CRUNCH WRAP UP ROAD TRIP AGAINST PHANTOMS
 
The Crunch (15-8-2-0) arrive in Allentown with a chance to secure a winning record on their five-game road trip, which concludes tonight against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (16-9-1-1).
 
Syracuse began the road trip with back-to-back wins, but two consecutive losses has the Crunch at 2-2-0-0 heading into the final game of the road trip. The Phantoms are playing their sixth home game in the last seven games and defeated Hershey, 5-0, last night.   
 
LAST TIME OUT
 
The Crunch allowed a goal in the final five minutes of regulation and dropped a back-and-forth match against the Springfield Thunderbirds, 3-2, at MassMutual Center Wednesday night.
 
Syracuse lost for the first time in regulation this season after scoring the first goal. Taylor Raddysh netted the first tally at 9:13 of the first period. Gabriel Dumont tied up a faceoff and Raddysh jumped in, won the puck for the Crunch, then drove toward the net, squeezing a shot past goaltender Samuel Montembeault.
 
The Thunderbirds struck twice early in the second period to take a 2-1 lead. They tied it with a goal by Jake Horton as a centering pass from Bobby Farnham tipped in off his skate at 4:23. Three minutes later, Dryden Hunt snapped a power-play goal from the left circle to put the T-Birds up, 2-1. The Crunch came back to tie it later in the period on Alex Barré-Boulet's 5-on-3 power-play goal from the right circle at 15:02.
 
The Crunch pressed for the go-ahead goal in the third period and at one point held a 11-4 shots advantage in the final frame, but they never found the back of the net. Springfield did with 3:35 to play in regulation. A left point shot from Ludwig Bystrom trickled through Eddie Pasquale and Hunt banged it home to give the Thunderbirds the 3-2 win.
 
SCOUTING THE CRUNCH  
 
Wednesday's loss was the Crunch's first regulation defeat despite scoring the game's first goal. Syracuse is now 11-1-1-0 when scoring first this season, collecting 23 of a possible 26 points. Their 0.885 points percentage when scoring first is second to San Jose (0.906) and the Barracuda are now the last team without a regulation loss when taking a 1-0 lead (13-0-0-3).
 
The Crunch have lost consecutive games in regulation for the third time this season, but the first time since a three-game losing streak Oct. 20-27. The Crunch remain in third place in the North Division with 32 points entering tonight.
 
Rookie Taylor Raddysh scored his 10th goal of the season in Wednesday's loss to Springfield. He joins Andy Andreoff, Alex Barré-Boulet and Cory Conacher as Crunch player to reach 10 goals so far this season. The Crunch are one of two teams with four players with at least 10 goals; the Rochester Americans had two players reach 10 goals Wednesday and they also have four 10-goal scorers this season.
 
Raddysh and Barré-Boulet are two of six AHL rookies to reach 10 goals. Syracuse is one of two teams (Texas) that has two 10-goal rookies. Crunch rookies have contributed 31 goals this season and only Texas rookies have produced more (36). 
 
SCOUTING THE PHANTOMS  
 
A rocky week for the Philadelphia Flyers organization has left the Phantoms without their head coach or their top goaltending prospect heading into the weekend. The Flyers fired head coach Dave Hakstol Monday and named Phantoms head coach Scott Gordon as the Flyers interim head coach. Gordon was replaced in Lehigh Valley by assistant coach Kerry Huffman while Kjell Samuelsson—the Flyers Director of Player Development—will assume duties as a Phantoms assistant coach. 
 
Monday also brought the first NHL recall of goaltender Carter Hart. The 20-year-old, considered the Flyers goalie of the future, was 9-5-2 in 17 games with Lehigh Valley, posting a 3.05 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage. The rookie was replaced by Alex Lyon, who returned to the Phantoms and is 4-4-0 in eight appearances. His shutout Wednesday against Hershey leaves him with a 3.04 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage.
 
Despite the turmoil, Lehigh Valley is 16-9-1-1 and in fourth place in the Atlantic Division. The Phantoms have alternated wins and losses in the last seven games.
 
SPECIAL TEAMS
 
The Crunch snapped a season-high two-game power-play drought with a 1-for-4 performance Wednesday in Springfield. Syracuse still possesses the best man advantage in the AHL, converting at 29.3% (34-for-116). Alex Barré-Boulet is second in the league with eight power-play goals (most among rookies), while Cory Conacher leads the AHL with 13 power-play assists. He has an assist on four of Barré-Boulet's eight power-play goals this season.
 
The Phantoms power play is sixth in the league at 21.7% (28-for-129). They went 2-for-7 in their win over Hershey Wednesday night and Lehigh Valley is 6-for-23 (26.1%) over the last four games. Greg Carey is tied for third in the league with seven power-play goals and defenseman T.J. Brennan is tied with Conacher at 13 power-play assists.
 
The Crunch penalty kill has allowed only five power-play goals in the last 11 games, going 51-for-56 (91.1%). Prior to this 10-game run, the Crunch penalty kill was at 77.5%, but it has improved to 83.5%, which is eighth in the AHL.
 
Lehigh Valley boasts the second-ranked penalty kill in the league at 86.7%. The Phantoms have allowed 15 power-play goals, which is second in the league behind San Jose (11). Eleven of the 15 goals, however, have been given up on home ice. Lehigh Valley's penalty kill is only successful on 80.4% of their shorthanded situations, down from 93.0% on the road, which ranks as the best road penalty kill in the AHL.