Bottom line:
The series between the Syracuse Crunch and the Toronto Marlies has been competitive, just as many said it would be. Both teams still have a lot of work to do to finish this series, as it’s knotted at 2-2. With game 6 in Toronto on Monday — and with the Crunch’s rather dismal playoff away record of 1-3 over two series — the Crunch must play with urgency tonight.
What you may have missed:
- Game recaps from Brandon Curtis: game 1, game 2 recap, game 3, game 4.
- Photo gallery of games 1 and 2 from our amazing photographer Scott Thomas.
- 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 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.
- Speaking of Brent, he joined us on the CrunchCast this past week before game 3 to discuss the Crunch, this series, and other things going on in the world of AHL hockey in Syracuse.
- Will an old friend spark some luck for Syracuse? Maybe, just maybe. Former Syracuse Crunch goaltender Cedrick Desjardins is scheduled to appear at Game 5 to drop the puck and do an autograph signing. /
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:
Honestly? Who the hell knows.
Okay, okay, here’s what we do know:
- Jake Dotchin has one more game to serve on his suspension.
- Crunch GM Julian BriseBois has been quoted as saying everyone is healthy and ready to go for game 5, including Daniel Walcott. Walcott, pictured in this article, got klocked in the face with a puck during game 4. As of yesterday, Walcott was quoted by the Crunch’s beat writer as “not knowing” if his nose was broken or not. That’s….concerning, but, hey, playoffs, so…
- Coach Ben Groulx won’t reveal who is starting in net. Mike McKenna, who was absolutely the hero of round one, has not had a good series against Toronto. He’s allowed 14 goals over four games. After allowing 3 goals in the first period Wednesday night, he was pulled for the first time this post season in favor of Kristers Gudlevskis. Gudlevskis, despite being rustier than the Tin Man (his last minute of playing time was April 15th), had a perfect 2nd and 3rd period, stopping all 14 shots from the Marlies he faced. But who will Groulx go with tonight? Apparently, only time will tell.
- On a completely unrelated note: I love Skittles as a game day snack.
- Besides the McKenna/Gudlevskis conundrum, Groulx has also said that the roster will remain the same as it was in game 4. He mixed up lines and pairings during that game, though, so it’s kind of hard to tell who will be with who. /
