SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Syracuse Crunch scored four goals in 2:47 seconds in the first period to help lead the team to a 7-5 victory over the St. John’s IceCaps tonight at the War Memorial Arena.
Cory Conacher took charge with two goals and two assists. Jeremy Morin also contributed two markers, while Matt Taormina and Erik Condra added a goal and two assists each. Mike Halmo rounded out the scoring with a goal and an assist. The win advances the Crunch to 18-9-0-4 on the season and gives the team a 2-0-0-1 lead in the eight-game season series with the IceCaps.
Adam Wilcox earned his 13th victory in net for the Crunch turning aside 11-of-16 shots. Charlie Lindgren stopped 19 in net for the IceCaps. Syracuse went 3-for-4 on the power play and 3-for-5 on the penalty kill.
The Crunch opened scoring with four consecutive markers in the first period. At the 7:29 mark, Taormina fired from the high slot through traffic to net his ninth of the season while on the power play. Assists went to Adam Comrie and Conacher. Just 55 seconds later, Halmo tipped in Comrie’s shot from the left point. Cameron Darcy recorded the secondary helper.
During 4-on-3 play, Syracuse built a 3-0 lead. Taormina passed down to Conacher in the right circle. He sent the puck across the slot for a give-and-go with Condra and one-timed the return feed. The Crunch added their fourth halfway through the frame. Luke Witkowski sent a centering pass for Morin to redirect past Lindgren from in front of the crease.
The IceCaps climbed back with three of their own before the first came to an end. At 13:24, Markus Eisenschmid scored a shorthanded breakaway with the help of Jonathan Racine. St. John’s added another on the man-advantage 21 seconds later. Jacob de la Rose got a stick on the puck and put it in during a battle in front of the net. Max Friberg and Joel Hanley earned the assists.
With 2:33 remaining in the opening stanza, the IceCaps pulled within one. Jeremy Gregoire wrapped around the cage and tried to stuff one in, but was turned aside. The rebound was left loose for Mark MacMillan to light the lamp. Brett Lernout picked up the secondary helper.
Syracuse regained a three-goal lead in the second period. At the 2:34 mark, Conacher sent a cross-slot feed for Condra to redirect on the power play. Taormina made it a three-point night with the secondary assist. Halfway through the frame, Ben Thomas shot from the right point. Lindgren made a pad save, but the rebound kicked out for Morin to spin around and send five-hole for his second of the night.
St. John’s took one back with 7:17 remaining in the second. Yannick Veilleux chipped the puck ahead for Daniel Audette to score while crashing the net.
At the halfway point of the third period, de la Rose brought the IceCaps within one for a second time with a power play goal assisted by Audette and Friberg.
Conacher added an empty netter with 14 seconds remaining in the game to secure the 7-5 win.
The Crunch are back in action when they travel to face the Rochester Americans on Friday, Jan. 6 at 7:05 p.m.
Syracuse Crunch single game and ticket packages for the 2016-17 season are on sale now and can be purchased either in person at the Crunch office located in the War Memorial Arena at 800 S. State St. in Syracuse or by calling the office at 315-473-4444. For the latest Crunch news, visit www.syracusecrunch.com or follow the club on Facebook (www.facebook.com/syracusecrunch), Twitter (@SyracuseCrunch) and Instagram (@syracusecrunch) using #SyrCrunch, #WeAreOne and #BLUnited.
Crunchables: Jeremy Morin recorded his first two-goal game since March 14, 2014…The Crunch netted a season-high seven goals for the second time tonight…Matt Taormina has three three-point games this season…The Crunch are 11-0 when leading after two periods.
