Senators slip past Crunch, 3-2, in shootout

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – After going down by one, the Syracuse Crunch notched two consecutive markers to take the lead, but the Binghamton Senators were able to climb back to down the team, 3-2, in a shootout tonight at the War Memorial Arena.

Gabriel Dumont lit the lamp for the Crunch to tie the game late in the first period. Adam Comrie went on to give Syracuse their only lead of the night early in the second, but the Crunch were unable to hold on and picked up their fourth shootout loss this season. The Crunch still sit atop the North Division with a 17-9-0-4 record and hold a 2-0-0-1 lead in the 10-game season series with the Senators.

Adam Wilcox stopped 20-of-22 shots and 1-of-2 shootout attempts in defeat. His counterpart, Chris Driedger, earned the win with a 37-save performance for the Senators. He also went 3-for-3 stopping shootout attempts. Syracuse and Binghamton both went 1-for-4 on the power play.

The Senators struck first with a power-play tally 6:25 into the first period. Phil Varone threw a shot wide from the left boards, but Jack Rodewald came crashing in and redirected it past Wilcox from the right post. Michael Kostka recorded the secondary helper.

Dumont evened the score when he intercepted a pass in the slot and netted his fifth of the season with 3:54 remaining in the opening frame.

The Crunch took their first lead of the game 5:54 into the middle stanza off a power-play marker, but went into the second intermission knotted for the second time. Matt Taormina fed Comrie from the point. He skated in and fired a wrist shot over the netminder’s blocker from the left circle. Adam Erne earned the secondary assist on the go-ahead goal. With 37 seconds remaining in the period, the Senators gained possession when the Crunch were unable to clear the zone. Nick Paul sent the puck over to the left circle for Francis Perron. The winger passed back across the slot for Buddy Robinson to net from down low.

The teams remained tied through the third period and the overtime frame before heading to a shootout. Varone lifted a shot over Wilcox in the first round, which was enough to give Binghamton the victory.

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