BINGHAMTON – Trailing 3-0 in the first period, the Binghamton Devils came back to stun the visiting Syracuse Crunch, 6-5, in a shootout for their seventh win in a row.

Syracuse scored three goals in the first 7:03 in the first period. Cameron Gaunce sent a shot from the left point that Alex Barre-Boulet tipped from the right-wing circle and the puck floated all the way past Gilles Senn and into the back of the net. The goal was Barre-Boulet’s 15th of the season and the Crunch took a 1-0 lead with assists from Cameron Gaunce and Boris Katchouk.

An interference call landed Brandon Baddock in the penalty box and led to another Crunch goal early in the first. Gaunce took another shot that Katchouk tipped in under the pads of Senn for the 2-0 Syracuse lead. Gaunce was credited with the primary assist and Mathieu Joseph with the second on the power-play goal at 5:39 of the first.

Two minutes later, the Crunch extended their lead to three when Devante Stephens’ initial shot on goal was deflected out in front. Gemel Smith picked up the loose puck and lifted it by Senn on the left side. Stephens and Cory Conacher logged the assists on the play. 

Binghamton answered with 9:03 remaining in the first frame with Brett Seney’s 13th of the season. Seney pulled off a trick shot as he skillfully leaped over onto the ice in front of the net and scored a goal at the same time, chopping the Crunch lead to two.  Nick Merkley registered his 16th assist of the season and Kyle Cumiskey tallied his fifth on the 3-1 Devils play. Syracuse took a 3-1 lead into the first intermission with the shots tied at 11.

Following a review of play, the second Devils goal was confirmed at 2:47 into the second period. Joey Anderson rocketed one toward Condon that slid right under the crossbar for his 9th of the season. Chris Conner and Matt Tennyson collected the assists on the 3-2 Binghamton play. Nathan Bastian later scored, however, after review, the goal was credited to Anderson.

Syracuse regained a two-goal lead with 7:16 left in the second period. Stephens’ was stopped by Senn but the rebound was picked up out in front by Danick Martel who chipped it into the net for the 4-2 Crunch lead. Barre-Boulet grabbed the secondary assist and his second point of the night on the play and Syracuse took a 4-2 lead into the third period.

Binghamton continued to pile on the pressure as Mikhail Maltsev added another to his three-game scoring streak going when he captured a power-play goal to bring the Devils within one. Brett Seney’s shot was deflected out to Anderson who sent a quick pass over to Maltsev out in front. Maltsev popped the puck past Condon for his fifth goal of the season. The Binghamton goal that came at 3:14 in the third was assisted by Anderson and Seney.

Syracuse made it 5-3 when Joseph scored his third goal of the season. Taylor Raddysh brought the puck around the back of the net and passed it up to Joseph who finished the play with a shot that bested Senn. The play came with 8:46 left in the third with assists from Raddysh and Ross Colton.

The Devils kept fighting for a win when Merkley registered his sixth goal of the season and second point of the night, bringing the Devils within one again on the power play. Anderson’s pass from the left side connected with Merkley who slid the puck right into the back of the net. Anderson and Seney both received their second assists of the game with 7:28 remaining in the final frame.

Merkley forced overtime with just 1:57 left in the third as he fired a wrist shot by Condon from the has marks with assists from Sharangovich and Seney to force overtime and eventually a shootout.

In the third round of the shootout, Senn stopped Smith and Gignac beat Condon for the win. Senn stopped 25 of 30 in the win.

 

The Devils are back home Wednesday as they host the Cleveland Monsters at 7:05 p.m.