Crunch hold on to defeat Comets in shootout, 4-3

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Cory Conacher and Tanner Richard both scored in a three-round shootout to lift the Syracuse Crunch over the Utica Comets, 4-3, tonight at the War Memorial Arena.

Henri Ikonen and Ben Thomas each tallied their first goal of the season before Matt Taormina recorded a shorthanded marker in a back-and-forth affair with the Comets. The win puts the Crunch on a 10-game home points streak and moves them to 15-6-0-2. The teams are now 2-2 in the 12-game Galaxy Cup season series.

Kristers Gudlevskis turned aside 31-of-34 shots and 2-of-3 shootout attempts as he picked up the win. His counterpart, Michael Garteig, stopped 30-of-33 shots and 1-of-3 shootout attempts. Syracuse did not convert on any of their four power play opportunities, but went 3-for-5 on the penalty kill.

The Comets opened scoring on the power play with 12:15 left in the first period. Pascal Pelletier jammed one past Gudlevskis on the rebound. Assists went to Cody Kunyk and Jordan Subban.

Ikonen evened the score with his first of the season on a redirection with 6:40 remaining in the first. Michael Bournival intercepted a pass and fired from the point. Ikonen tipped it in from the crease to knot the game for the first time. Yanni Gourde continued his nine-game home assists streak with the secondary helper.

Utica pulled ahead once again early in the second period when Jake Virtanen scored with the help of Chad Billins and Colby Robak, but the Crunch were there to climb back. At the 7:01 mark, Garteig deflected a shot from Adam Erne into the slot. Thomas picked it up and fired it over the netminder’s glove from the point. Brian Hart tallied the secondary assist.

Taormina gave the Crunch their first lead of the game twelve seconds into the third period with a shorthanded goal. Matt Peca won the faceoff and sent it back to Jake Dotchin. The blueliner passed over for Taormina to net from the high slot.

With 4:39 to play in regulation, Cole Cassels tied the game up for a third time and forced overtime.

The teams remained knotted through extra the frame and went to a shootout. Curtis Valk netted one for the Comets in the first round, but Conacher and Richard each got one past Garteig in the second and third rounds to take the team’s first shootout win of the season.