When: Wednesday, March 28 at 7:00 p.m.
Where: War Memorial Arena
Radio: The Score 1260
Watch: Time Warner Cable, AHL Live
 
Season Series: This is the ninth of ten meetings between the Adirondack Phantoms and the Syracuse Crunch this season. The season series is tied, with each team winning four games. The Crunch won the most recent meeting, 5-2, March 17 at the War Memorial. J.F. Jacques scored two goals to lead the offense. Peter Holland, Patrick Maroon, Peter Holland and Kyle Cumiskey all recorded two assists. Six different Phantoms recorded a point in the loss. Iiro Tarkki stopped 33 of 35 shots in the win.
 
Jacques leads the Crunch with 10 points (8g, 2a) against the Phantoms. His eight goals lead all skaters on both teams. Maroon and Holland are tied for the team lead with six assists. Maroon, a former Phantom, has nine points (3g, 6a) against his former team. In five starts against Adirondack, Tarkki is 3-2-0 with a 2.13 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage.
 
Denis Hamel leads the Phantoms with nine points (5g, 4a) against Syracuse. Jason Akeson leads the team with five assists. In five games against the Crunch, Michael Leighton is 1-3-0 with a 3.09 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage.
 
Syracuse is 27-28-9 all time against Adirondack.
 
Crunch At A Glance: Syracuse enters today's game eighth in the Eastern Conference, two points ahead of the Adirondack Phantoms for ninth place. They're also two points behind the Manchester Monarchs for seventh in the conference. The Rochester Americans defeated Syracuse, 4-3, in a shootout Saturday at the War Memorial. The Crunch couldn't score against David Leggio in the skills competition, going scoreless in five rounds. Rochester's Phil Varone scored the game-winning shootout goal, beating Igor Bobkov in the second round. Troy Bodie led all Crunch skaters, collecting two assists in the loss. Seven other Crunch players recorded a point.
 
Patrick Maroon enters tonight's game leading the Crunch with 68 points (28g, 40a). He's fourth in the league in points and leads the team in assists. Kyle Palmieri leads the team with 32 goals. He's second in the league, two behind Norfolk's Cory Conacher. Peter Holland has 56 points this season (22g, 34a) and is fifth among all rookies in points. He's just the fifth rookie in the league to reach the 50-point mark.
 
Crunch Leaders
Goals: Kyle Palmieri - 32
Assists: Patrick Maroon - 40
Points: Patrick Maroon - 68
Plus/Minus: Patrick Maroon and Ryan O'Marra - +16
PIM: Troy Bodie - 114
Wins: Iiro Tarkki - 19
GAA: Igor Bobkov - 1.97
Save %: Igor Bobkov - .931
Shutouts: Iiro Tarkki - 2
 
Recent Crunch Transactions
3/23/2012 Marco Cousineau (G) Syracuse DEL Reassigned by Anaheim (NHL) to Allen (CHL)
3/20/2012 Igor Bobkov (G) Syracuse ADD Reassigned by Anaheim (NHL) from Kingston (OHL)
3/17/2012 Gabe Guentzel (D) Syracuse ADD Signed to ATO
3/14/2012 Ryan O'Marra (C) Syracuse ADD Returned on loan from Anaheim (NHL)
3/11/2012 John Kurtz (RW) Syracuse ADD Recalled from loan to Elmira (ECHL)
 
Who's Hot
Troy Bodie - Seven points (3g, 4a) in his last eight games
Peter Holland - Seven points (1g, 6a) in his last five games
Riley Holzapfel - Nine points (4g, 5a) in his last seven games
 
Phantoms At a Glance: Adirondack enters tonight's game ninth in the Eastern Conference, two points behind the Syracuse Crunch for eighth place. The Phantoms defeated the Binghamton Senators, 5-4, Sunday in Glens Falls. Garrett Roe and Matt Ford led the team, finishing with three points in the win. Denis Hamel netted two goals. Michael Leighton stopped 33 shots in the win.
 
Akeson leads the Phantoms with 49 points (11, 38a). His 38 assists are also tops among all Phantoms skaters. He's sixth among all rookies in points. Ford leads Adirondack with 24 goals. Leighton leads the team with 24 wins, but also has a league-worst 23 losses.
 
Phantoms Leaders:
Goals: Matt Ford - 24
Assists: Jason Akeson - 38
Points: Jason Akeson - 49
Plus/Minus: Andrew Roe and Matt Walker - +5
PIM: Ben Holmstrom - 126
Wins: Michael Leighton - 24
GAA: Michael Leighton - 2.62
Save %: Michael Leighton - .916
Shutouts: Michael Leighton - 2
 
Recent Phantoms Transactions
3/27/2012 Brad Phillips (G) Adirondack ADD Reassigned by Philadelphia (NHL) from Trenton (ECHL)
3/27/2012 Jason Bacashihua (G) Adirondack DEL Recalled from loan by Philadelphia (NHL)
3/27/2012 Marc-Andre Bourdon (D) Adirondack DEL Recalled from loan by Philadelphia (NHL)
3/27/2012 Nick Cousins (C) Adirondack Added
3/24/2012 Erik Gustafsson (D) Adirondack DEL Recalled from loan by Philadelphia (NHL)
 
Who's Hot
Denis Hamel - Seven points (4g, 3a) in his last six games
Matt Ford - Three points (3g) in his last two games
Michael Leighton - Recorded a win in his last three starts