Around the AHL: Syracuse facing a first-line crunch

Syracuse Crunch (Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers) head coach Benoît Groulx found himself without two-thirds of his first line going into play Wednesday night.

Tampa Bay recalled right wing Alex Barré-Boulet and centre Ross Colton from the Crunch on Monday morning after a productive weekend for the pair on a line with left wing Jimmy Huntington. For now, Barré-Boulet and Colton will reside with the Lightning taxi squad. Each player has yet to make his NHL debut.

Barré-Boulet is 3-1-4 in the AHL games this season, including a two-goal night in a defeat this past Saturday. Colton has gone 1-2-3 in his three games. The pair combined for 11 of Syracuse’s 33 shots in that weekend loss.

“It's no surprise that [Barré-Boulet] is playing that way,” Groulx said. “And I think Jim and Ross Colton