Hockey games consist of three periods of 20 minutes each. But sometimes 60 minutes are just not enough.
The Syracuse Crunch has played six overtimes games in a row, winning one in overtime and three via a tie-breaking shootout.
The late-season victories have inched the Crunch into a playoff spot, an achievement that appeared less than likely as recently as mid-March.
The Syracuse skaters have gotten hot right at the right time. They’ve picked up at least one point in every game since March 11, going 8-0-1-1 in that span to climb into seventh place in the Eastern Conference with just six games remaining in the regular season. The top eight teams will qualify for the postseason.
“We are starting to believe,” said Crunch Associate Head Coach Trent Yawney said following the team’s 2-1 overtime win against the Binghamton Senators Saturday, March 31, at the Broome County Arena. Dan Sexton scored in the first period that night and Kyle Cumiskey earned the game-winner when his centering feed caromed off the skate of a Senators defenseman into the goal.
The night before, despite two goals by Patrick Maroon and one by Nick Schaus, the Crunch lost 4-3 in overtime to the Adirondack Phantoms at the Glens Falls Civic Center.
On Wednesday, March 28, hot-shot forward Kyle Palmieri rewarded a roaring War Memorial crowd with a picture-perfect shootout goal fired past veteran netminder Michael Leighton to nail down a 2-1 victory over the visiting Phantoms. Patrick Maroon had scored the Crunch’s sole goal in regulation.
The major reason behind the Crunch’s late-season surge is the superlative play of goaltender Iiro Tarkki. He leads all American Hockey League goalies with 10 wins in the month of March. He is 10-1-0 in his last 12 games, with a 2.17 goals-against average and a .933 save percentage. The free agent signing allowed three or fewer goals in 10 out of his last 12 starts. Tarkki has been a workhorse in goal all season, and now stands third in the league in saves.
Down to the wire
The Syracuse Crunch, 32-27-5-5, clings tenaciously to its playoff aspirations as it hits the home stretch of the 2011-12 American Hockey League season. The last regular-season home game of the season is set for 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 14, against the Connecticut Whale.
The first 1,000 fans in attendance on April 14 when the Crunch take on the Whale will receive an orange cowbell courtesy of Ale N Angus Pub.
The Crunch is affiliated with the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks, while Binghamton is the top farm club of the Ottawa Senators an Connecticut is affiliated with the New York Rangers. The War Memorial is downtown at State and Harrison streets. Ticket prices for home games range from $14 to $21; 473-4444.
