When: Friday, March 9 at 7:30 p.m.
Where: War Memorial Arena
Radio: The Score 1260
Watch: AHL Live
 
Season Series: This is the eighth of ten meetings between the Syracuse Crunch and the Albany Devils this season. The Crunch lead the season series, 4-3-0. Syracuse won the most recent meeting, 2-1, on March 4 at the Times Union Center. Riley Holzapfel and Brandon McMillan scored goals in the win. Kyle Palmieri, Sean Zimmerman, Ryan O'Marra and Luca Caputi collected assists. Iiro Tarkki stopped 26 of 27 shots for the win. Devils goalie Jeff Frazee stopped  21 of 23 shots in the loss. It was the fourth game of the series decided by one goal. Syracuse has won three of those contests.
 
Palmieri leads the Crunch with six points (3g, 3a) against the Devils. He leads the team with goals and is tied with both Peter Holland and Patrick Maroon for the team lead in assists. Holland also leads the team with 28 penalty minutes. Tarkki has started four games against Albany, going 2-2-0 with a 1.48 goals-against average and a .955 save percentage.
 
Nathan Perkovich, Vladimir Zharkov and Eric Gelinas lead Albany with four points against the Crunch. Perkovich leads the team with four goals. Gelinas and Mike Sislo share the team lead with three assists. In four starts against Syracuse, Frazee 1-2-1 record with a 2.26 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage.
 
Syracuse is 9-7-0 all time against Albany.
 
Crunch At A Glance: Syracuse enters today's game 14th in the Eastern Conference, five points behind the Worcester Sharks for eighth place. The win over the Devils on Sunday was the first time since January the Crunch won back-to-back games. They've outscored their opponents, 8-6, in the past two wins.
 
Patrick Maroon enters tonight's game leading the Crunch with 58 points (26g, 32a). He's fifth in the league in points. Kyle Palmieri has 53 points (32g, 21a), and has points in his last seven games. It's the longest point streak for a Syracuse skater this season. He also leads the league in goals and is ninth in the league in points. Peter Holland is ninth among all rookies with 42 points (18g, 24a).
 
Crunch Leaders
Goals: Kyle Palmieri - 32
Assists: Patrick Maroon - 32
Points: Patrick Maroon - 58
Plus/Minus: Ryan O'Marra - +15
PIM: Troy Bodie - 107
Wins: Iiro Tarkki - 13
GAA: Iiro Tarkki - 2.67
Save %: Iiro Tarkki - .920
Shutouts: Iiro Tarkki - 2
 
Recent Crunch Transactions
2/29/2012 Andy Thomas (D) Syracuse ADD Signed to PTO
2/28/2012 Nate Guenin (D) Syracuse DEL Recalled from loan by Anaheim (NHL)
2/28/2012 Ryan McGinnis (D) Syracuse ADD Recalled from loan to Florida (ECHL)
2/27/2012 Andrew Gordon (C) Syracuse DEL Recalled from loan by Anaheim (NHL)
2/27/2012 Dale Mitchell (RW) Syracuse ADD Loaned from Anaheim (NHL)
 
Who's Hot
Kyle Palmieri - Nine points (4g, 5a) in his last seven games
Luca Caputi - Three points (2g, 1a) in his last three games
Brandon McMillan - Three points (2g, 1a) in his last two games
 
Devils At a Glance: The Devils enter today's game seventh in the Eastern Conference, two points ahead of the eighth-place Worcester Sharks. The loss on Sunday was their second straight. The Devils have just one win in their last four games. All three of their wins over Syracuse have come at the War Memorial, where the Devils have outscored the Crunch, 11-4.
 
Joe Whitney leads the Devils with 34 points (13g, 21a) this season. Vladimir Zharkov and Whitney are tied for the team lead in assists. Steve Zalewski leads Albany with 14 goals. Rookie Keith Kinkaid leads Albany with 15 wins.
 
Devils Leaders:
Goals: Steve Zalewski - 14
Assists: Vladimir Zharkov and Joe Whitney - 21
Points: Joe Whitney - 34
Plus/Minus: Dan Kelly - +8
PIM: Darcy Zajac - 80
Wins: Keith Kinkaid - 15
GAA: Jeff Frazee - 2.63
Save %: Keith Kinkaid - .907
Shutouts: Keith Kinkaid - 3
 
Recent Devils Transactions
3/07/2012 Brad Mills (C) Albany ADD Returned on loan from New Jersey (NHL)
3/06/2012 Brad Mills (C) Albany DEL Recalled from loan by New Jersey (NHL)
2/27/2012 Matt Taormina (D) Albany DEL Recalled from loan by New Jersey (NHL)
2/27/2012 Matt Taormina (D) Albany ADD Returned on loan from New Jersey (NHL)
2/25/2012 Peter Harrold (D) Albany ADD Returned on loan from New Jersey (NHL)
 
Who's Hot
Peter Harrold - Four points (2g, 2a) in his last four games
Joe Whitney - Three points (1g, 2a) in his last three games
Eric Gelinas - Five points (3g, 2a) in his last six games