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ROCHESTER -- Nick Tarnasky tallied his first two goals of the season and Brady Calla netted his first marker of the campaign as the Crunch fell to Rochester Tuesday night, 5-3, in front of 2,333 fans at the Blue Cross Arena.
Coming off a hard-fought 6-3 loss in Binghamton Saturday night, the Crunch had a chance to get right back at it with a Tuesday night tilt against arch-rival Rochester in a game that was originally scheduled for January 27, but had to be moved because of a scheduling conflict.
The Crunch got just the start they needed when Rochester’s Jason Garrison was called for hooking at the 5:12 mark and Jordan Henry was given a two-minute minor for slashing just 44 seconds later, putting Syracuse on a two-man advantage for 1:16.
The Crunch capitalized on that opportunity when they got the puck to the net and created a goal-mouth scramble. Rookie defenseman Brent Regner was able to sniff out the rebound and chip a backhand past Alexander Salak to make it 1-0 before the game was seven minutes old.
Syracuse’s lead did not last long, however, as Rochester countered just 1:24 later at the 8:16 mark when Michael Duco’s wrister from the left point found its way through a screened Dan Taylor to knot the score at 1-1.
Just when it looked like the period was going to end that way, Jamie Johnson found Tarnasky from behind the net and he tucked a shot past Taylor to make it 2-1 in favor of Rochester.
The Crunch came out with a lot of jump in the second period and that energy carried over to the scoreboard when Dylan Reese notched his first goal of the year at the 6:40 mark just after a power play had expired.
Jared Aulin set up along the right wing boards and faked a slapshot that fooled everyone in the building, including Salak and the Amerks defense.
Instead of shooting, Aulin slid a perfect pass over to Dylan Reese sneaking in from the left point and Reese ripped a one-timer into the open net to tie the game at 2-2.
The tide turned back in Rochester’s favor just over six minutes into the third frame when Clay Wilson chipped a puck up from the neutral zone, springing a 2-on-1 for the Americans.
Veteran center Chris Taylor drew Brent Regner down to the ice and floated a pass over to Tarnasky, who didn’t miss on the one-timer for his second of the game to give Rochester the 3-2 advantage.
Rochester went up 4-2 when Jimmy Bonneau forced a turnover on Regner and Calla picked it up and whistled a wrister past Taylor for the tally at the 14:54 mark.
The Crunch did not give up and got the game back to within one when David Liffiton crashed the goal mouth and backhanded a shot over a sprawling Salak to make it a game at 4-3 with just over three minutes left in regulation.
Syracuse pulled Taylor for the extra-attacker late, but Jamie Johnson iced the game with an empty-netter with just 25 seconds left in regulation.
CRUNCHABLES: Goaltender Dan Taylor made his first start in a Crunch uniform and first start in the AHL since April 11, 2009 when he was a member of the Manchester Monarchs…Left Wing Alexandre Picard appeared in his 216th AHL and Crunch game, tying him for tenth all-time in games played as a member of the Crunch…This was the seventh of 10 overall meetings and final game at the Blue Cross Arena between these two clubs this season…Mike Radja tallied his first point, an assist, in his first game back with the Crunch since being claimed off AHL waivers…Bates Battaglia is currently on a three-game point streak and has four points (2g, 2a) over that span.
