SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Syracuse Crunch held off a third period comeback to defeat the Springfield Thunderbirds, 4-3, and snap a four-game skid tonight at the 
MassMutual Center.
Cory Conacher, Henri Ikonen and Yanni Gourde each put up a multi-point performance with a goal and an assist, while Mathieu Brodeur rounded out the scoring with his second of the season. The win advances the Crunch to 21-12-4-5 on the season and gives the team a 1-0 lead in the two-game season series with the Thunderbirds.
Adam Wilcox earned the win with a 26-save performance between the pipes for the Crunch. Reto Berra turned aside 22-of-26 for the Thunderbirds. Syracuse was unable to convert on five power play opportunities, while Springfield went 2-for-4 on the man-advantage.
The Crunch put on a passing clinic to open scoring with 5:23 remaining in the first period. Conacher passed across the slot to Joel Vermin before speeding around a defender to net the return feed from the right goal post. Gourde earned a point with the secondary assist.
Brodeur doubled the lead halfway through the middle frame. Jeremy Morin sent a long pass from the left corner up to the high slot for the defenseman to rocket home. Ikonen also tallied a point on the play.
The Crunch built a four-goal lead with back-to-back goals in the third period. At the 5:43 mark, Ikonen redirected a rebound into an open net from the slot. Assists went to Conacher and Slater Koekkoek. Six minutes later, Gourde flew past Thunderbirds defenders to net a shorthanded goal on the breakaway.
With 7:07 remaining in the game, the Thunderbirds kicked off a three-goal rally. Eight seconds into a 5-on-3 advantage, Jayce Hawryluk banked one off Wilcox from the goal line to spoil his shutout bid. Sena Acolatse and Brody Sutter recorded the assists. Just 1:15 later, Kyle Rau slid one in from the left circle on the power play with the help of Mackenzie Weegar and Berra. Springfield pulled within one in the final minutes when Sutter got a stick on Acolatse’s rebound during a battle in front of the cage
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