Syracuse Crunch 3/23/2014 1:00:00 PM

Last trip to Glens Falls for Crunch

Game 64 @ ADK

Game 64: Syracuse Crunch (24-29-4-6) at Adirondack Phantoms
5:00 p.m., Glens Falls Civic Center, Glens Falls, N.Y.

The Crunch cap their fifth consecutive three-in-three weekend with a visit to Glens Falls to battle Adirondack 5 p.m. Sunday. The match is the last for Syracuse against the Phantoms before the franchise relocates to Allentown, Pa. next season. Adirondack blanked Syracuse 3-0 in their last meeting Mar. 2, but the Crunch lead the season series with victories Nov. 30, 1-0, and Mar. 1, 5-4 in overtime.

With a 6-2 loss to Albany Saturday, Syracuse has dropped four straight games, including the last three in regulation by a combined margin of 11-2. The Phantoms have lost seven of eight since shutting out Syracuse; they lost Saturday to Hartford, 4-2.

Broadcast Coverage

Countdown to Crunch Time at 4:45 p.m.
Radio: ESPN CNY 97.7 FM Syracuse; 100.1 FM Oswego | Listen Live |
Mobile: Free audio on your mobile device with the TuneIn App
Streaming: Pay-to-watch video on AHL LIve.com and on your mobile device with the AHL Live App

Press Clips
1. Post-Standard: Albany Devils rout fading Syracuse Crunch, 6-2

2. Auburn Citizen: Syracuse Crunch downed by Albany Devils, 6-2
2. Glens Falls Post-Star: Whitmore adds another goal and ice time to Phantoms losing effort
3. Glens Falls Post-Star: Hartford power play gets Phantoms again

4. AHL.com: Phantoms, arena to spark rebirth in Lehigh Valley

In the hunt | AHL Playoff Primer |

Syracuse remains 13th in the Eastern Conference after Saturday's 6-2 regulation loss to Albany. With a 24-29-4-6 record, the Crunch are stuck at 58 points. Eighth-place Providence, keeper of the last playoff spot, has 75 points. Between the clubs lie Hershey (72pts), Worcester (66pts), Hartford (63pts) and Bridgeport (61pts). Only Adirondack (55pts) and Portland (54pts) are behind Syracuse in the conference.

Last time out

The Devils raced out to a 3-0 first-period lead and cruised to a 6-2 victory Saturday at the War Memorial, Albany's fourth straight win and Syracuse's fourth straight loss. Three defensemen, Raman Hrabarenka, Adam Larsson and Alexander Urbom, provided the early Albany lead with right-point drives past goalie Cedrick Desjardns. Reid Boucher made it 4-0 Devils in the second period before the Crunch stopped the bleeding.

Brett Connolly scored his 16th of the year, set up by Vlad Namestnikov and Cedric Paquette during a power play. The Devils re-established a four-goal edge when Kelly Zajac potted his 9th moments later. The teams traded power-play goals in the third, first with Mike SIslo registering his 23rd for Albany, and then Jonathan Marchessault potting his first goal with Syracuse during a five-on-three; Jon DiSalvatore and Brett Connolly assisted. Marchessault leads Syracuse with 21 power-play points. Connolly's goal and assist give him nine multi-point performances this season.

Scott Wedgewood earned his fourth win in as many starts for the Devils making 22 saves. The Crunch took nearly twice as many penalty minutes as the Devils (40 to 22) giving Albany nine power plays. The Crunch stopped eight of the nine, but found themselves shorthanded for more than a third of the game. Syracuse was 2-for-5 with the man advantage.

Scouting the Phantoms

Since shutting out the Crunch, 3-0, on March 2 the Phantoms have lost six straight. Adirondack sits in 15th place in the Eastern Conference and fifth in the Northeast Division with 53 points, 21 points out of the playoffs. Sunday's game will mark the fourth of six meetings between the two teams and the Crunch's last trip to Glens Falls.

Forward Jason Akeson is the only player to have appeared in all 61 games for the Phantoms and leads the team with 53 points (18g, 35a). No other Phantom has eclipsed the 40 point mark. When Kris Newbury changed teams and joined Hershey Tye McGinn (18g, 15a) was left as the only other player on the Phantoms roster with over 30 points (33). He is tied for the team lead with 18 goals. Both Akeson (3a) and McGinn (2g, 1a) have recorded three points in three games against the Crunch this season.

In net both Cal Heeter and Yann Danis have split time this season. Danis, who has started three of the last four games for the Phantoms, is 8-11-4 in 30 games with a 3.01 goals-against average and a .896 save percentage. Heeter is 15-20-0 to go along with a 2.52 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage in 36 games. His four shutouts are tied with six other goaltenders, including Crunch net minder Kristers Gudlevskis, for the second most in the AHL.

Print Friendly Version