SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Syracuse Crunch fell to the Laval Rocket, 3-2, tonight at the Upstate Medical University Arena.
The Crunch are now 15-9-0-2 on the season and 2-1-0-0 in the eight-game season series against the Rocket.
Goaltender Matt Tomkins turned aside 21-of-24 shots in net for the Crunch. Jakub Dobes stopped 27-of-29 between the pipes for the Rocket. The Syracuse power play was held to 0-for-3, while the penalty kill stopped Laval’s lone man-advantage.
The Crunch were first on the board just 3:48 into the game when Gabriel Dumont tipped in Jack Thompson’s shot from the left point. Halfway through the frame, Laval tied it up. Tobie Bisson got the puck in the right circle and fired in a wrister as he cut across the slot.
Syracuse went back on top early in the middle frame. Felix Robert centered the puck from along the end boards for Gage Goncalves to send in while all alone in the slot. Bisson knotted the score for a second time with his second of the game at the 17:56 mark. Xavier Simoneau fired a shot wide right that ricocheted off the end boards and out for Bisson to jam in from next to the goal post.
Laval potted another 8:58 into the third period to take the lead. Logan Mailloux skated the puck beyond the goal line and sent a feed back out for Brandon Gignac to score. The Rocket held on through the rest of the game to take the win.
The Crunch host the Cleveland Monsters on Friday.