CRUNCH FACE ANOTHER MUST-WIN IN GAME 4
 
The Crunch look to fend off elimination for the second straight game as they face the Cleveland Monsters in Game 4 of the North Division Semifinals at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. 
 
LAST TIME OUT
 
The Crunch won a must-win Game 3 against the Cleveland Monsters, 2-1, Tuesday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
 
Syracuse grabbed its first lead of the series by scoring the first first period goal by either team in the series. The Crunch got the puck in deep and went to work on the forecheck. Carter Verhaeghe poked it behind and eventually it came to Alex Barré-Boulet. He wrapped the puck to the post, beating goaltender Brad Thiessen to put the Crunch up 1-0 at 12:10 of the opening frame.
 
After a scoreless second period, the Crunch doubled their advantage in the opening sequence of the third period. Barré-Boulet fired a one-timer from the right circle that popped off the post and Andy Andreoff deposited it for his first goal of the playoffs 31 seconds into the third. Cleveland scored its only goal with just over seven minutes to go. A puck was poked to center and Justin Scott raced in on a shorthanded breakaway, where he beat Eddie Pasquale to cut it to 2-1. Pasquale made 17 saves in the third period to preserve the Crunch's first win in the series. 
 
SCOUTING THE CRUNCH
 
The Crunch snapped a six-game Calder Cup Playoffs losing streak dating back to Game 1 of the 2018 North Division Finals. 
 
Carter Verhaeghe has carried over his regular season success into the Calder Cup Playoffs by logging six points (1g, 5a) in the first three games of the North Division Semifinals, which is tied for second in the AHL. He led the league in scoring during the regular season to claim the Crunch's first John B. Sollenberger Trophy with 82 points (34g, 48a) in 76 games. He has had a hand on all six Crunch goal during the playoffs.
 
Alex Barré-Boulet delivered with a goal and assist in Game 3. He potted his first career Calder Cup Playoffs goal to open the scoring in the first period and then had the primary helper on the eventual game-winning goal in the third period. The rookie's first multi-point effort of the playoffs gives him three points (1g, 2a) in the series. He had 17 multi-point games in the regular season and finished with 68 points to lead all AHL rookies in scoring.
 
Cory Conacher has three points (1g, 2a) in the series and 55 points (20g, 35a) in 73 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 25 playoff games with the Crunch. He is one point behind Matt Taormina (32) for the most points 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. Only three instances have come when the home team drops the first two games of the series.
 
The Crunch have never overcome a two-game deficit in a best-of-five series. This is the second time in four similar situations that they forced a Game 4; they lost Game 4 in 2000 and they have also been swept in two of the previous three instances (1997 and 2015).
 
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 25 games during the playoffs, the road team has 13 wins (52.0%), including five wins in six games by the road team within the North Division playoffs. The Toronto Marlies series clinching Game 3 win over Rochester is the only game won by the home team so far in the North Division.
 
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 had their 11-game Calder Cup Playoffs winning streak—the fourth longest streak in AHL history—end in Tuesday's Game 3 setback. Cleveland is now 3-3 in potential series clinching games dating to the 2016 playoffs, where the Monsters swept three of their four opponents en route to the Calder Cup championship.
 
Cleveland has thrown a balanced attack at the Crunch with 13 different players registering at least one point through the first three games of the North Division Semifinals. Nine different players have scored a goal, while Mark Letestu and Justin Scott are the only Monsters with more than one over the first three games.
 
Scott has three points (2g, 1a) in three games for Cleveland, after producing a career-high 24 points (13g, 11a) in 67 regular season games. This is Scott's first playoff experience in the AHL after missing out with the Monsters the previous two seasons. In his final season in the OHL (2015-16), he scored 17 goals in 15 playoff games for the Barrie Colts.
 
Sonny Milano paces the Monsters with four points (1g, 3a) in three 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. He was held off the scoresheet in the Game 3 loss.
 
SPECIAL TEAMS  
 
Four of the Crunch's six goals in the North Division Semifinals have come via the power play; Syracuse is 4-for-10 (40.0%) 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-12 in the series with the man advantage, but that one was a third period go-ahead goal in Game 1. They were 0-for-5 in Game 3 Tuesday night. At 8.3%, the Monsters are tied for 12th in the playoffs after converting on 17.0% during the regular season.