The Matchup
No longer division opponents, the Crunch make their only visit to Hartford of the season today. Syracuse suffered only one regulation loss to the Wolf Pack in eight meetings last season (5-1-2-0), but that April 3 decision helped vault Hartford to a Northeast Division championship, edging Syracuse, 95 points to 92. The Pack defeated Providence and Hershey in their first two playoff series, but fell to the eventual Calder Cup champion Manchester Monarchs in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Scouting the Pack
Last season's leading scorer Chris Bourque has departed the Rangers organization for the Capitals, re-joining the Hershey Bears with whom he's won three Calder Cups. The younger Bourque, Ryan, remains with Hartford and has been named team captain. The 24-year-old son of Hall of Famer Ray Bourque produced 32 points (12g, 20a) last year. Adam Tambellini, the younger brother of Syracuse's Jeff, is a rookie for the Wolf Pack and posted 86 points in 71 WHL games last year.

Hartford suffered a 3-1 loss to St. John's to begin its season last week; Chad Nehring scored the lone goal and Magnus Hellberg made 27 saves on 29 shots in defeat. They continued a four-game homestand Wednesday with a 4-3 overtime win vs. Providence and a 3-0 shutout of Utica Saturday. Hellberg earned both victories in goal.

Last time out
Jeff Tambellini, playing the 178th game of his AHL career and first in the War Memorial Arena, scored 16 seconds into Saturday's game against Binghamton. He scored his second goal, the eventual game winner, with 2:17 left in the third. Two games into his Syracuse career, he leads the Crunch in scoring with three points—two goals and one assist.

Defenseman Dylan Blujus is tied with Tambellini for the Crunch scoring lead. The second-year pro helped create Tambellini's first goal Saturday, plus two assists last week at Lehigh Valley. Adam Erne notched his first point of the year Saturday, collecting the primary assist on Tambellini's first goal, a bank pass off the neutral zone's right-wing boards. Mike Blunden and Anthony DeAngelo each recorded their second points of the season with assists on Tambellini's game-winning goal.

Kristers Gudlevskis dropped his goals-against average to 2.00 and upped his save percentage to .930 with 27 saves vs. Binghamton Saturday. Tye McGinn became the first Crunch player to fight, squaring off with Colin Greening in Saturday's second frame. Neither side managed a power-play goal on five chances apiece, but the Sens scored their lone goal while shorthanded. 

Blueline shuffle
Veteran Joey Mormina and rookie Daniel Walcott made their season debuts Saturday with the promotion of Slater Koekkoek to Tampa Bay. Koekkoek was returned to the Crunch today, but is not excpected to be available for the game in Hartford.