Syracuse Crunch downed by Penguins, 4-1

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Syracuse Crunch were downed by the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, 4-1, tonight at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza.

The Crunch are on a three-game skid and move to 13-8-0-2 on the season and 1-2-0-0 in the four-game season series against the Penguins.

Crunch goaltender Matt Tomkins turned aside 22-of-26 shots. Magnus Hellberg stopped 24-of-25 between the pipes for the Penguins. The Syracuse power play was held scoreless on four opportunities and the penalty kill went a perfect 5-for-5.

The Penguins opened scoring with just 39 seconds remaining in the first period. Xavier Ouellet fired a shot from the left point that was redirected in by Rem Pitlick.

Jack Rathbone doubled the lead with a wrister from the high slot 7:21 into the middle frame. The Crunch stole one back to cut their deficit to one right off the face-off at the 15:01 mark. Tristan Allard took the draw in the left circle, Dan Walker poked the puck out and Shawn Element sent it off the goal post and in. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton quickly responded and took back their two-goal lead just 21 seconds later when Austin Rueschhoff tipped in Dmitri Samorukov’s right-point shot. Matt Filipe then added one off a shorthanded breakaway to make it 4-1.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton maintained their lead through the third period and took the win.

The Crunch travel to face the Utica Comets on Saturday

Single-game tickets and ticket packages for the 2023-24 season are on sale now and can be purchased in person at the Crunch office located inside the Upstate Medical University Arena at Onondaga County War Memorial at 800 S. State St. in Syracuse, by calling the office at 315-473-4444 or online through Ticketmaster.

Crunchables: Daniel Walcott played in his 400th Crunch game tonight.