by
Jeff Parzych
Ron Hainsey and Mark Hartigan exchanged goals in a span of 51 seconds late in the second period and that was all these North Division foes could muster as Syracuse tied Hamilton 1-1 in American Hockey League action Saturday night.
On paper Saturday's game between the Syracuse Crunch and the Hamilton Bulldogs appeared to be a real shootout. Both clubs stand in the top five in scoring in the AHL and between the two they had combined for 23 goals in their last three games.
In the early going neither team was able to generate much in the way of offense and the Crunch only registered 4 shots on net in the opening twenty minutes. The second period looked to be much of the same. That is until the 19:02 mark of the period.
With both teams skating four a side the Bulldogs struck first on an unsettled situation in front of the Crunch crease. Hamilton defenseman Ron Hainsey's shot found its way thru a mass of players in the slot and just over the goal line before Pascal Leclaire could put a glove on it for a 1-0 Hamilton lead.
Seconds later the Crunch evened things up with a goal just as strange as Hainesy's tally. Zenith Komarniski ignited the play with a nice hit along the half boards on Hamilton forward Alexander Perezhogin. Fellow Bulldog Patrick Traverse took exception to the Komarniski hit and immediately confronted the Syracuse rearguard and dropped his gloves looking for some retribution.
Traverse's aggressive play backfired when play continued in the Hamilton zone and Mark Hartigan corralled the loose puck. He proceeded to skate untouched into the slot and rifled a shot that beat Bulldog netminder Olivier Michaud glove side to tie the score at one with just seven seconds remaining in the period.
Another scoreless period in the third set the stage for a wide open extra session. Both clubs received numerous opportunities, including at least two odd-man breaks by the Crunch, but neither club could net the game-winner.
Pascal Leclaire followed up Thursday's 52 save performance with another solid effort for Syracuse. He finished the evening with 32 saves and he now stands at 12-9-3 on the season. Olivier Michaud went the distance for Hamilton, recording 25 saves.
Crunch Ice Pack:
Date:January 31, 2004, 2004
Where:War Memorial at Oncenter
Opponent:Hamilton Bulldogs
Attendance:6, 111
Boxscore:
First PeriodScoring-No Scoring. Penalties-Limpright, Syr (holding), 1:56; Bench Minor, Syr (too many men)(served by Ling), 7:35; Blouin, Ham (interference), 10:23; Hartigan, Syr (interference), 10:56; Perezhogin, Ham (cross-check), 15:15; Blouin, Ham (roughing), 20:00.
Second Period-Scoring-1. Hamilton, Hainsey 4 (Plekanec, Hossa),19:02. 2. Syracuse, Hartigan, 15 (unassisted), 19:53. Penalties-Hartigan, Syr (holding), 12:00; Cull, Syr (cross-check), 12:37; Dykhuis, Ham (roughing), 18:18; Motzko, Syr (roughing), 18:18.
Third Period-Scoring-No Scoring. Penalties-Perezhogin, Ham (kneeing), 13:14.
Overtime:Scoring-No Scoring. Penalties-No Penalties.
Shots on Goal-Hamilton, 9-12-11-1--33; Syracuse, 4-13-6-3--26.
Power Play Opps.-Hamilton, 0-5; Syracuse, 0-4 . Goalies-Hamilton, Michaud (3-2-2) 26 shots-25 saves; Syracuse, Leclaire, (12-9-3), 33 shots-32 saves.
Referee-Steve Kozari (40); Linesmen-Dave Brisbois (96), Derek Sylvester (76).
Three Stars:
1. Zenith Komarniski: Despite not recording a point Z
gets the nod as first star. He was instrumental in the Crunch's only goal and
was solid all night long.
2. Pascal Leclaire: He finished the night with 32
saves and may be starting to develop some consistency. Head Coach Gary Agnew
indicated he may try to ride the second-year netminder for a while.
3. Mark Hartigan: Scored the lone Crunch goal and
finished the night a +1.
