CRUNCH OPEN SEASON SERIES WITH ROCKET
 
The Syracuse Crunch (7-5-1-0) battle the Laval Rocket (7-8-1-1) tonight at the War Memorial Arena for the first time in the 2018-19 season.
 
Last year, the Crunch went 4-2-1-1 against the Rocket, including a 3-0-1-0 home record. After a three-game losing streak in late October, Syracuse has won three straight and has points in each of its past six games (5-0-1-0).   
 
LAST TIME OUT
 
The Crunch rolled over the Utica Comets, 4-0, last night at the Adirondack Bank Center.
 
In the second meeting between the teams, Syracuse goaltender Connor Ingram led the way, stopping all 34 shots he faced. Ingram grabbed his second shutout of the year in just his sixth start.
 
Offensively, the Crunch jumped out to a 1-0 lead at 14:55 of the first period on a Cory Conacher wrister off a faceoff. With under two minutes to go in the period, Syracuse converted on a power-play chance on Alex Barré-Boulet's fourth goal of the season. The 21-year old's goal marked the third straight game with a goal on the man advantage for the Crunch.
 
Brady Brassart chased Comets netminder Ivan Kulbakov 4:15 into the second period after he scored his first goal with the Crunch. Ingram denied 14 shots in the middle period, and made a stop on the third penalty shot he has faced in six appearances this season.
 
Alex Volkov tacked on an empty-netter late in the third to punctuate a 4-0 Syracuse victory.
 
SCOUTING THE CRUNCH 
 
With last night's 4-0 victory against the Comets, the Crunch have won three straight games for the first time this season. Syracuse has points in its last six games (5-0-1-0), which is the second-longest active streak in the AHL behind Bridgeport (7). In this six-game stretch, Syracuse has found the back of the net 29 times, an average of 4.83 goals per game; the Crunch averaged 2.57 goals per game in their first seven games. The Crunch have also scored nine unanswered goals after falling behind 2-0 against Binghamton Wednesday.
 
Cory Conacher has scored a goal in each of the last five games, good for the longest active goal streak in the league. It's the second five-game goal streak of his career; he last scored a goal in five straight games as a rookie with the Norfolk Admirals Dec. 9-17, 2011. With his third straight multi-point performance last night (1g, 2a), the veteran has piled up 12 points (6g, 6a) in the last five games. Since his season debut with the Crunch Oct. 20, Conacher is second in the AHL in scoring with 15 points (7g, 8a) in nine games. He's skating in his 250th AHL game tonight and he enters with 98 career AHL goals.
 
With a power-play goal last night, Alex Barré-Boulet leads the team with four markers on the man advantage. The rookie has now scored a goal in back-to-back games for the second time this season. The former CHL Player of the Year began his first professional season with a goal in the first two games, but didn't find the back of the net in the next nine matches.
 
Connor Ingram picked up his second shutout of the season in just his sixth start last night against Utica. In his third win of the season, Ingram recorded 34 saves, a season high. Ingram has allowed 17 goals through six games, good for a 2.86 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage. With Eddie Pasquale on recall with Tampa Bay, the Crunch have recalled goalie Martin Ouellette from the Orlando Solar Bears.
 
SCOUTING THE ROCKET 
 
 Laval enters tonight's game with points in five of its last six contests (4-1-0-1). Last night, the Rocket suffered a 2-1 shootout loss to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Jake Evans tied the game with 36 seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime. The shootout loss dropped Laval to 7-8-1-1 on the season and fifth place in the North Division, one spot ahead of the Crunch. After a loss of any kind this season, the Rocket are 3-4-1-0 in their next game, including a six-game losing streak (0-5-1-0) Oct. 19-Nov. 2.
 
Evans (6g, 5a), who scored the game-tying goal for the Rocket last night, ranks second on the team in points (11) and first in goals. The Toronto native has two game-winning goals on the season, second on the team behind Michael Chaput, who has three. Evans is one year removed from a 40-game season for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The 6-foot-1 center led Notre Dame in points (46) and assists (33) while serving as team captain. Evans has collected nine points over Laval's last nine games. Despite having scored just one goal on the year, Alex Belzile (1g, 11a) leads the Rocket in scoring. Belzile spent the previous three AHL seasons with the San Antonio Rampage, where he scored a career-high 34 points last year. The 6-foot center has three points in his past four games with Laval.
 
In goal, Charlie Lindgren has appeared in 14 games for Laval. He's allowed 30 goals, good enough for a 2.30 goals-against average and an .898 save percentage. Michael McNiven, Laval's second goalie, has a 2.38 goals-against average in five games played this year. McNiven has an .880 save percentage.
 
BOURNIVAL EXPECTED TO RETURN
 
Eight months to the day after tearing his ACL against Laval, forward Michael Bournival is expected to return to the Crunch lineup tonight. His injury occurred on March 17 in a 5-2 Crunch win over Laval. Before his season-ending injury, Bournival tallied 15 goals and 19 assists in the 2017-18 season.
 
Tonight's game will be the Canadian forward's 118th game with the Crunch over the past three seasons (including playoffs). Bournival, selected in the third round of the 2010 NHL Draft by the Colorado Avalanche, has registered 68 points in a Crunch uniform.
 
SPECIAL TEAMS
 
With seven power-play goals in the last three games, Syracuse leads the Eastern Conference and ranks third in the AHL with a 27.1% conversion rate (19-for-70). After failing to find the back of the net on the power play in the home opener (0-for-6), the Crunch have tallied at least one power-play goal in the last six home games; they are 6-for-12 in the last two home games. Of Syracuse's 19 power-play goals this season, 13 have been scored at the War Memorial Arena.
 
On the other hand, Laval's power play is operating at just 12.8%, which is 27th in the league. Last night against the Sound Tigers, the Rocket went scoreless (0-for-4) on the man advantage for the third time in the past four games.
 
The Crunch's penalty kill is tied for 20th in the AHL with a 78.1% success rate. Syracuse stopped Utica's lone chance on the power play last night. The Crunch have allowed 14 goals in 64 shorthanded situations this season, with 11 of those markers coming on home ice.
 
While the Rocket's power play sits at the bottom of the league, Laval owns the second-best penalty kill in the AHL (88.7%). The Rocket have surrendered just 8 goals on 71 opportunities, but gave up a power-play goal last night against Bridgeport.