Bottom line:
The Syracuse Crunch (first seed) is off to a good start versus the Toronto Marlies (second seed). Saturday’s game was competitive and intense, and the Crunch prevailed by a 3-1 final.
The #SyrCrunch edged the @TorontoMarlies, 3-1, to take a 1-0 series lead. #SYRvsTOR #FIN15H
📝 → https://t.co/ULA2eNG6yd pic.twitter.com/S414ng5iqD
— y – Syracuse Crunch (@SyracuseCrunch) May 6, 2017
The set up of this series is 2-2-1-1-1, so after tonight the series will shift to Toronto for two games.
Our blue was better tonight 🚨 Some more to #FIN15H tomorrow! pic.twitter.com/LtJxxw97ok
— Todd Cross (@ToddNY25) May 6, 2017
But, wait! I am behind on everything, who is doing what, where?
No problem, dear reader! Here’s everything you need to get caught up:
- First up, checking out Brandon Curtis’ recap of game one is essential.
- You can’t miss Raw Charge’s own CrunchCast if you’re looking for our homegrown opinion of the series.
- Be sure to check out Brandon’s playoff preview article.
- Looking for team comparison charts from the regular season? Alan has you covered./
Comparison chart for the Crunch and Marlies. Crunch with better shot numbers but Marlies with better goal results and special teams. pic.twitter.com/BlaRReDQSg
— You can call me Alan (@loserpoints) May 5, 2017
- For the Toronto perspective, you can’t beat this preview by the Pension Plan Puppets.
- The Crunch’s SoundCloud has been filling up with all kinds of great stuff lately, including interviews with former Tampa Bay Lightning players Jake Dotchin and Gabriel Dumont.
- The same can be said for Syracuse’s YouTube channel if you’re looking for highlights and recaps from this round and the last round.
- You can find coverage from the team’s beat writer and others, including our friend Brent Axe, over at Syracuse.com./
Game night essentials:
- The pre-game radio broadcast with Dan D’Uva will start at 6:45 EST on ESPN Syracuse. You can listen to the game in its entirety for free.
- 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./
Potential lines and pairings:
Starting goalie for Syracuse:
Mike McKenna
Line rushes during warm ups Friday:
Michael Bournival-Yanni Gourde-Cory Conacher
Adam Erne-Byron Froese-Daniel Walcott
Tye McGinn-Matthew Peca-Erik Condra
Gabriel Dumont-Kevin Lynch-Joel Vermin
Defensive pairings during warm ups Friday:
Matt Taormina-Dominik Masin
Slater Koekkoek-Jake Dotchin
Ben Thomas-Mathieu Brodeur
