Syracuse Crunch fall to Laval Rocket, 5-2

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Syracuse Crunch fell to the Laval Rocket, 5-2, tonight at Place Bell.
The Crunch sit at 2-1-0-0 on the season as they drop the first game of an eight-game season series against the Rocket.
Crunch goaltender Matt Tomkins stopped 25-of-30 shots. Jakub Dobes earned the win turning aside 25-of-27 in net for the Rocket. Syracuse was held scoreless on three power play opportunities, while Laval converted on 2-of-5 man-advantages.
Alex Barré-Boulet opened scoring just 1:05 into the first period to give Laval an early lead. He got ahead on a short breakaway and buried the puck five-hole.
The Crunch tied the game, 1-1, early into the second stanza. Gemel Smith chipped the puck out from behind the net for Lukas Svejkovsky to redirect in. The Rocket quickly responded with a power-play goal from Joshua Roy to regain the lead. With four minutes remaining in the period, Syracuse knotted the score for the second time. Jesse Ylonen centered the puck for Jaydon Dureau to rip a one-timer from the slot.
Laval added three goals in the final frame to solidify the victory. Roy notched his second power-play goal at the start of the period to put the Rocket up, 3-2, with a wrister from the high slot. Laval continued to build their lead at 6:36 when Barré-Boulet potted his second of the game from the bottom of the right circle. Gustav Lindström then fed Xavier Simoneau from the left point for a shot from between the circles to round out the scoring.
The Crunch and the Rocket face off in Laval again tomorrow at 3 p.m.
Single game tickets and ticket packages for the 2024-25 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. For the latest Crunch news, visit www.syracusecrunch.com or follow the club on Facebook (www.facebook.com/syracusecrunch), X (@SyracuseCrunch) and Instagram (@syracusecrunch).
Crunchables: Gemel Smith has points in back-to-back games (2a).