Syracuse found all the top stars in the American Hockey League converged into the War Memorial on Monday night for the 2016 AHL All Star Game. Like the NHL, the game featured a new format, a 4v4 and 3v3 round robin tournament pitting the four league divisions against each other in a battle to see who would come out on top. After seven games, the Central Division claimed victory with a 4-0 shutout of the Atlantic Division. The final standings looked like this:
Central Division: 3 wins and 1 loss Atlantic Division: 2 wins and 2 losses North Division: 1 win and 2 losses Pacific Division: 1 win and 2 losses Several players had outstanding nights on the ice. Rob Schremp, a local favorite from Fulton playing for the Portland Pirates, had two goals and two assists on the night. He was one of the only non-Syracuse Crunch players getting loud cheers from the crowd. Pat Cannone, from the Chicago Wolves, was awarded the MVP award, notching three goals on the night. For the Crunch, Matt Taormina had three assists on the night, Mike Angelidis had one assists, and Kristers Gudlevskis made nine saves in three games. Overall, the All Star Game and Skills Competition were a major success in Syracuse. It had great attendance both nights and provided lots of fun for both players and fans. It was a refreshing change from the regular games of hockey fans see all the time. Instead of lots of intensity and pressure to win, it was fun to see players from across the league get together and have fun without the intense need to win. The mascots took the cake both nights, whooping it up with all the fans. I also have to say Joe Nasty, who is best known from KROCK, brings a new energy to in game entertainment to the Syracuse Crunch, something they have been lacking for years now. Though there were a lot of positives, there were some minor negatives. First and foremost, I agree with Brent Axe in saying the Crunch need a new goal song. It is weak and not what a goal song should be. They should go back to Zombienation or bring in a new rock song. Secondly, Crunchman needs a makeover. The other mascots blew him out of the water and it was made known by fans all over the arena. The Crunch need to either re-brand him or get a new mascot that works as well as Moose, Audie, Frenzy, Kingston, T-Bone, and Tux. The All Star Game was a fun time that helped prove Syracuse has a ton to offer as a hockey city. I am excited for the second half of the season and the Crunch's push for the playoffs. They return to action this Friday when they host the Utica Comets at 7pm. Sunday night was skills night for the American Hockey League. In a crowded War Memorial in Downtown Syracuse, the best players in the American Hockey League took to the ice for the 2016 All Star Skills Competition. After several events, from hardest shot to the breakaway challenge, the Western All-Stars captured a 19-14 victory over the Eastern All-Stars. For the Western All-Stars, Derek Grant (Stockton) won the fastest skater competition while Pat Cannone (Chicago) captured the Accuracy shooting event. For the East, Ryan Graves (Hartford) fired a 103.4 mph blast to win the hardest shot event. For the best goalie award, it went to Eric Comrie (Manitoba). For the Syracuse Crunch, Mike Angelidis had a goal in the Pass and Score competition while Kristers Gudlevskis and Matt Taormina had great showings in several events. You can check out pictures and highlights from the Skills Competition below. Be sure to stay tuned for updates from the All-Star Game tonight! The game starts at 7pm! |
Nicholas Episcopo
Broadcasting Graduate Archives
November 2018
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