Poll Question: How many Crunch games will you go to this season?
The Syracuse Crunch have been waiting to play an actual game for almost five weeks now, and on Friday they'll finally get their chance. A scheduling quirk has most other NHL and AHL teams already a week into their season, as the Crunch prepare for their season opener on Friday in Binghamton, followed by their home opener on Saturday night against Adirondack.
"It's been a lot of practices," admits Crunch forward Dan Sexton, "and if we don't have our systems down now, I don't know if we ever will, so hopefully we'll be sharp once the first game starts"
"Technically we've been in training camp for over a month now," laughs forward Kyle Palmieri, "and everything is starting to come together. We start this weekend and everyone is moving into their places and getting settled in Syracuse so, definitely everybody is excited."
First round draft pick Palmieri was more than likely hoping to open his second season as a member of the Anaheim Ducks, but the parent club prefers that he sharpen his skills in Syracuse first.
"They want him to play solid in all three zones," explains Crunch Head Coach Mark Hollick, "they want him to get a bit more hungry in the danger areas so to speak, the hard areas, compete a little bit harder their physically and be a little bit more proactive"
"Getting called up isn't something you can control," says Palmieri, "you just have to control the way you're playing every day and the way you work every day and that's what they're looking for out of me, just a consistent effort."
Palmieri is the key member of a talented core of young players the Crunch are featuring to start the year, including fellow 20 year old Peter Holland and Nicolas Deschamps, Patrick Maroon and Nick Bonino. The team plans on getting a fast start to the season this year, an early push towards the ultimate goal of making the playoffs and doing some damage.
"At the start of every season you're definitely looking to push it," says defenseman Mat Clark, "push it as hard as you can, and try to establish yourself so you can make that postseason run."
