CRUNCH AND CHECKERS REMATCH IN CHARLOTTE
 
The Crunch and Charlotte Checkers wrap up a two-game series with a rematch of last night's game that was decided in overtime at Bojangles Coliseum.
 
The Crunch lead the North Division with 88 points and only trail the Charlotte Checkers—who lead the Atlantic Division with 90 points—in the race for the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy, awarded to the team with the best record in the AHL.   
 
LAST TIME OUT
 
The Crunch pushed their winning streak to four games with a 2-1 overtime win over the Checkers last night at Bojangels Coliseum.
 
In a game that felt like a playoff matchup, the Crunch opened the scoring in the first period. The Crunch dumped the puck in and went to work beneath the goal line. Alex Volkov eventually got the puck to Dennis Yan, who turned in the right corner and set up Cal Foote in the right circle, where he blistered home his ninth goal of the season at 11:22.
 
Syracuse maintained that one-goal advantage into the third period, but the Checkers finally pulled even with an early third-period power play. There was a net-mouth scramble and eventually Martin Necas potted the puck 4:11 into the third to tie the score at one. Neither team would score for the remainder of regulation, sending the game into overtime. 
 
The Crunch ended it 1:59 into the bonus session. Cameron Gaunce handed off the puck to Taylor Raddysh in the offensive zone, where he skated circles around the Charlotte defenders. On his second loop, Raddysh sent a pass from the top of the right circle to the back post, where it was tipped in by Alex Barré-Boulet for his second overtime game-winning goal of the season and a 2-1 Crunch win.
 
SCOUTING THE CRUNCH  
 
The Crunch's win last night over Charlotte moved the Crunch within two points of the league-leading Checkers. It also gave the Crunch 41 wins, tied with the Checkers for the most in the AHL. It's second straight season the Crunch have reached 40 wins; it's the seventh time in franchise history and the 63 games needed to hit 40 wins are the fewest in franchise history. 
 
The Crunch (41-17-4-2) have won four straight games and ride an eight-game points streak (7-0-1-0)—the longest active streak in the league—into today's match with the Checkers. The Crunch have also opened a season-high five-point cushion over the Amerks for the top spot in the North Division.
 
Rookie Alex Barré-Boulet scored the overtime game-winning goal last night to become the 17th player in franchise history to reach 30 goals in a season. He is only the third rookie to do so and he is tied with Lonny Bohonos and Geoff Platt for the most goals ever by a Crunch rookie; he is the first rookie with 30 goals since Platt in 2005-06 and the first Crunch player since Tyler Johnson's 37-goal MVP season in 2012-13.
 
It was also Barré-Boulet's second overtime game-winning goal and sixth game-winner overall, establishing a new Crunch rookie record for most in a season. He is the third player in the AHL this season with 30 goals and he once again leads AHL rookies in scoring with 57 points (30g, 27a).
 
In net, Eddie Pasquale earned his fifth straight win in a 23-save effort and he now has a career-high 24 wins in 39 starts this season. He is 24-10-5 with a 2.38 goals against average and .915 save percentage. Since ending a five-game losing streak Jan. 18, he is 12-2-1 with a 1.69 goals-against average and a .941 save percentage.
 
MILESTONE MEN  
 
Three Crunch players will reach career milestones by appearing in tonight's game against the Checkers.
 
Defenseman Hubert Labrie is set to play in his 400th AHL game. The veteran is in his first season with the Crunch and has seven points—all assists—in 57 games. Over the course of his AHL career, Labrie has skated with the Texas Stars—where he won a Calder Cup in 2014—the Springfield Falcons, San Antonio Rampage, Chicago Wolves, Hershey Bears and Hartford Wolf Pack before joining the Crunch this summer.
 
Cory Conacher will play in his 300th AHL game tonight. Now in his fourth season with the Crunch, Conacher has spent the majority of his AHL career in Syracuse; 244 of his AHL appearances have been spent with Tampa Bay's AHL affiliate, including the 2011-12 season in Norfolk. The 29-year-old winger has 284 points (110g, 174a) in the first 299 AHL games of his career.
 
Finally Carter Verhaeghe is slated to dress in his 200th career AHL game. More than half of his AHL appearances (122) have come for the Crunch, where he has 117 points (45g, 72a). He has also skated for Bridgeport and Toronto during his AHL career. The 23-year-old has 162 points (67g, 95a) in the AHL.
 
SCOUTING THE CHECKERS  
 
Last night's loss ended the Checkers' three-game winning streak, but it did extended their points streak to four games. Their six-game home winning streak also came to an end, leaving a seven-game home points streak in its wake. Charlotte is the only team in the AHL this season to collect at least 20 wins at home (20-6-5-0) and on the road (21-9-2-1).
 
Rookie Martin Necas scored the only Charlotte goal last night; it was his 11th goal of the season, but his first power-play tally. The 12th overall pick in the 2017 NHL draft has two goals in the last three games after going 21 games in a row without a goal. He ranks third on the Checkers with 39 points (11g, 28a) and he has eight points (2g, 6a) in the last six games.
 
The Checkers second-leading scorer Aleksi Saarela will miss his second straight game against the Crunch. He was suspended by the AHL as a consequence of a high-sticking incident in a game vs. Rochester on Mar. 16. He has 43 points (22g, 21a) in 58 games this season.
 
Goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic leads the league with 29 wins (29-7-5) while posting a 2.33 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage. Dustin Tokarski was acquired from Hartford at the trade deadline; he's won both of his starts for the Checkers and is 12-6-2 between Hartford and Charlotte.
 
SPECIAL TEAMS
 
The Crunch went 0-for-3 on the power play last night, with two of their three advantages lasting less than the two full minutes. They have power-play goals in six of the last nine games, going 9-for-41 (22.0%) in that span. The Crunch rank fifth in the league at 21.0%.
 
The Checkers extended their power-play goal streak to seven games (9-for-37). That has pushed the Checkers up to a tie for 18th in the league at 18.1%, however, they are near the bottom of the league when at home, operating at 14.6% (29th) at Bojangles Coliseum.
 
Syracuse's penalty kill has allowed a power-play goal in five straight games, giving up six goals in 28 chances. Despite that, the Crunch still rank fourth in the league at 84.7%, which includes an 89.3% penalty kill on the road.
 
Charlotte has allowed only two power-play goals in the last nine games (39-for-41). The Checkers rank second in the AHL on the penalty kill at 85.8%