CRUNCH FACE MUST-WIN GAME 3
 
The North Division Semifinals shift to Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland for Game 3 of the best-of-five series. The Crunch face elimination down 0-2 in the series after dropping the opening two games to the Cleveland Monsters at the War Memorial Arena.   
 
LAST TIME OUT
 
For the first time since October, the Crunch lost their second straight home game, 5-1, to the Monsters in Game 2 of the North Division Semifinals.
 
For the second straight game to begin the series, neither team scored in the first period, but Cleveland opening the scoring again in the second period. The Crunch turned the puck over in their defensive zone and Justin Scott was in front of the net to capitalize and give the Monsters a 1-0 lead 18 seconds into the middle period. The Crunch tied the game at one at 12:36 on a power-play goal by Ross Colton—the Crunch's third power-play goal of the series. Carter Verhaeghe sent a cross-ice pass to Cory Conacher and he found a cutting Colton for a tap in to even the score. The Monsters came right back to take the lead for good less than five minutes later. They dug the puck free and after it was sent in front, Dan DeSalvo poked it in for a 2-1 lead.
 
Cleveland added an insurance marker 9:05 into the third period. Sonny Milano stole the puck on the forecheck and passed to Mark Letestu, who banged home his second goal of the series for a 3-1 lead. The Monsters added two empty-net goals late in the third to set the final at 5-1. 
 
SCOUTING THE CRUNCH
 
The Crunch face a must-win Game 3 in the North Division Semifinals as they look to end a six-game playoff losing streak dating to Game 1 of last year's North Division Finals. The Crunch have not held a lead in this year's playoffs and their last playoff lead was in Game 2 of the North Division Finals against Toronto. Dating to that Game 2—which the Crunch led 1-0 before the Marlies tied the game in the third period and won in double overtime—the Crunch have not led for a combined 288:18 during the Calder Cup Playoffs.
 
The Crunch have been held to 19 shots in both games of this series after being limited to under 20 shots only five times during the regular season. Including the regular season, the Crunch have had fewer than 20 shots in a game in three consecutive games and in four of their last six contests. The Crunch finished the regular season 25th in the AHL averaging 27.95 shots per game, but that was pulled down over the final quarter of the season, when they average just 25.47 shots per game, the fewest of any quarter of the season, if the regular season was broken into four, 19-game segments.
 
Rookie Ross Colton delivered the Crunch's lone goal in Game 2 Saturday night, delivering a power-play goal in the second period. Colton scored only one power-play goal in the entire regular season, but finished with 31 points (14g, 17a) in 66 games. The goal was his first career Calder Cup Playoffs goal, becoming the first of the Crunch's talented rookies to find the back of the net in the 2019 Calder Cup Playoffs.
 
Cory Conacher's assist on Colton's tally gives him three points (1g, 2a) in the series and 55 points (20g, 35a) in 72 career Calder Cup Playoffs games; his team has advanced the Calder Cup Finals the last three times he's appeared in the playoffs (2012, 2015, 2017). Conacher has 31 points (13g, 18a) in 24 playoff games with the Crunch. He is one point behind Matt Taormina (32) for the most in the franchise's playoff history.
 
IT TAKES THREE  
 
Cleveland secured two wins to open the best-of-five North Division Semifinals, but it takes three to advance to the second round of the Calder Cup Playoffs.
 
There have been 11 teams to rally from an 0-2 deficit in a best-of-five series, with Grand Rapids most recently defeating Toronto in the 2015 Western Conference Quarterfinals. It has happened twice since the league switched back to a best-of-five first round series for the 2012 Calder Cup Playoffs; Providence overcame Hershey in 2013 after dropping the first two home games at the Eastern Conference's top seed.
 
The Crunch have never overcome two-game deficit in a best-of-five series. They have been swept in two of the previous three instances (1997 and 2015) and lost in Game 4 in 2000.
 
A Cleveland franchise has lost three times when leading a best-of-five series three times (1952, 1967, 1969).  
 
ROAD SUCCESS  
 
The road teams have had the advantage through the first week of the 2019 Calder Cup Playoffs. In 16 games during the playoffs, the road team has 10 wins (62.5%), including four wins four games by the road team within the North Division playoffs.
 
During the regular season, road teams won 509 games in 1150 road contests (44.3%). The Crunch were one of six AHL teams with at least 20 road wins (20-13-3-2), while Cleveland was right behind the Crunch with an 18-16-3-1 road record in the regular season.
 
SCOUTING THE MONSTERS  
 
The Monsters are eyeing their 12th straight playoff win and fifth straight playoff series win dating to the 2016 Calder Cup Playoffs, where they secured their first Calder Cup in franchise history.
 
Cleveland has thrown a balanced attack at the Crunch with 13 different players registering at least one point through the first two games of the North Division Semifinals. Nine different players have scored a goal and Mark Letestu is the only Monster with more than one over the first two games.
 
Sonny Milano paces the Monsters with four points (1g, 3a) in two games, including his first three-point game (1g, 2a) in the Calder Cup Playoffs in Game 2. The 22-year-old is one of a few players who was a member of their 2016 Calder Cup championship; he contributed eight points (4g, 4a) in 17 games during that run. Milano missed a lot of time due to injury this season, but finished with 24 points (11g, 13a) in 27 games for Cleveland.
 
SPECIAL TEAMS  
 
Three of the Crunch's four goals in the North Division Semifinals have come via the power play; Syracuse is 3-for-6 (50.0%) in the series. That ranks first among teams in the Calder Cup Playoffs after they ranked fifth in the regular season at 20.9%.
 
The Monsters are 1-for-7 in the series with the man advantage, but that one was a third period go-ahead goal in Game 1. At 14.3%, the Monsters are tied for seventh in the playoffs after converting on 17.0% during the regular season.