Syracuse Crunch vs. Providence Bruins preview: AHL Eastern Conference final Game 2
After the Crunch’s first away win in the playoffs since April 22nd, Syracuse looks to keep the ball rolling in game 2 of the Eastern Conference final.
The bottom line: Syracuse Crunch vs. Providence Bruins, game 2
The Syracuse Crunch hasn’t been a very good playoff road team. Between rounds one and two, they only won one away game, a double-overtime victory against St. John’s way back on April 22nd. Going into this third round with Providence, a team that had just defeated the Hershey Bears three different times on their own ice, Syracuse knew that they needed to start picking up their game away from the War Memorial.
After a 6-3 final in Providence this past Friday, it’s safe to say that the away game monkey is off the Crunch’s back. Now, however, they’d be wise to keep up their strong play against a team that has proven they can make themselves at home in their foe’s arena.
Vermin on Game 2 improvements: “We were kind of struggling there the last 6-8 minutes…We have to stay calm and not lose our focus there." pic.twitter.com/lQiGqwjLRd
— Syracuse Crunch (@SyracuseCrunch) May 20, 2017
Game two is in Providence tonight. The series will then shift back to Syracuse for games three, four, and five (if needed).
Groulx on Game 1 composure: "Even though they came back late, I really like the fact that we kept our calm & worried about closing it out." pic.twitter.com/lxUxhxXohk
— Syracuse Crunch (@SyracuseCrunch) May 20, 2017
Pre-game reading:
- My playoff previews for round three so far: game 1
- Game recaps of round three so far from Brandon Curtis: game 1
- Round preview from Stanley Cup of Chowder.
- The P-Bruins made a bit of AHL history with their game 7 win over Hershey last round.
- The Crunch’s SoundCloud is a great place to go for player interviews and tidbits.
- Be sure to check out Syracuse’s YouTube channel if you’re looking for highlights, interviews, and recaps.
- You can find coverage from the team’s beat writer and others, including our friend Brent Axe, over at Syracuse.com.
- Though most of the Black Aces are still in Syracuse, they aren’t just hanging around. Tampa Bay Lightning assistant coach Brad Lauer is in town:/
A familiar face is running the Black Aces practice. Welcome back Brad Lauer. Was an assistant coach in 11-12. pic.twitter.com/6XL4OuHv1T
— Jim Sarosy (@JimSarosy) May 20, 2017
Game night essentials:
- The pre-game radio broadcast with Dan D’Uva will start at 6:45 EST on ESPN Syracuse. You can stream the game in its entirety for free.
- Puck drop is at 7:05 ET.
- AHL Live has special playoff pricing deals for every game of the AHL playoffs, as well as team-specific packages. There’s also a pay-per-view option.
- Be sure to follow the team on Twitter for updates if you’re away from other options.
- AHL scoring totals so far: /
#CalderCup scoring leaders through Friday. #SyrCrunch 3 of top 5, 6 of top 11. WCF begin today. ECF G2 Sunday. pic.twitter.com/qbRgvQUU7N
— Dan D'Uva (@Dan_DUva) May 20, 2017
Potential lines and pairings for Syracuse:
Starting netminder:
Mike McKenna
Potential lines:
Michael Bournival - Yanni Gourde - Cory Conacher
Adam Erne - Gabriel Dumont - Joel Vermin
Tye McGinn - Matthew Peca - Erik Condra
Daniel Walcott - Byron Froese - Kevin Lynch
Potential defensive pairings:
Matt Taormina - Dominik Masin
Slater Koekkoek - Ben Thomas
Jake Dotchin - Mathieu Brodeur
Potential lines and pairings for Providence:
Potential lines:
Danton Heinen - Jordan Szwarz - Wayne Simpson
Jake DeBrusk - Austin Czarnik - Chris Porter
Colton Hargrove - Colby Cave - Senyshyn
Anton Blidh - Ryan Fitzgerald - Tyler Randell
Potential pairings:
Alex Grant - Tommy Cross
Chris Casto - Matt Grzelcyk
Chris Breen - Linus Arnesson
Starting goalie:
Drew McIntyre
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