SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Lucas Edmonds recorded his first career hat trick as the Syracuse Crunch defeated the Utica Comets, 8-5, tonight at the Adirondack Bank Center.
The win snaps a five-game skid and advances the team to 22-18-4-3 on the season. The Crunch also build a 6-1-1-0 lead in the 14-game season series against the Comets.
Goaltender Max Lagace stopped 14-of-19 shots in victory between the pipes for the Crunch. Comets netminder Akira Schmid turned aside 29-of-37.
Syracuse converted on all three of their power play opportunities and went a perfect 2-for-2 on the penalty kill.
The night featured back-and-forth scoring through the first two periods. The Comets were first to score 7:21 into the game. Simon Nemec’s right-circle shot got caught up in traffic, but Brian Halonen was in front to backhand the puck into the net. The Crunch quickly responded and evened the score with a power-play goal at the 14:50 mark. Schmid made the initial save on Darren Raddysh’s shot, but Simon Ryfors found the rebound and shoveled it in. Four minutes later, Syracuse took the lead off a slick feed from Gage Goncalves to set up Trevor Carrick on the backdoor.
Syracuse and Utica proceeded to exchange two goals each in the second period. It started just 1:15 into stanza when Graeme Clarke scored on a sharp angle shot as he came down the right side. Halfway through the period, Daniel Walcott carried the puck around the back of the next and up the right-wing boards before centering a feed for Edmonds who was left all alone in the slot. At 16:45, Joe Gambardella fired a shot that ricocheted off a Crunch defender and into the net. The Crunch regained their lead with just 26 seconds remaining in the frame. Gabriel Dumont and Alex Barre-Boulet came in on a 2-on-1 rush. Barre-Boulet was unable to get a shot off, but he centered the puck as he passed the goal line for Dumont to finish off.
Dylan Blujus knotted the score with a goal for Utica 5:11 into the third period, but the Crunch rattled off four straight tallies to build up an unreachable lead. At 6:28, Ryfors potted his second of the game when he redirected Raddysh’s right-point shot. Two minutes later, Edmonds recorded his second of the game during a 2-on-1 rush. Halfway through the final frame, Rudolfs Balcers scored from between the circles while on the power play. Edmonds then completed his hat trick with 2:22 remaining in the game when Schmid gave up a rebound for the rookie to chip in. Gambardella also potted his second of the game with just seconds remaining to get one back for Utica, but Syracuse could not be caught and took the win.
The Crunch travel to face the Rochester Americans tomorrow afternoon.
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