CRUNCH WELCOME SENATORS FOR TWO
 
Syracuse hosts Belleville on back-to-back nights in the first two of six meetings between the North Division foes. The Crunch went 6-0-1-1 against the Senators last season.
 
LAST TIME OUT
 
The Crunch (2-5-0-0) fell to the Charlotte Checkers (8-1-0-0) 6-3 last Saturday night at the War Memorial Arena.
 
In the second and final meeting of the year between the two teams in Syracuse, the Checkers struck first. Patrick Brown scored four minutes into the game, and five minutes later, Charlotte converted on a power play thanks to a one-timer from Jake Bean to make it 2-0. With under 14 minutes to go in the first, Syracuse went on a power play and Taylor Raddysh finished in front off a feed from Mitchell Stephens. The Crunch opened the second period on the man advantage, and Erik Cernak netted the game-tying goal just 29 seconds into the frame.
 
Charlotte rallied for three consecutive goals after that, including a 5-on-3 finish from Aleksi Saarela. The Crunch got one back on Ross Colton's first professional goal with under four minutes remaining in the third, but a Charlotte empty-net goal to make it a 6-3 final.
 
SCOUTING THE CRUNCH
 
The Crunch look to snap a three-game skid and pick up their first home win of the season tonight. Last weekend, Syracuse fell to Toronto-the reigning Calder Cup champions-and Charlotte-the league leader in points percentage (0.889).
 
"I don't think we have any sympathy [from] anyone in the league," Crunch head coach Ben Groulx said yesterday. "We've been kicking asses for two years. I don't think anyone feels sorry for [us]. It's for us to go out there and get the job done."
Taylor Raddysh scored in both games last weekend, giving the 20-year-old forward three goals through his first six professional outings. Raddysh scored his first career power-play goal Saturday against Charlotte.
 
The Lightning nabbed Raddysh in the second round of the 2016 draft. The Caledon, Ontario native then spent two more seasons in juniors, piling up 192 points (75g, 117a) over 116 regular-season games with the Erie Otters and Sault St. Marie Greyhounds. Raddysh's 34 points (13g, 21a) across 24 playoff games powered the Hounds to the OHL Finals.
 
Ross Colton joined Raddysh in the goal column Saturday. The only shot Colton took against the Checkers found the net to give the 22-year-old forward his first professional marker. After Tampa Bay selected him in the fourth round of the 2016 draft, Colton played two seasons at the University of Vermont, making him the highest-drafted player to suit up for the Catamounts since 2011. Colton potted 16 goals for UVM last year; no one else on the team scored more than 10.
 
Two goalies split last weekend for the Crunch: Eddie Pasquale started Friday in Toronto, then Connor Ingram started Saturday at the War Memorial. Each netminder made 27 saves in a loss. Ingram (3.30 goals-against average, .893 save percentage) has started four games and Pasquale (4.01, .875) has started three.
 
SCOUTING THE SENATORS
 
After splitting its six-game homestand, Belleville added a 2-1 win on the road against Laval on Wednesday for a 5-5-0-0 record on the year. In their second AHL season, the Senators rank third in the North Division. In their first ever meeting last year, Syracuse defeated Belleville 4-2 as Dennis Yan notched his first two professional goals.
 
In his rookie season, Drake Batherson is leading the way for the Senators with a team-high 12 points (4g, 8a). The 20-year-old forward has tallied at least one point in seven games this season, including two multi-point performances. Last year, Batherson split his second full season in the QMJHL between the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles and the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, where he was a teammate with current Crunch forward Alex Barré-Boulet. Batherson finished the regular season with 77 points (29g, 48a) and added 33 points (13g, 20a) in 22 playoff games. He helped lead Team Canada to a gold medal at the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championships; he led Team Canada with seven goals in seven games.
 
Syracuse will miss its chance to see former Crunch goaltender Mike McKenna for the first time since he guided the team to the 2017 Calder Cup Finals. The 35-year-old was recalled to Ottawa yesterday.
 
SPECIAL TEAMS
 
Syracuse went 2-for-7 on the power play against Charlotte last Saturday, with goals from Taylor Raddysh and Erik Cernak. It was the first power-play goal of the season for both players. Syracuse has found the back of the net eight times on 37 power-play chances, good for a 21.6% conversion rate, which ranks 13th in the AHL.
 
The Senators failed to capitalize on two power-play opportunities in Wednesday's matchup against Laval. Belleville currently ranks third in the North Division and 10th in the AHL on the man advantage with a 23.3% success rate (10-for-43).
 
The Crunch allowed two power-play goals against the Checkers last Saturday. Syracuse has surrendered nine goals on 35 opposition power plays, which ranks 28th in the AHL (74.3%). Last season against the Senators, the Crunch penalty kill operated at 87.2%, giving up just five power-play goals on 39 chances.
 
Belleville is a perfect 9-for-9 on the penalty kill over the last two games. With an 80.5% penalty kill percentage, the Senators are 17th in the AHL.
 
LIGHTNING FLASH
 
The Lightning look to bounce back from a 4-1 loss to the Predators during a two-game swing through Canada this weekend: at Montreal Saturday and at Ottawa Sunday.
 
Tampa Bay's offense erupted in an 8-3 win over New Jersey Tuesday. Brayden Point led the way with a goal and four assists, which made him the youngest Bolt ever to post five points in one game.
 
Point leads the Lightning with 14 points (7g, 7a) through 12 games this season. He is one of three Crunch alumni maintaining a point-per-game pace, along with Nikita Kucherov (5g, 7a) and Yanni Gourde (4g, 8a).
Tampa Bay rewarded Gourde for his performance with a new contract today. The Bolts locked up the forward for six years on a deal worth more than $5 million per season, the team announced.
 
"Yanni personifies our team's identity with his speed and relentlessness on the ice and his strong character off of it," Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois said. "He is proof of how far hard work and dedication can take you, and we look forward to him continuing his career in Tampa Bay."
 
Gourde played in all 82 of the Bolts' regular-season games last year and set rookie franchise records in both goals (25) and points (64). The Quebec native led the team and ranked third in the league with a +34 rating.