SYRACUSE, N.Y. (SYRACUSE CRUNCH) –
The Syracuse Crunch rallied back to earn a point, but fell in overtime to the Providence Bruins, 6-5, tonight at the Upstate Medical University Arena.
The Crunch went 0-1-1-0 in the weekend series against the Bruins and move to 7-7-2-2 on the season.
Crunch goaltender Max Lagace turned aside 25-of-31 shots, while Brandon Bussi stopped 28-of-33 between the pipes for the Bruins.
Syracuse converted on 2-of-8 power play opportunities and went a perfect 6-for-6 on the penalty kill.
Providence struck first when Luke Toporowski skated down the right wing and sent in a shot from the circle just 6:37 into the game. They doubled their lead with another goal from Toporowski at the 13:11. He sped down the left side and deposited a backhander into the net as he cut across the crease.
The Crunch stole one back with a power-play goal late in the first period. Jack Thompson sent the puck down low to Jack Finley at the goal line. He quickly centered it for Felix Robert to score.
The Bruins regained their two-goal lead 3:20 into the second period when Justin Brazeau scored from a sharp angle along the goal line. Marc McLaughlin then added to Providence’s score with a wrister from between the circles during 4-on-4 play at the 15-minute mark. Syracuse responded to cut the lead to two late in the middle stanza. Trevor Carrick set Simon Ryfors up for a quick wrister from the right circle.
Syracuse and Providence exchanged goals in the third period as the Crunch eventually rallied back to force overtime. Syracuse came back within one at the 6:33 mark off a power-play goal from Ilya Usau while he was in the right circle to one-time a feed from Gemel Smith. Just one minute later, Toporowski completed the hat trick with a close-range shot. At 9:14, Sean Day fired a wrister from the left circle that went off Gabe Fortier and in. With just 44 seconds remaining in the third period, Robert chipped in a rebound for his second of the night to send the game into overtime.
Chris Wagner went on to score the game-winner for the Bruins 1:13 into the overtime period.
The Crunch are back in action on Friday when they travel to face the Belleville Senators.