Crunch Downed By Bruins

SYRACUSE, N.Y.  – The Syracuse Crunch were downed by the Providence Bruins, 3-2, tonight at the War Memorial Arena.

The loss puts the Crunch on a three-game skid as they move to 42-20-4-3 on the season. The Bruins swept the home-and-home season series, 2-0.Cal Foote vs. Providence Bruins

Netminder Eddie Pasquale stopped 30-of-33 shots in net for the Crunch, while Dan Vladar recorded the win with 18 saves between the pipes for the Bruins. Syracuse went 0-for-3 on the power play and 5-for-6 on the penalty kill

After a scoreless first period, the Bruins broke the stalemate 13:44 into the second. Jordan Szwarz set up Lee Stempniak for a goal from the right circle. Chris Breen tallied the secondary helper.

The Crunch finally solved Vladar 5:24 into the final frame to even the score. Gabriel Dumont chipped the puck out from the left-wing boards for Boris Katchouk to pick up and net from the bottom of the circle.

Just 15 seconds later, Providence went back on top. Stempniak skated in on a 2-on-1 and passed over for Forsbacka Karlsson to finish off. The Bruins made it a two-goal lead at 7:42 when Stempniak circled the puck around the back of the net and threw it out for Gemel Smith to pick the far corner from the left faceoff dot.

Syracuse came back within one with 4:57 remaining in the game. Dumont redirected Carter Verhaeghe’s centering feed from below the goal line. Andy Andreoff picked up a point on the goal.