When: Friday, February 24, 2012 at 7:30 p.m.
Where: War Memorial Arena
Radio: The Score 1260
Watch: AHL Live
 
Season Series: This is sixth of 10 meetings between the Albany Devils and the Syracuse Crunch. Syracuse leads the season series, 3-2-0. The Crunch won the most recent meeting, 7-1, February 15 at the Times Union Center in Albany. Kyle Palmieri and Patrick Maroon led the offense, both finishing with three points (2g, 1a). Josh Brittain, Riley Holzapfel and Peter Holland each recorded two assists. Antero Niittymaki stopped 30 shots for his first win with Syracuse. Keith Kinkaid allowed four goals on 19 shots before being pulled in the second period. Jeff Frazee stopped just seven of 10 shots in relief.
 
Palmieri, Maroon and Holland lead all Crunch skaters with four points against the Devils. Palmieri leads Syracuse with three goals. Holland leads the team with three assists. Iiro Tarrki is 1-1-0 against Albany this season, with a 1.45 goals-against average and a .959 save percentage.
 
Nathan Perkovich leads all Albany skaters with four points, all goals, against Syracuse. Four different skaters are tied for the team lead with two assists against the Crunch. Jeff Frazee has started three games against Syracuse, going 1-1-0 with a 2.34 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage.
 
Syracuse is 7-6-1 all-time against Albany.
 
Crunch At A Glance: Syracuse enters the game 14th in the Eastern Conference, seven points behind the Worcester Sharks for eighth in the conference. The Crunch defeated the Sharks, 4-2, Tuesday night at the War Memorial Arena. Kyle Palmieri led the team with two goals. Andrew Gordon and John Mitchell chipped in with goals in the win. Iiro Tarkki stopped 42 shots for his 11^th win of the season. It was the first time in team history the Crunch beat the Sharks.
 
Patrick Maroon enters tonight's game leading Syracuse with 53 points (24g, 29a). Maroon, who also leads the team in assists, is seventh in the league in points. Palmieri leads the team with 30 goals in 34 games. He's first in the league in goals, one ahead of both Norfolk's Corey Conacher and Springfield's Cam Atkinson. Andrew Gordon has been hot as of late, recording three goals in his last two games. The right wing has eight points (3g, 8a) in 16 games.
 
Crunch Leaders
Goals: Kyle Palmieri - 30
Assists: Patrick Maroon - 29
Points: Patrick Maroon - 53
Plus/Minus: Ryan O'Marra and Mark Fraser - +14
PIM: Troy Bodie - 105
Wins: Iiro Tarkki - 11
GAA: Iiro Tarkki - 2.77
Save %: Iiro Tarkki - .918
Shutouts: Iiro Tarkki - 2
 
Recent Crunch Transactions
2/21/2012 Nick Shaus (D) Syracuse ADD Recalled from loan to Elmira (NHL)
2/19/2012 Kyle Cumiskey (D) Syracuse DEL Recalled from loan by Anaheim (NHL)
2/19/2012 Nate Guenin (D) Syracuse ADD Returned on loan from Anaheim (NHL)
2/16/2012 Bryan Rodney (D) Syracuse DEL Recalled from loan by Anaheim (NHL)
2/16/2012 Ryan O'Marra (C) Syracuse ADD Loaned from Anaheim (NHL)
 
Who's Hot
Riley Holzapfel - Seven points (2g, 5a) in his last four games
Andrew Gordon – Four points (3g, 1a) in his last two games
Kyle Palmieri – Eight points (5g, 3a) in his last six games
 
Devils At a Glance: Albany enters tonight's game ninth in the Eastern Conference, six points ahead of the Crunch and just one point behind the Worcester Sharks. The Devils were shut out by the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, 3-0, Monday night. Jeff Frazee stopped 35 of 38 shots in the loss. Eric Gelinas led all skaters with four shots on net. The loss snapped a three-game road win streak.
 
Rookie Joe Whitney is the team's leading scorer, entering tonight's game with 29 points (12g, 17a). He's also the team leader in goals. Vladimir Zharkov leads Albany with 18 assists. The Devils have seven players with at least 20 points, but no skater has broke the 30-point plateau. Rookie Keith Kinkaid leads the team with 14 wins.
 
Devils Leaders:
Goals: Joe Whitney - 12
Assists: Vladimir Zharkov - 18
Points: Joe Whitney - 29
Plus/Minus: Mike Sislo and Dan Kelly - +7
PIM: Tim Sestito - 73
Wins: Keith Kinkaid - 14
GAA: Maxime Clermont – 1.99
Save %: Timo Pielmeier - .938
Shutouts: Keith Kinkaid - 3
 
Recent Devils Transactions
2/22/2012 Harry Young (D) Albany ADD Reassigned by New Jersey (NHL) from Kalamazoo (ECHL)
2/19/2012 J.S. Berube (LW) Albany ADD Reassigned by New Jersey (NHL) from Trenton (ECHL)
2/19/2012 Peter Harrold (D) Albany DEL Recalled from loan by New Jersey (NHL)
2/18/2012 J.S. Berube (LW) Albany DEL Reassigned by New Jersey (NHL) to Trenton (ECHL)
2/18/2012 Myles Stoesz (LW) Albany ADD Recalled from loan by to Trenton (ECHL)
 
Who's Hot
Vladimir Zharkov – Five points (4g, 1a) in his last six games
Joe Whitney – Three points (3a) in his last three games
Mattias Tedenby – Two points (2a) in his last three games