Latest Stats for the Syracuse Crunch:
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Regular season record (wins-losses-OT losses-SO losses): 14-13-5-1
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This past week’s results: A 3-1 victory at Hershey (12/29); a 4-2 victory at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (12/31); a 3-2 regulation loss at Toronto (1/2); a 3-2 overtime loss at Toronto (1/3)
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Place in Eastern Conference: 10th
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Place in North Division: 6th
- Top scorer: Jeff Tambellini (12-9-21)
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Top scoring defenseman: Anthony DeAngelo (3-17-20)
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Top defenseman, +/-: Matt Taormina (+4)
- Top scoring rookie: Anthony DeAngelo (3-17-20)
A rundown of the AHL’s new standings system can be found over at Syracuse.com.
That’s a wrap!
This week’s observation:
The Syracuse Crunch has needed extra hockey to decide their games 8 different times this season. One of those games needed a shootout before a final outcome was reached (the Crunch lost), but the rest were won (or lost, as the case often was from the Crunch’s perspective) during 3-on-3 overtime.
A key to the Crunch’s season could just be cracking overtime. Out of the 8 overtime periods the Crunch has seen, they’ve only managed to win once. This past week at Toronto, Syracuse played as strong of an overtime period as they’ve played all season, but one fatal miscue led to the Crunch being on the wrong end of a 3-on-1 situation. Crunch goalie Kristers Gudlevskis had little chance of being effective, and the Marlies skated off with the extra point with just over a minute left in overtime.
The Crunch is struggling with balancing the defensive needs of 3-on-3 with the offensive drive needed to make such incredibly open ice work. Cracking that formula could mean picking up some desperately-needed wins as Syracuse heads into the second half of the season if the Crunch’s pattern of taking 24% of their games to overtime continues.
This week’s compliment:
Although the Crunch has often prided itself on its penalty kill, a unit led by self-sacrificing players like defenseman Luke Witkowski and forward Mike Angelidis (when he’s in Syracuse, of course), it’s the Crunch’s power play that’s been grabbing the headlines lately.
Going into the weekend, the Crunch was 9th in the league while on the power play. That’s no small feat considering the organization’s historic struggles while on the man advantage. In their past five games, the Crunch has totaled three power play goals. Forward Adam Erne scored two of those goals, while defenseman Slater Koekkoek had the third goal.
Syracuse has been excelling at puck management while on the power play lately, resorting less to dump-and-chase tactics that often lead to the opposing team sailing the puck down to the Crunch’s end and wasting valuable seconds. Controlling the play and holding onto the puck are two things that are clearly working for Syracuse while on the man advantage, and are things that need to be kept in mind moving forward.
Other transactions, player, and organizational news:
-It is not yet known whether Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Jonathan Drouin will report to Syracuse on Tuesday as reported by the Syracuse Post Standard yesterday.
-The Crunch are again participating in a Change for Change initiative this season, and are hoping to raise even more than last season with an extended campaign. Change for Change is an initiative created by Crunch Captain Mike Angelidis and his teammates that aims to raise money for pediatric cancer research at Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital and help improve the odds for children with cancer. All TampaCuse fans can help out by donating through their Go Fund Me page.
Syracuse Crunch media highlights:
- The Crunch’s SoundCloud has been updated with broadcasts and player interviews from the past week.
- A rundown of the Crunch’s promotional schedule so far can be found on their website.
- Be sure to use the hashtags #SyrCrunch, #BelieveInBlue, and #TampaCuse when tweeting about the team.
