CRUNCH BATTLE STREAKING SENS
 
The Crunch visit CAA Arena for the first time this season as they square off with the Belleville Senators. It's the fourth match of the six-game season series; the first three games—all Crunch wins—were played in Syracuse.
 
The Crunch had their eight-game winning streak end Sunday in Providence while Belleville rides a nine-game points streak (6-0-0-3) and a four-game winning streak into the match.    
 
LAST TIME OUT
 
Zane McIntyre made 27 saves and the Providence Bruins shut out the Crunch, 4-0, at Dunkin Donuts Center Sunday afternoon.
 
The Bruins, playing in the third game of a three-in-three, raced out to a 1-0 lead 1:06 into the first period as Cameron Hughes banked in a shot from along the goal line for his 13th goal of the season. Karson Kuhlman doubled the lead later in the first period, snapping a right circle shot past Connor Ingram to make it 2-0.
 
The Crunch were knocking on the door late in the second period before the Bruins struck for a shorthanded goal at 19:34, the second goal of the day for Kuhlman, giving Providence a 3-0 advantage. Ryan Donato added a fourth goal in the third period as Providence snapped the Crunch's eight-game winning streak.
 
SCOUTING THE CRUNCH  
 
The Crunch (29-14-2-1) lost in regulation for the first time since Jan. 16, ending their season-high eight game winning streak. That was tied for the second-longest in the AHL this season; the Crunch have two of the four-longest win streaks in the league, including their seven-game run in November.
 
Syracuse had an opportunity to jump into a first place tie Sunday, but the Crunch remain two points behind the Rochester Americans in the North Division; Syracuse has 61 points and Rochester has 63 and the Amerks have played three more games than the Crunch.
 
Sunday's loss in Providence was the third time this season that the Crunch were shut out, but they still lead the AHL in scoring by averaging 3.78 goals per game; the next closest team is Toronto at 3.55 goals per game.
 
Carter Verhaeghe paces the Crunch in scoring with 54 points (22g, 32a) in 46 games. After recording 10 points (5g, 5a) in three games—six of those points earned him CCM/AHL Player of the Week honors—the 23-year-old has been held off the scoresheet in three consecutive games. It's the first time all season that he has gone three games without a point; he had previously gone without a point in two straight games five times. 
 
ROSTER MOVES  
 
The Crunch were involved in three transactions Tuesday. Defenseman Jan Rutta, who was acquired by Tampa Bay in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks on Jan. 11, was recalled to the Lightning. The 28-year-old blueliner has recorded six points (2g, 4a) in seven games with the Crunch.
 
In response to that move, the Tampa Bay Lightning assigned forward Mathieu Joseph to the Crunch. Joseph, 22, has spent the entire season with the Lightning and has 20 points in 48 games; his 13 goals are fourth among NHL rookies. When he made his NHL debut on Oct. 6 vs. Florida, Joseph became the 50th Crunch alum to appear in a game for Tampa Bay during the Lightning affiliation. Last season Joseph became the second Crunch rookie to lead the team in scoring, logging 53 points (15g, 38a) in 70 games.
 
Tampa Bay also reassigned forward Jonne Tammela from ECHL-Orlando to the Crunch. In 23 games for the Solar Bears, Tammela notched 26 points (13g, 13a), recording at least one point in 15 games. He had 12 points (5g, 7a) in the last eight games prior to his reassignment to the Crunch. He has also skated in eight games this season for the Crunch, adding three points (1g, 2a) after 28 games as a rookie last year. 
 
SCOUTING THE SENATORS  
 
Belleville enters tonight's game on a four-game winning streak and nine-game points streak (6-0-0-3); both are new franchise records. Belleville's longest previous winning streak was three games.
 
By collecting 15 of a possible 18 points over the last nine games, the Sens have pulled within five points of the final playoff spot in the North Division. They are 24-23-2-3 and have 53 points in 52 games, while Utica and Toronto both have 58 points.
 
The surge has been led, in part, by Belleville's top line of Drake Batherson, Logan Brown and Nick Paul who have combined for 28 points over their last four games. Batherson is currently riding a nine-game point streak while Brown has points in his last eight. Batherson—the reigning CCM/AHL Player of the Week—has leaped into the top spot in the league among rookies with 44 points (16g, 28a) in 37 games. Brown, also a rookie, is up to 33 points (12g, 21a) including a pair of overtime game-winning goals during the Sens current four-game winning streak. 
 
SPECIAL TEAMS
 
The Crunch power play is 2-for-19 in the last six games. They are 0-for-10 in the first three games of their five-game road trip, dropping to fourth in the AHL on the man advantage at 22.2% (46-for-207).
 
During their nine-game points streak, the Senators are 10-for-32 on the power play, scoring a goal in seven of the nine games, including in the last five games. They rank 11th in the AHL at 20.1% (43-for-214) and are seventh on home ice at 22.1%.
 
The Crunch are 20-for-20 on the penalty kill over the last five games; it's their longest stretch of games without allowing a pwer-play goal this season. The Crunch are fifth in the league on the penalty kill at 83.8% (186-for-222). They continue to possess the second-ranked road penalty kill at 90.8% (89-for-98).
 
Despite their nine-game points streak, Belleville has given up eight power-play goals in 35 chances (77.1%) over the last nine games. The Sens possess the worst penalty kill in the leage at 75.1% and they've allowed a league-high 55 power-play goals. They've given up six in 18 chances over three games against the Crunch this season.  
 
HEAD-TO-HEAD
 
Tonight is the fourth of six head-to-head matches and all three of the remaining games will be in Belleville. The Crunch have collected points in all 11 matches with the Senators since the start of last season, going 9-0-1-1, including 3-0-0-0 this year. The Crunch went 2-0-1-1 in Belleville last season.
 
The Crunch swept a back-to-back set in Syracuse to begin November, which sparked a 13-game points streak, and then ended a five-game winless streak with a win Jan. 18, which triggered an eight-game winning streak. Jan. 18 is also the last regulation loss for Belleville.
 
The Crunch have outscored the Senators, 16-8, over the three-game series. Cory Conacher paces the Crunch with six points (2g, 4a), while Andy Andreoff, Carter Verhaeghe and Alex Volkov all have three goals. Defenseman Jordan Murray leads Belleville with four points in three games, the only Sen with at least one point per game.