AMERKS DROP FIFTH STRAIGHT AT HOME IN 3-2 LOSS TO CRUNCH
Mar 11, 2022The Rochester Americans dropped their fifth straight on home ice after in a 3-2 loss to the Syracuse Crunch Friday ay The Blue Cross Arena.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | 3 | OT | SO | FINAL |
| Syracuse | 2 | 1 | 0 | -- | -- | 3 |
| Rochester | 1 | 1 | 0 | -- | -- | 2 |
GAME SUMMARY PHOTO GALLERY POST-GAME REPORT
Tonight’s meeting was the eighth between the North Division rivals since Jan. 5 and the 10th of 12 overall this season with another matchup scheduled for Sunday in Syracuse to wrap up the three-game weekend.
Forwards Nick Pastujov, who appeared in his 100th professional game, and Brett Murray both netted their second and 15th goals of the season, respectively, for Rochester. With his second-period goal, Murray has recorded nine points (3+6) over his career-best six-game point streak. Over his last 18 games since the start of February, Murray has registered 17 points on nine goals and eight assists, which was highlighted by a season-high four-point (1+3) outing at Toronto on Feb. 27.
Ethan Prow, Matej Pekar, Josh Teves and Ryan Scarfo all earned an assist.
WATCH: GAME HIGHLIGHTS
Netminder Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (9-11-1), who made his fourth appearance in the last six games and six of the previous nine, made 40 saves but suffered his third straight defeat. In two of his previous three appearances against the Crunch, the Finnish netminder has stopped 40 or more shots while showing a 1-2-0 mark.
Alex Barré-Boulet (1+1), Alex Green (1+1) and Sean Day (0+2) all turned in a pair of points for Syracuse, which has a 12-11-5-0 record through its first 28 road games. Charles Hudon scored the eventual game-winning goal in the second period while netminder Max Lagace (8-7-0) recorded his second consecutive win, stopping 14-of-16 shots.
Five minutes after Rochester took an early one-goal lead, the Crunch countered back with a pair of tallies to take a 2-1 cushion into the first intermission.
WATCH: BRETT MURRAY POST-GAME
On the first Crunch goal of the contest, Boris Katchouk, who was reassigned from the Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL) on Thursday, sent the puck up the right wall to the point. As he gathered the pass, Green fired a one-time feed to even the score at the 7:03 mark.
Later in the frame and while on their second power-play of the night, the Crunch grabbed the lead as Barré-Boulet connected on a slap-shot from just inside the right face-off dot from Day and Green.
The visiting club capped off its three-goal run 3:46 into the second period when Hudon swiped a loose rebound past Luukkonen after the goaltender stopped both Hudon and Barré-Boulet’s first two shots.
WATCH: SETH APPERT POST-GAME
Rochester pulled within one to make it a 3-2 deficit 6:01 later when Murray redirected a Teves’ long-range point shot for his 15th of the season, but the Amerks could not even the score over the final 30 minutes of regulation.
The Amerks opened the scoring 2:29 into the contest as Pastujov jammed in a rebound between the legs of Lagace from Scarfo and Pekar.
With the goal, his second of the season, Pastujov now has two points (1+1) in his last three games while Pekar snapped a 19-game scoring drought. Additionally, Scarfo has notched a pair of assists in his previous three outings and six assists over his last six, marking his best offensive stretch of the season.
WATCH: NICK PASTUJOV POST-GAME
The Amerks continue the three-in-three weekend on Saturday, March 12 as they head to the Adirondack Bank Center for a 7:00 p.m. faceoff against the first-place Utica Comets. All of the action will be carried live on The Sports Leader 95.7FM/950 AM The Fan Rochester as well as AHLTV.
|
SYRACUSE |
GAMECENTER |
ROCHESTER |
|
Green (4), Barre-Boulet (8), Hudon (21 – GWG) |
GOAL-SCORERS |
Pastujov (2), Murray (15) |
|
Lagace – 14/16 (W) |
GOALTENDERS |
Luukkonen – 40/43 (L) |
|
1-3 |
POWER-PLAY |
0-3 |
|
3-3 |
PENALTY KILL |
2-3 |
|
43 |
SHOTS ON GOAL |
16 |