Catching Up With the Crunch (February/March Review)

Syracuse Crunch

By: Monika Cook

Crunch fans sat idly by their computers and phones on trade deadline day, waiting for the announcement of a trade or loss of a player.  Fans would be generally shocked to find out that none of the Crunch players would be traded on deadline day, only losing Vladislav Namestnikov from the affiliate team Tampa Bay Lightning.

After the trade deadline day calmed down, the Crunch were in for a wild ride of call ups, send downs, and PTO’s.  Right after the deadline, the Crunch would feel the effects of a possible Kucherov injury, with Bournival being emergency recalled.  He would shortly return to the Crunch after playing in one game, as Kucherov was not injured.  The Crunch would also sign goaltender Olivier Mantha to a AHL contract, only to send him to the Adirondack Thunder (ECHL affiliate).  Tampa would then send goaltender Peter Budaj, who was previously injured earlier in the year, down to Syracuse for a conditioning stint, where he played 2 games total (losing one in regulation and one in overtime).  Budaj would return to Tampa, sending Louis Domingue back to the Crunch where he started the year.  Tampa would also recall Anthony Cirelli on March 1st. Cirelli was one of the Crunch’s top 5 goal scorers before being recalled, only to assist the Lightning with 2 goals and 3 assists in only 6 games played.  The Crunch would also add TJ Melancon to a PTO as well as lose Ben Thomas to a suspension for a game.

On Monday, the Crunch awaited the ability to clinch a playoff spot.  Needing to win a game, and have Toronto win, the Crunch successfully clinched a playoff spot for the 2018 season, the earliest the Crunch have ever clinched in their 24 years of hockey.  Over the course of the remaining games, the Syracuse Crunch will look to take the lead of the division and prepare for the post season.