CRUNCH AIM TO SCHOOL SOUND TIGERS
 
The Crunch (20-21-3-3) begin a four-game road trip as they face the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (16-26-4-1) at Webster Bank Arena this morning.
 
The game marks the second and final school-day morning game this season for the Crunch, who defeated, 3-1, in Nov. 20 in the Wolf Pack's field trip game. It is also the last game of the four-game season series between Syracuse and Bridgeport; the home team has won all three games.
 
LAST TIME OUT
 
The Crunch lost, 6-2, to the Providence Bruins at Upstate Medical University Arena Saturday night.
 
It was a back and forth affair through the first two periods. Jack Studnicka opened the scoring just over eight minutes into the first period to put the Bruins up, 1-0. Taylor Raddysh tied the score with a tally in the second period. After Oskar Steen staked the Bruins another one-goal lead, Raddysh connected again on a reboud to knot the score 2-2.
 
Providence capitalized late in the second period on a power play to go ahead, 3-2. The Bruins pulled away with three goals in the final four minutes of the game to win, 6-2, and earn a split of the two-game season series.
 
SCOUTING THE CRUNCH
 
The Crunch stumble into Bridgeport mired in a five-game winless spell (0-3-1-1), which is their longest since an equal stretch last season between Jan. 5-16, 2019 (0-4-0-1). They roared back from that stretch with an eight-game winning streak.
 
Syracuse enters today's game with 46 points, the same amount as Binghamton and Cleveland. The trio of teams sit just four points out of the final playoff position, currently held by Laval, in the North Division.
 
Taylor Raddysh continued his consistent scoring in 2020 with a pair of goals in Week 17. The second-year pro cashed in twice—good for his second career multi-goal outing (Dec. 7 vs. Bridgeport)—during Saturday's loss to Providence. Both goals tied the game for the Crunch, although Syracuse never pulled ahead.
 
Raddysh has points in 10 of 14 games in 2020 and he leads the Crunch in points (14) and goals (8) over the 14 games. He has 26 points (13g, 13a) in 47 games this season after producing 46 (18g, 28a) in 70 games as a rookie last season.
 
The 21-year-old takes aim at Bridgeport Wednesday morning; he has five points (2g, 3a) in three games against the Sound Tigers. Mix in his three points in two outings against the Hartford Wolf Pack and that gives Raddysh eight points (3g, 5a) in five games against the two Connecticut teams.
 
SCOUTING THE SOUND TIGERS
 
Behind a road-heavy schedule, the Sound Tigers have dropped out of the Atlantic Division playoff picture. With 37 points, they are in the cellar of the conference and are 17 points out of a playoff spot. The Sound Tigers are 7-17-2-0 on the road this season, but they are 9-9-2-1, including a win over the Crunch, at Webster Bank Arena. They have 17 home games remaining versus 12 on the road to close out the season.
 
The Sound Tigers have struggled both offensively (2.17 goals per game, 31^st in AHL) and defensively (3.26 goals against per game, 26^th in AHL). Their top two scorers are on recall with the New York Islanders after leading scorer Keiffer Bellows—who had 15 goals in the last 26 games—was called up Monday. With Bellows and Sebastian Aho with the Islanders, Matt Lorito is the active leading scorer of the Sound Tigers. He has 20 points (8g, 12a) in 44 games; the Crunch have 10 players on their roster with at least 20 points.
 
After missing close to two months with an injury, Christopher Gibson has returned to the Sound Tigers crease. Although he's lost his first two start in his return, Gibson is 5-5-3 with a 2.58 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage.
 
SPECIAL TEAMS
 
The Crunch were held off the board with four power-play chances Saturday against Providence. Syracuse dipped to seventh in the AHL at 21.1% (43-for-204). Their 43 power-play goals are tied with Iowa for second in the league. The Crunch are 1-for-6 in three games against Bridgeport, including 0-for-1 in their first visit to Webster Bank Arena.
 
The Sound Tigers are 0-for-9 against the Crunch this season and have a league-low 18 power-play goals and a 9.9% conversion rate. Twelve of their 18 man-up goals have been scored at home, where they operate at 14.3%.
 
The Crunch's penalty kill bears some responsibility for the team's current 4-9-1-2 stretch. They have allowed a power-play goal in 13 of the 16 games, giving up 20 goals in 73 chances (72.6%). The Crunch are 7-13-2-2 when allowing a power-play goal.
 
Bridgeport's penalty kill ranks 11th in the AHL at 82.4%. The Sound Tigers have allowed 32 power-play goals, but only 10 have been scored against them at Webster Bank Arena.
 
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
 
Week 18 is one of the final two weeks this season that does not feature at least one Crunch home game; the final time is the first weekend of March, when Syracuse visits Toronto. This week kicks off a four-game road trip, the Crunch's third of four this season.
 
Starting with a loss in Bridgeport Dec. 18, the Crunch have just one road win (1-6-1-1) in their past nine road games. At 8-12-2-1 away from Upstate Medical University Arena, the Crunch are in jeopardy of posting their first below .500 road record since 2013-14. They have a -15 goal differential on the road this seasons versus an even mark at home.
 
CAN HISTORY REPEAT?
 
The Crunch are currently on a 4-9-1-2 stretch over the last 16 games since Dec. 28. That record holds a certain lore in recent Crunch history; the 2017-18 team started the season 4-9-1-2 before rattling off a 10-game winning streak and going 42-13-2-3 the rest of the season.
 
They went 22-6-1-0 over the proceeding 29 games after the 4-9-1-2 start; if the Crunch pull that off again, they would finish the season 42-27-4-3 and put themselves in solid footing for a playoff position.