henri Ikonen and Ben Thomas recorded their first goals of the season in Saturday’s win vs. Utica. Thomas has two goals in 26 career AHL games. His first pro goal was April 16 vs. Utica. Ikonen has nine goals in 140 AHL games and last scored April 3 vs. Utica.
Upcoming: Hartford, Bridgeport, Providence
After three wins in three Week 9 home games, Syracuse plays three on the road in Week 10 Friday, Saturday and Sunday, all against Atlantic Division teams. The three-in-three weekend is the Crunch’s second of five this year.
Hartford is seventh in the Atlantic Division and 13th in the conference at 7-13-3-1 (.375). The Rangers reassigned Nicklas Jensen (8g, 7a) to the Hartford Wednesday. Magnus Hellberg (6-6-4) owns a 2.99 G.A.A.
The Sound Tigers (16-8-0-0) are fourth in the Atlantic. They topped Syracuse in a shootout, 3-2, Nov. 11. Bracken Kearns (8g, 11a) leads the team. Rookie Eamon McAdam (7-0-0, 2.22) is unbeaten since being recalled from ECHL-Missouri in November.
Providence has not suffered a regulation loss since Nov. 12 (8-0-2-2) and ranks fifth in the Atlantic (12-6-4-3, .620.) The Crunch beat the Bruins Oct. 29, 3-2. Wayne Simpson (8g, 13a) is the club’s top scorer.
Week 9 Results
Wednesday, Dec. 7 | Game 21 vs. Lehigh Valley | W, 4-2
LV 1 0 1 – 2 Shots: 3-16-21-50 PP: 0/5
SYR 2 0 2 – 4 Shots: 13-8-13-34 PP: 0/3
1st Per. – Peca 5 (Condra, Erne), 12:29. Dotchin 2 (Gourde, Halmo), 12:50. 3rd Per. – Taormina 7 (Erne, Condra), 17:25. Gourde 6 (Condra), 19:39 (SH EN). . . Wilcox 9-3-0 (50 shots-48 saves). A-4,621.
Friday, Dec. 9 | Game 22 vs. Albany | W, 4-2
ALB 1 1 0 – 2 Shots: 12-7-8-27 PP: 0/5
SYR 1 0 3 – 4 Shots: 9-13-10-32 PP: 1/4
1st Per. – Richard 7 (Condra, Dotchin), 14:07. 3rd Per. – Erne 6 (Peca, Thomas), 5:42 (PP). Gourde 7 (Dotchin, Condra), 14:36. Condra 5 (Gourde, Dotchin), 18:42 (EN). . . Wilcox 10-3-0 (27 shots-25 saves). A-5,211.
Saturday, Dec. 10 | Game 23 vs. Utica | W, 4-3 (SO)
UTI 1 1 1 0 – 3 Shots: 13-9-7-5-0-34 PP: 2/5
SYR 1 1 1 0 – 4 Shots: 3-11-16-3-1-34 PP: 0/4
1st Per. – Ikonen 1 (Bournival, Gourde), 13:20. 2nd Per. – Thomas 1 (Richard, Hart), 7:01. 3rd Per. – Taormina 8 (Dotchin, Peca), 0:12 (SH). . . . Shootout – Utica 1 (Valk G, Virtanen NG, Grenier NG), Syracuse 2 (Peca NG, Conacher G, Richard G). Gudlevskis 5-3-2 (34 shots-31 saves). A-5,879.
Category standings (previous week)
Power Play 16.7% (18-for-108) T-20th (17th)
Penalty Kill 82.3% (79-for-96) 15th (16th)
Goals For 3.35 GFA (77) 5th (7th)
Goals Against 2.70 GAA (62) 10th (12th)
Shots For 30.35 SF/G (698) 14th (14th)
Shots Against 26.30 SA/G (605) 1st (1st)
Penalty Minutes 13.70 PIM/G (315) 14th (14th)
Crunch Leaders
Points 21 Gourde
Goals 8 Taormina
Assists 14 Gourde
PIM 43 Dotchin
Plus/Minus +14 Bournival
Wins 10 Wilcox
GAA 2.12 Wilcox
Save % .924 Wilcox
