Kyle Palmieri will be back in the Syracuse Crunch lineup on Wednesday night just in time for the most important back to back series of the season so far. The Crunch play the first of two straight against the Adirondack Phantoms on Wednesday, a team that is just two points behind the Crunch for that eighth and final playoff spot. With just nine games left to play, the Anaheim Ducks organization hopes sending Palmieri back to Syracuse will help both the Crunch and their developing young player.
"It would have been nice to finish off the season in Anaheim," admits Palmieri, "but right now it's exciting to be back here and kind of get that playoff experience under my belt."
"It's important that (young developing players) play in a race like this," says Crunch associate Head Coach Trent Yawney, "I think Anaheim saw the need for him to probably to experience this type of hockey at this type of year, which is only going to make him a better player."
"He had a great couple of games there in Anaheim," says Crunch forward Peter Holland, "put up a couple of goals so that has to be great for his confidence. It's huge to have him back."
The Crunch will take on Adirondack again this Friday night on the road, hoping to distance themselves from the Phantoms in a race that has a log jam of hungry teams in the hunt for that final playoff spot. The Crunch have earned points in 10 of their last 11 games,a feat that bodes well this time of year.
"This has been an up and down season," admits Palmieri, "it's tough and it puts a lot of wear on the guys but playoffs are all about teams playing well at the end of the year, and right now we're putting together a pretty good streak."
