Crunch continue homestand vs. Bears
The Crunch (35-18-3-3) continue their four-game homestand tonight against the Hershey Bears (24-27-4-5). Syracuse has points in its last seven games (6-0-1-0), which is tied for the longest active streak in the AHL. 
 
It's the second of two matches between the Bears and Crunch; Hershey won the first meeting, 4-2, Nov. 15.
 
Last time out
The Crunch lost a 4-2 lead in a 5-4 overtime defeat to the Laval Rocket at the War Memorial Arena Saturday.
Chris Terry opened the scoring for the Rocket 4:28 into the game, but the Crunch scored four of the next five goals to build a 4-2 lead. Gabriel Dumont scored the first of two Crunch goals in the first with a shorthanded tally at 5:02. Four minutes later Erik Condra banged in a rebound on a Jonne Tammela shot for a 2-1 Crunch lead. 
 
Dennis Yan continued the scoring with his 11th goal of the season at 4:15 of the second period. He poked in a rebound for a power-play goal and a 3-1 Crunch lead. The Rocket got within one at 11:22 on a power-play goal by Jordan Boucher, but the Crunch had an answer with the man advantage five minutes later. Mat Bodie's drive beat Zachary Fucale for his fifth goal of the season.
 
Laval forced overtime with two unanswered goals in the third period then clinched the comeback win with a goal by Jeremy Gregoire at 4:28 of overtime, snapping the Crunch's six-game winning streak.
 
Budaj joins the Crunch
Goaltender Peter Budaj has joined the Crunch on a conditioning assignment and he's expected to start in his Crunch debut tonight vs. Hershey, the team he started his pro career with in 2002. Budaj, 35, has spent all season with Tampa Bay, but suffered a lower-body injury Dec. 29 vs. Philadelphia and has not played since. That prompted the emergency recall of Louis Domingue to the Lightning. 
 
Budaj will be the sixth goalie to appear in a game for the Crunch this season, which matches a franchise record. The most recent instance was in 2013-14 with goalies Kristers Gudlevskis, Cedrick Desjardins, Allen York, Riku Helenius, Anders Lindback and Charles Lavigne. It also happened in 2008-09, 2007-08 and 1998-99. 
 
Scouting the Crunch
Syracuse is 8-1-1-0 in its last 10 games; Lehigh Valley (8-1-0-1) is the only other Eastern Conference team with that many wins during the same stretch. Six of the Crunch's eight wins have come by one goal. Each of Syracuse's past 15 games has been decided by two goals or fewer. The last time the Crunch played a game decided by more than two goals was Jan. 26, when Syracuse defeated Belleville 5-2 at the War Memorial.
 
The average age of the Crunch's top six scorers this season is just over 21 years old. Last season, the average age of the Crunch's top six scorers was just over 27 years old. One of the top six scorers from last season's team is among the top six scorers on this year's team: Matthew Peca. The forward was sixth on the team with 41 points (12g, 29a) last season and is currently tied for third on the Crunch with 35 points (10g, 25a).
 
Mathieu Joseph paces the team with 38 points and 28 assists so far this season. The rookie is currently on a three-game point streak, with four points (1g, 3a) during that time. He missed Saturday's loss to Laval with an injury, but he is expected to return to the lineup tonight. Mitchell Stephens, another rookie, is tied for second among active Crunch skaters with 35 points (18g, 17a). The 21-year-old snapped a three-game scoreless streak with an assist against Laval Saturday.  
 
Savvy vets providing spark
While the Crunch have been driven by their youth movement this season, their veterans are still chipping in offensively. Captain Erik Condra had three points in three games last week, including goals in back-to-back games for the second time this season. Condra, 31, has six points (3g, 3a) in the last seven games and 17 points (8g, 9a) in 33 games this season, after missing the beginning of the season following offseason back surgery.
 
Gabriel Dumont led Crunch skaters with five points (1g, 4a) in three games last week. His three assists Feb. 28 at Toronto gave Dumont his first three-point game since a four-point outing (3g, 1a) in the third game of last season, Oct. 21, 2016 vs. Utica. Dumont, 27, rides a four-game scoring streak into tonight, collecting seven points (2g, 5a).      
 
Scouting the Bears
Hershey enters Friday with a 24-27-4-5 record, good for a 0.475 points percentage and eighth place in the eight-team Atlantic Division. The Bears are 6-2-1-1 in their past ten games. If Hershey were to miss the playoffs, it would mark just the second time in the past 13 seasons that the franchise has not reached the Calder Cup Playoffs. The Bears have reached the playoffs in each of the past three seasons.
 
Chris Bourque leads all Hershey skaters with 47 points and 34 assists this season. The former AHL MVP missed nine games in February while competing with the United States men's hockey team at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang; Bourque recorded two assists in five games. Chris, the son of NHL Hall of Famer Ray Bourque, is in the midst of his 13th professional hockey season. The former second-round pick of the Washington Capitals has played for four AHL teams, three NHL teams, two KHL (Russia) teams, and two Swiss-A teams in his professional career. Bourque has 31 points (15g, 16a) in 33 career games against the Crunch, including two goals in the two clubs only meeting this season Nov. 15.
 
Phoenix Copley has spent the bulk of time in the Hershey net this season, posting a 2.83 goals-against average and an .898 save percentage in 34 games. The North Pole, Alaska native started and won the meeting Nov. 15, stopping 20 of 22 Syracuse shots. 
 
Special teams
The Crunch have four power-play goals in the last two games and five in their previous four games. With two markers in each of the last two games, the Crunch have scored multiple power-play goals in nine games this season. They are 25th in the AHL on the power play at 15.0%.
 
Hershey's power play has converted 43 times in 265 opportunities (16.2%) to rank 20th in the AHL. They were 0-for-7 against the Crunch Nov. 15.
 
The Crunch penalty kill ranks seventh in the AHL at 84.6%. Their 12 shorthanded goals are tied with Milwaukee for the AHL lead. 
 
The Bears penalty kill ranks 13th, killing off 83.4% of opposing power plays.