SYRACUSE 4, LAKE ERIE 2
Syracuse netted a pair of goals in both the first and second periods and rolled on to its 12th consecutive victory, a 4-2 decision over Lake Erie on Tuesday at the Quicken Loans Arena. The Crunch moved within two points of second-place Manitoba in the North Division.
Syracuse is guaranteed to square off with the Moose in the first round of the 2008 Calder Cup Playoffs, but home-ice advantage in the series is still to be determined.
Rookie Derick Brassard was one of three Crunch skaters to post a goal and an assist in the victory.
Brassard and Nate DiCasmirro scored 1:33 apart in the first period, and Mark Rycroft made it 3-0 just 33 seconds into the middle stanza.
Joakim Lindstrom netted his team-leading 24th goal of the season for Syracuse later in the second period, scoring on the power play. Both Lindstrom and DiCasmirro added an assist to finish with multiple-point nights.
The Monsters cut into the lead with a pair of man-advantage goals of their own. Wyatt Smith scored 17 minutes into the second, and Chris Stewart lit the lamp midway through the third period.
Crunch goaltender Adam Munro (12-9-1) made 25 saves in the winning effort.
Syracuse is the first AHL team to win 12 straight games since Manchester did so from Jan. 15 to Feb. 11, 2007. The Crunch now have a 20-game points streak (17-0-0-3) and are 21-1-0-5 in their last 27 contests.
SAN ANTONIO 3, IOWA 2 (OT)
Mike Zigomanis scored just 29 seconds into overtime to give San Antonio a dramatic 3-2 road victory over Iowa at the Wells Fargo Arena.
With the Rampage trailing 2-1, Matt Murley lit the lamp at 19:27 of the third period to force the extra session. San Antonio captain Bryan Helmer assisted on both the tying and winning goals.
Defenseman Nick Ross, a first-round draft pick by Phoenix in 2007, netted his first professional goal to give San Antonio a 1-0 first-period lead.
But Iowa’s Marty Sertich scored twice in the opening stanza to give the Stars their 2-1 advantage. That margin would hold until Murley’s late marker.
Rampage goaltender Al Montoya (23-13-3) earned the victory with 22 saves on 24 shots, helping San Antonio move back into a three-way tie with Milwaukee and Houston for third place in the West Division.
