SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Danick Martel scored the game-winner in overtime to lift the Syracuse Crunch over the Belleville Senators, 4-3, tonight at the War Memorial Arena.
Alex Barre-Boulet scored twice to help the Crunch climb back from a two-goal deficit and force the extra frame before Martel finished the comeback effort. The win puts the Crunch at 6-3-2-0 on the season.
Goaltender Spencer Martin earned his first win with the Crunch turning aside 26-of-29 shots. Filip Gustavsson stopped 30-of-34 between the pipes for the Senators. Syracuse converted on 2-of-6 power play opportunities and went a perfect 7-for-7 on the penalty kill.
The Senators opened scoring 14:14 into the game. Colin White stole a mishandled puck behind the net and sent it across the crease for Drake Batherson to chip in backdoor. Just twenty seconds later, Batherson scored his second of the night with a high slot shot that went off the post and in. Hubert Labrie and Christian Jaros tallied assists on the play.
The Crunch stole one back with a power-play goal 1:59 into the middle frame. Chris Mueller was in front of the net to redirect Barre-Boulet’s shot from the left circle. Cameron Gaunce earned the secondary helper.
Less than a minute later, Belleville regained their two-goal lead. Vitaly Abramov got his stick on the puck and beat Martin from between the circles with the help of Batherson and White.
Syracuse came back within one for a second time at the 5:14 mark. Barre-Boulet picked up the rebound from Gaunce’s point shot, wrapped around the cage and tucked the puck past Gustavsson’s left skate. Ben Thomas earned a point on the goal.
Barre-Boulet tied the game with his second goal of the night on the power play 7:31 into final frame to eventually force overtime. Mueller won the faceoff in the right circle and sent it back to Gaunce. He fed Barre-Boulet for a shot from the left point that went bar down.
Martel gave Syracuse the win when he battled through the slot before flipping to his backhand to shovel in a shot from the right circle 2:07 into the overtime period. Mitchell Stephens and Gaunce assisted on the game-winner.
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