The Syracuse Crunch’s overtime problems showed up again Friday night, and this time Hartford made them pay.
Drew Fortescue finished things off 2:59 into overtime with a wrist shot from the bottom of the left circle, lifting the Hartford Wolf Pack to a 3-2 win at the Upstate Medical University Arena. It was Syracuse’s second overtime loss of the season, even though the Crunch still managed to grab a point.
Jakob Pelletier kept rolling, scoring his eighth goal in four games to stay in the middle of one of the hottest stretches on the roster. Lucas Mercuri added Syracuse’s other goal, while the Crunch dropped to 5-5-2-0.
Hartford opened the scoring midway through the first period when Justin Nachbaur ripped a long-range shot from the right point. Syracuse answered two minutes later, and the setup came from Nick Abruzzese, who sent the puck down low to Pelletier. Pelletier cut in front of the crease and beat Callum Tung five-hole to even it up.
The second period turned into a back-and-forth exchange. Mercuri put Syracuse ahead at 3:17 after Tung misplayed the puck and left it sitting out front, where Mercuri was able to jam it in behind the goalie. Hartford responded at 11:58 on a 2-on-1 rush, with Carey Terrance feeding Justin Dowling for the finish from the bottom of the left circle.
Neither side could break through in the third, and the game stayed tied until Fortescue ended it in overtime.
Olivier Rodrigue stopped 22 of 25 shots for Syracuse. Tung made 24 saves on 26 shots for Hartford. Both teams went 0-for-4 on the power play.
Abruzzese has now piled up seven assists over his last four games, and the Crunch remain 0-2 in overtime this season.
Syracuse returns home to face the Laval Rocket on Wednesday for Military Appreciation Night.
In Other News...
Lightning Pull Off Road Comeback That Says Plenty About This Surge
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Charle-Edouard DAstous helped fuel the rally by tying it in the third, and the comeback set the stage for Nikita Kucherov to finish it in overtime. For a team trying to build momentum on the road, this was the kind of win that says as much about resilience as it does about skill, and it leaves the Lightning with another reminder that their current run has real staying power. [Read more 🡒]
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The Lightning also come in needing a steadier effort away from home, where results have been harder to come by this season. Special teams could loom large, with both clubs bringing strong pieces to the ice and key players on each side capable of swinging the game in a hurry. For Tampa Bay, the bigger question is whether it can match Minnesotas pace and structure long enough to leave with points from a rink that has rarely been kind to it. [Read more 🡒]
Jakob Pelletier Keeps Delivering Despite Another Crunch Letdown
The Syracuse Crunch had another night where the result did not match the effort, falling 3-2 to the Hartford Wolf Pack in overtime at the Upstate Medical University Arena. Jakob Pelletier kept his recent surge rolling with a goal, and Lucas Mercuri added the other Syracuse tally, while Olivier Rodrigue turned aside 22 of 25 shots in a game that stayed tight from start to finish.
For the Lightning organization, Pelletiers production has become one of the more encouraging developments in Syracuse, even if the Crunch are still looking for the kind of finish that turns close games into points. Hartfords Callum Tung made 24 saves to get the win, leaving Syracuse with another frustrating one-goal loss and more proof that the offensive pieces are there, even if the payoff keeps slipping away late. [Read more 🡒]