For the first time all season, the Syracuse Crunch are sole possessors of first place in the North Division as their 5-3 win over the Utica Comets propelled them past the idle Rochester Americans by two points. Carter Verhaeghe scored twice and Eddie Pasquale stopped 30 of 33 shots as the Crunch picked up their 36th win of the season. It was not their prettiest.
Does a team deserve to win a game where they are outshot 33-20, on the wrong end of a 7-1 power play differential, and spend what seemed like 95% of the game in their own zone?