Syracuse Crunch suffers first home loss of the season

The Syracuse Crunch came into Saturday night’s game with a 7-1 record, riding a three-game win streak after their initial 4-0 start was stunted by their rival, the Rochester Americans. 

The Crunch looked to keep that win streak alive, but instead fell to the Belleville Senators, 7-4. The Senators were looking to get back in the win column after a loss to the Americans on Oct. 29. 

Crunch goalie Brandon Halverson entered the game with an amazing start to the season, having two shutouts and a .915 save percentage in five games with only one loss on the season. 

Halverson, though, had by far the worst game on Saturday in the early going of the season. He let up five goals on 30 attempts. 

On the other side of things, the Senator’s goalie Leevi Meriläinen didn’t have much of a better time getting peppered by 42 shots while letting four get in the net. 

It was a very physical game between the two, each dishing out big hits and getting chippy multiple times at the end of a whistle. 

The Crunch got scoring started only six minutes into the first period by forward Cooper Flinton, for his first of the season. The Senators then came back and scored a power play goal later in the period. The Senators added to their lead a couple of minutes later. The Crunch nearly had a scoring opportunity at the end of the first, but time expired before they had a chance to capitalize on it. 

With less than a minute into the second period, the Crunch scored to tie it, before the Senators retook the lead again, making it 3-2. They added to it with another power-play goal. Then the Crunch made it a one-goal game again. 

In the third period, the Crunch tied the game 4-4. But just like how they did all game, the Senators struck back for their fifth to take the lead once again. 

The Crunch had no choice but to pull Halverson for the extra attacker in an attempt to even the game. The Senators then sealed the win with two empty-net goals.

Center Conor Geekie has had a good time since being called down with 5 points in 4 games. He added two points with two assists against the Senators.  

Special teams was a factor seemingly only for Belleville. They converted on two of three of their power play attempts and stopped all three of the Crunch’s successive attempts. 

Head coach Joel Bouchard discussed the Crunch’s penalty kill performance and his goal for the rest of the season. 

“We haven’t given that many goals all year and you know there was a mistake — 100%,” Bouchard said. “One man short, so everybody needs to be on task. We’re going to have to reset and go.” 

Following the 7-4 loss tonight, the Crunch will start their first four-game road trip of the season against the Rochester Americans on Wednesday at 7:05 p.m.