Lucas Mercuri OT Power-Play Goal Propels Crunch Past Penguins 3-2

Lucas Mercuri ended a back-and-forth affair with a power-play one-timer 3:21 into overtime, set up by Jakob Pelletier, to give the Syracuse Crunch a 3-2 victory over the Wilkes‑Barre/Scranton Penguins at Upstate Medical University Arena. Pelletier’s assist on the OT winner also marked his 60th point of the season and underscored his status as the league’s leading scorer.

Syracuse built an early advantage in the first period through transition offense. Tristan Allard snapped in an opening tally on a two-on-one at the five-minute mark, and Brendan Furry chopped in a Pelletier feed at 7:46 to put the Crunch up 2-0 after 20 minutes. Sergei Murashov, Syracuse’s netminder, finished with 20 saves and made several key stops that helped preserve the margin deep into the third period.

Wilkes‑Barre/Scranton chipped into the lead early in the second when Rutger McGroarty capitalized 90 seconds into the frame, handling a neutral-zone turnover and ripping a shot through Brandon Halverson’s five hole to make it 2-1. The Penguins, who enter the game at 36-14-5-2, then staged a dramatic late comeback to force extra time.

After Aidan McDonough had a shot blocked by the Crunch, the rebound careened right to the tape of Melvin Fernström. Fernström let loose with a shot through traffic and beat Halverson with 23.6 seconds left, tying the game, 2-2. Halverson finished with 24 saves and came up big in overtime, turning aside two excellent chances before a holding penalty on the Penguins at 2:27 of OT created the decisive power-play opportunity.

Wilkes‑Barre/Scranton’s official recap summarized the arc succinctly: “Wilkes-Barre/Scranton climbed out of a two-goal hole and pushed the game to OT with a strike late in regulation. However, a power play in overtime opened the door for Syracuse to stave off the visitors’ rally and secure the extra point.” Roughly one minute after the OT penalty, Mercuri buried Pelletier’s feed to end the game.

Beyond the immediate theatrics, the result has layered implications. Pelletier adding his 60th point while operating as the league’s top scorer increases his profile for NHL clubs tracking AHL production, and Mercuri’s late-game finishing provides the Crunch with a high-value weapon in tight games. The overtime power-play finish highlights how special teams can swing AHL standings and player evaluations as NHL affiliates monitor readiness.

For Wilkes‑Barre/Scranton, the loss punctuates a resilient season but leaves little margin for error; the Penguins will regroup for a March 13 matchup against the Hershey Bears at Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza with a 7:05 p.m. puck drop on the slate. For Syracuse, the OT triumph extended the team’s hot run and supplied a momentum swing in front of the Upstate Medical University Arena crowd, a measurable boost for the franchise’s on-ice product and local engagement.