All-around effort helps Crunch clinch

Twelve players found the scoresheet for Syracuse on Friday night, including goaltender Pascal Leclaire, who also made 31 saves, as the Crunch clinched a Calder Cup Playoff berth with a 6-3 win over Binghamton.

The Crunch’s version of the M & M (& M & M) Boys built a 4-0 lead, as Brad Moran opened the scoring 21 seconds into the game, and Kent McDonell, Donald MacLean and Joe Motzko followed.

All-Star defenseman Julien Vauclair scored twice for the Senators, who cut the deficit to 4-3 in the third period. But Mark Hartigan sealed the win for Syracuse with 7:54 left in regulation, and Moran added an empty-netter in the final minute.

The win kept Syracuse four points behind Hamilton for the lead in the North Division; the Crunch have three games in hand.

Elsewhere on Friday:
In front of 15,119 fans at Copps Coliseum, Alexander Perezhogin scored twice to lead Hamilton to a 4-2 win over St. John’s… Alex Auld made 38 saves as Manitoba kept its playoff hopes alive, downing Rochester, 3-1… Jesse Fibiger scored two goals for Cleveland in a 5-2 victory over Toronto… Patrick DesRochers stopped an Andy Hilbert penalty shot in overtime, setting up Matt Davidson‘s winner with two seconds left as Lowell edged Providence, 2-1… Peter White scored on a power play in the third period as Philadelphia took over first place in the East Division with a 2-1 win over Bridgeport… Kris Beech potted a pair as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton doubled up Hershey, 4-2… Mark Cullen registered a goal and an assist and Johan Holmqvist made 25 saves as Houston shut out San Antonio, 3-0… David Gove scored twice and Rob Valicevic recorded a goal and two assists as Utah blanked Grand Rapids, 4-0… Jason LaBarbera made seven of his 32 saves in overtime to help Hartford tie Worcester, 2-2… Mike Cammalleri‘s hat trick allowed Manchester to dig out of an early three-goal hole and knock off Norfolk, 5-3… Mike Mottau scored twice and Joel Perrault registered three assists as Cincinnati beat Chicago, 5-3… Rastislav Stana made 31 saves for Portland in a 1-1 tie with Springfield.