Crunch douses Flames
Steve Kariya scores two goals and adds an assist in Syracuse's 8-2 road
victory.
 
Staff reports
 
Saint John, New Brunswick
 
The Syracuse Crunch's NHL star of the future got the better of the Saint John
Flames' NHL star of the past Tuesday night as Syracuse routed the Flames 8-2
at Harbor Station.
 
The Crunch exploded for six goals in two periods against veteran goaltender
Grant Fuhr, who was making his second appearance for Saint John while on a
rehabilitation assignment from the Calgary Flames.
 
The win was the fourth in a row for Syracuse (23-19-7) and moved the Crunch
within three points of idle Rochester for the Empire Division lead.
 
A three-point effort by Steve Kariya, who was recently assigned to the Crunch
from the NHL's Vancouver Canucks, helped trigger the victory.
 
Kariya scored twice, while Reggie Savage, Brian Bonin and Martin Gendron
added single goals in the second period as the Crunch turned a one-goal
deficit into a 6-2 lead. Gendron had four points in the contest.
 
In his first game with the Crunch on Saturday, Kariya - the younger brother
of Paul Kariya of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks - had a goal and one assist in a
victory over Providence.
 
"It was enjoyable to go out there and just play my game," said Kariya who
made the Canucks squad as an undrafted free agent in September. "It's been a
tough time for me the past month and so far I'm having fun out there again,
when you're having fun you play well."
 
It was not a fun night for Fuhr.
 
Jarkko Ruutu deflected a Trevor Doyle shot past the netminder to give the
Crunch a 1-0 lead 7 minutes, 32 seconds in.
 
The Flames tied the game at 14:08 of the first period following a turnover in
the Syracuse zone as Sergei Varamov pounced on a loose puck and beat Syracuse
goaltender Christian Bronsard. Fewer than two minutes later, Jeff Cowan
scored to give Saint John a 2-1 lead.
 
Kariya tied the game with his first goal, blasting a slap shot past Fuhr
early in the second period. A backhand shot by Savage eluded Fuhr at 3:48 to
regain a 3-2 lead for the Crunch.
 
Josh Holden and Gendron added goals for Syracuse in the third period.
 
Thursday, February 3, 2000