SYRACUSE HOSTS SEASON SERIES FINALE 
 
The Syracuse Crunch (9-6-2-0) and Hartford Wolf Pack (11-3-0-5) meet Saturday night for the second time this week and the final time this season.
 
The Wolf Pack lead the Eastern Conference and Atlantic Division with 27 points. Their three regulation losses, including Syracuse's 3-1 win in Hartford on Wednesday, have all come against North Division opponents. Syracuse, whose 20 points slot into sixth place in the North Division, sports a 2-3-0-0 record against Atlantic Division foes this season.
 
The Crunch swept the two-game, 2018-19 regular season series against the Wolf Pack with wins of 3-2 and 6-0. Hartford's last win at the War Memorial Arena came Feb. 2, 2018 in a 4-3 shootout victory.
 
LAST TIME OUT
 
The Crunch got the better of the Eastern Conference-leading Wolf Pack on Wednesday, beating Hartford 3-1.
 
Following a scoreless first half of the game, Syracuse solved Hartford goaltender Igor Shesterkin twice in less than a minute late in the second period. First, Gemel Smith found Mitchell Stephens in front of the net for his third goal of the season with 5:43 remaining in the period. Then, Otto Somppi centered a feed to Dennis Yan, who tallied his second goal in as many games to give the Crunch a 2-0 lead with 4:52 left in the second period.
 
Less than five minutes into the third, the Crunch added an insurance goal when Ben Thomas found Smith in the slot, who sent a backdoor pass to Taylor Raddysh. Raddysh's third goal of the season put the Crunch up 3-0.
 
The Wolf Pack responded 30 seconds later with Lias Andersson netting his first goal of the season, but Scott Wedgewood and the Crunch defense protected Syracuse's 3-1 lead until the final buzzer. Wedgewood finished with 25 saves on 26 shots, including 14 saves in the final frame, to win his second straight start.
 
SCOUTING THE CRUNCH 
 
The Crunch face off against the Wolf Pack riding a two-game winning streak. It's the third time this season the Crunch have won at least two straight games.
 
Gemel Smith missed four games earlier this month with an upper body injury, but his return to the lineup has sparked the Crunch attack. The 25-year-old center earned two primary assists in Wednesday's win over the Wolf Pack, good for first star honors and his fourth multi-point performance this season. He has 10 points (3g, 7a) in 12 games for the Crunch.
 
Cameron Gaunce has been a playmaking force on Syracuse's blue line. Though his four-game point streak ended Wednesday at Hartford, he has netted one goal and added nine helpers in 10 November games. The 29-year-old defenseman's 14 points (1g, 13a) tie him with Alex Barré-Boulet (8g, 6a) for the team scoring lead.
 
Since returning from Tampa Bay's Global Series trip to Sweden, Scott Wedgewood has posted a 2-1-0 record in four appearances. In three of those four appearances, and seven of his 10 this season, he's held opponents to two goals or fewer.
 
SCOUTING THE WOLF PACK 
 
The Wolf Pack close out their New York road trip with a stop at the War Memorial Arena tonight following a 4-0 loss to the Rochester Americans; it was the first time Hartford was shut out all season. With a 3-1 loss to the Crunch Wednesday, the Wolf Pack have also dropped back-to-back games in regulation for the first time all year. Despite this recent skid, Hartford sits atop the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference, ranking second in the AHL with 27 points.
 
Vinni Lettieri paces Hartford with 14 points through 19 games (6g, 8a), but Syracuse held him off the scoresheet Wednesday. The Minnesota native also leads the Wolf Pack with three power-play goals. Lettieri is coming off his best AHL season yet; the 24-year-old forward piled up 48 points in 48 games and led the team with 23 goals in 2018-19.
 
Lias Andersson scored the lone goal for the Wolf Pack in their loss to the Crunch; it was his first AHL appearance this season. After picking up one assist through 17 games with Hartford's NHL affiliate the New York Rangers, the 21-year-old Swedish center was assigned to Hartford before Wednesday's game.
 
Hartford is looking to improve on its record outside the Atlantic Division. Against its own division, Hartford is 9-0-0-1, but when the Wolf Pack square off with the North Division, they are only 2-3-0-4.
 
After dominating in the Kontinenal Hockey League last year, Russian netminder Igor Shesterkin has brought that same success into his first season in Hartford. The AHL's October Goaltender of the Month has posted a 7-3-2 record and ranks top-ten in both save percentage (.927) and goals-against average (2.06).
 
SPECIAL TEAMS 
 
Although the Crunch are scoreless on six power-play opportunities in their past two games, Syracuse remains second in the North Division on the man-advantage with a 20.0% conversion rate. Alex Barré-Boulet paces the Crunch with five power-play goals, while Chris Mueller has tacked on three tallies and nine different Crunch skaters have scored on the man advantage this season.
 
On the other side, the Wolf Pack power play is only cashing in on 10.5% of its chances, ranking 26th overall in the AHL. Fourth-year pro Vinni Lettieri, with three man-up goals, is the only Hartford player with multiple power-play scores.
 
The Crunch's penalty kill continues its great play coming into the weekend. Syracuse kills off penalties successfully 89.3% of the time, tied for the top spot in the division and third in the AHL. The Crunch haven't allowed a power-play goal on seven straight chances across the past two games. Meanwhile, the Wolf Pack are 11th in the league on the penalty kill at 85.2%. Chris Mueller and Cory Conacher have tallied shorthanded goals for the Crunch this season, and Hartford's Steven Fogarty is the only Wolf  Pack skater to have scored shorthanded.
 
In Wednesday's match, the Crunch were 0-for-2 and Hartford was 0-for-4 on the man advantage.
 
THE BROTHER BATTLE 
 
Tonight's matchup marks the third ever meeting between brothers Taylor and Darren Raddysh.
 
Taylor and the Crunch have won the two previous meetings against Darren and the Wolf Pack since last season. Taylor scored a goal in the Crunch's win Wednesday, capitalizing on a 4-on-2 rush, with his brother one of the two Hartford defenders on the play.
 
That came after Darren fired a shot off the post in the second period with Taylor battling a Hartford player in front of goaltender Scott Wedgewood.
 
The Crunch's Raddysh has seven points (3g, 4a) in his second pro season while Darren has eight points (3g, 5a) in his third season. The two brothers played their junior hockey together with the OHL's Erie Otters.