Lineups:
Bulldogs:Goal:Jean-Francois Damphousse, Eric Fichaud, Olivier Michaud.Defense:Karl Dykhuis, Andrew Archer, Phillipe Plante, Francois Beauchemin, Jean-Phillipe Cote, Patrick Traverse, Ron Hainsey.Forwards: Gordie Dwyer, Tomas Plekanec, Marcel Hossa, Jimmie Olvestad, Duncan Milroy, Eero Somervuori, Jonathan Ferland, Alexander Perezhogin, Sylvain Blouin, Benjamin Carpentier, Chris Higgins.
Crunch:Goal:Pascal Leclaire, Karl Goehring.Defense: Darrel Scoville, Aaron Johnson, Zenith Komarniski, Paul Traynor, Pauli Levokari, Trent Cull, Derrick Walser. Forwards:Ben Knopp, Joe Motzko, Donald MacLean, Mark Hartigan, Tim Jackman, Shawn Limpright, Brad Moran, Tyler Sloan, Brandon Sugden, Mike Pandolfo, Scott Cameron, Kent McDonell, David Ling.
Pre-Game Skate:
The Crunch scratched defenseman Pauli Levokari, left wing Tyler Sloan and center Scott Cameron. The Bulldogs sat out goaltender Jean-Francois Damphousse, left wing Gordie Dwyer and center Chris Higgins.
Crunch One-Timers:
After Saturday's game Columbus recalled forward Joe Motzko and defenseman Aaron Johnson. It will be Motzko's first time with the big club. Johnson, who was recalled to replace the injured Duvie Westcott, could have an extended stay with the Jackets….. ……Former Crunch player Shawn Legault, who is second in the CHL with 208 penalty minutes, was traded this past week from Austin to New Mexico. The player right behind Legault in penalty minutes in the CHL is Brad Wingfield, another Crunch alum. Wingfield, who plays with Corpus Christi has registered 199 penalty minutes in 35 games.
Around the AHL:
Friday night provided some interesting moments for fans of the American Hockey League. In Albany, the Binghamton Senators pounded the hometown Rats 6-0 behind two goals from the recently acquired Charlie Stephens. Tempers flared late in this one as three scrums in the final five minutes and change resulted in 81 combined penalty minutes.
Speaking of Charlie Stephens, the man he was traded for, Dennis Bonvie, celebrated his return to Wachovia Arena by dropping the gloves with Penguin defenseman David Koci just six seconds into Hershey's game against the baby Pens. Later in the third period of Hershey's 3-1 win Bonvie padded his penalty stats by receiving a ten minute misconduct call.
At Blue Cross Arena the Milwaukee Admirals scored two goals in a span of 29 seconds with under two minutes remaining in regulation to upend the Rochester Americans 2-1. Both goals were of the power play variety thanks to a high-sticking major assessed to Norm Milley just prior to the fifteen minute mark of the third period. Former Crunch sniper Mathieu Darche tied the game with 1:23 left and he was also the recipient of Milley's high-stick that gave the Admirals new life.
ESPN's Melrose Loses UHL Coaching Debut:
ESPN broadcaster Barry Melrose, part of the new ownership group in Adirondack, came out on the losing end in his one-game appearance behind the bench for the IceHawks. Melrose's club fell to the Richmond RiverDogs 2-1 in a shoot-out at the Glens Falls Civic Center.
Ironically the new ownership group, Glens Falls Professional Hockey, L.L.C., includes not only Melrose and fellow ESPN employee Steve Levy, but Glenn Morelli, the owner of the IceHawks opponent that evening, the Richmond RiverDogs.
In Richmond's 2-1 win, Brad Both, a player who spent some time with the Crunch this past preseason, fought just 36 seconds in with Adirondack's Darren McLachlan.
On Deck:
The Crunch hit the road as they play their next five away from the War Memorial. The road trip starts with back-to-back games on Tuesday and Wednesday against the St. John's Maple Leafs at Mile One Stadium. After that they spend the weekend in Pennsylvania with games on Friday and Saturday against Wilkes-Barre and Hershey respectively.