Game 23:Â Syracuse Crunch (11-8-1-2) at St. John's IceCaps (12-10-1-2)
6 p.m. ET, Mile One Centre, St. John's, Newfoundland
The Crunch (11-8-1-2) return to St. John's this week for the first time since claiming the Mary Brown's Cup there in a three-game preseason series. The two teams square off Tuesday and Wednesday, making it the second and third time they play. The Crunch defeated the IceCaps 4-2 Nov. 29 in Syracuse. St. John's (12-10-1-2) hase won two of three games since falling in Syracuse, but lost to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last time out, 3-0.
Syracuse will be without veteran defenseman
J.P. Cote Tuesday and Wednesday because of an AHL-imposed suspension for his hit on Norfolk's John Kurtz.
Broadcast Coverage
Countdown to Crunch Time at 5:45 p.m.
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Press Clips
1. Former Syracuse Crunch defensemen Barberio and Sustr proving their value with Lightning
2. AHL lowers boom on Syracuse Crunch defenseman Cote with 2-game suspension
3.Â
Chuck and Betsy Copps bring the crowd to its feet at Syracuse Crunch games
4.
Blacker's third-period goal lifts Norfolk Admirals over Syracuse Crunch 2-1 (videos)
Last time out
Just as Syracuse swept two games in its rival's home rink last month, so did the Admirals to Syracuse over the weekend.
Kristers Gudlevskis suffered his first AHL loss Saturday, a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Norfolk who dressed four goalies over the weekend because of injury.
Igor Bobkov earned the win Saturday, stopping 21 of 22 Crunch shots. The only one that beat the recently recalled Russian was from
Eric Neilson, a rebound goal while crashing the net after a Max Parent drive and setup from
Dmitry Korobov. That second-period tally, Neilson's first of the year and first ever at the War Memorial, canceled out the game's first goal from Devante Smith-Pelly, a power-play goal late in the first. Jesse Blacker, who assisted on Smith-Pelly's goal, potted the game winner himself with under nine minutes left in the game for a 2-1 Norfolk win.
Syracuse was 0-for-4 on the power play and never had more than 10 shots in a period, with just five in the third.
Last meeting
A late third-period goal from
Cedric Paquette helped the Crunch defeat St. John's 4-2 Nov. 29 at the War Memorial and snap the team's five-game skid.Â
Cedrick Desjardins made 26 saves on 28 shots for his 99th career win.
Newcomer
Ray Kaunisto started his Crunch career with a goal as time wound down in the first period with linemates
Eric Neilson and Max Parent collecting their first Syracuse assists.
Midway through the second
Geoff Walker potted his second man-up marker in as many games to give Syracuse a 2-0 lead. Paquette and
Dmitry Korobov had assists. The IceCaps tied the game with scores 23 seconds apart late in the middle frame, with goals from Jason Jaffray and J.C. Lipon.
In the third,
Cedric Paquette provided the heroics with four minutes left in regulation.
Philip-Michael Devos and
Danick Gauthier garnered assists. Gauthier joined Paquette as the game's only multi-point performers with an empty net goal in the final minute. On the score
Brett Connolly picked up his first point since returning to the Crunch from Tampa Bay. Gauthier and
J.P. Cote were both plus-2 in the game.Â
Scouting the IceCaps
The IceCaps split a pair of games against the Penguins Friday and Saturday in St. John's. They are 5-3-0-2 in their last ten games, moving to 12-10-1-2 on the season. That gives the IceCaps 27 points, putting them in eighth in the Eastern Conference, two points ahead of ninth-place Syracuse. With three games in hand on the IceCaps, Syracuse owns the better points percentage, .568 to .540.
Center Eric O'Dell leads the IceCaps with 24 points (11g, 13a). Left wingers Kael Mouillierat (5g-15a-20pts) and Jason Jaffrey (7g-10a-17pts) are also among the team's top scorers.Â
In net, Eddie Pasquale has played in 20 games for the IceCaps this season. He has a 10-9-1 record, with a 2.30 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage. He earned his first shutout of the season Friday against the Penguins, making 20 saves in a 5-0 win. He surrendered three goals on 33 shots in the loss to the Crunch Nov. 29.
For the Crunch,
Cedric Paquette and
Danick Gauthier both had multi-point efforts (1g-1a) in the match against the IceCaps.
Cedrick Desjardins allowed two goals on 28 shots to earn the win.
Syracuse's penalty kill allowed three goals in two home losses vs. Norfolk last week, making the Crunch home PK worst in the AHL at  41-for-57 (71.9%). No team has allowed more power-play goals at home than Syracuse's 16 allowed. However, Syracuse has now allowed a power-play goal in its last eight road games (32-for-32). For the season, the road PK is 41-for-44 (93.2%), best in the league. The three power-play goals allowed on the road is the fewest in the AHL. Overall, the Crunch penalty kill is 81.2%, 18th in the AHL.
The Crunch power play, 0-for-9 in two games last week, has dropped to 14th in the AHL, 18.5% (20-for-108). Syracuse is 9-for-48 (18.8%) on the road compared to 11-for-60 (18.3%) at home.
The IceCaps power play is sixth most effective in the AHL at 21.2%, but their 29 power-play goals are third most  in the league (Abbottsford, 32; Texas, 30).
St. John's ranks ninth in the AHL on the penalty kill at 83.8% (98-for-117) with almost identical success rates at home (83.7%) vs. the road (83.8%).
