CRUNCH AND MARLIES OPEN TWO-GAME SET
 
Syracuse (28-22-4-5) begin a crucial two-game weekend set against the Toronto Marlies (28-25-3-2) at Coca-Cola Coliseum.
 
It is the first time the Crunch have traveled to Toronto this season, with the teams slated to meet three times there this month. The Crunch have won the first two head-to-head meetings in Syracuse, with the most recent one an 8-2 drubbing Jan. 3.
 
LAST TIME OUT
 
Boris Katchouk broke a third-period tie and the Crunch prevailed over the Rochester Americans, 4-2, at Upstate Medical University Arena Saturday night.
 
The teams traded goals 33 seconds apart early in the first period with Gemel Smith tying the score at one on a redirection 4:53 into the game. The Crunch then grabbed a 2-1 lead in the second period when Alex Volkov converted on a quick passing sequence for a power-play goal at 8:03.
 
The Amerks netted a power-play goal 23 seconds into the third period to tie the game 2-2, but Katchouk provided the response five minutes later. Tyler Bird collected the puck at the left circle and fed a pass to Katchouk, who rocketed a one-timer into the top corner for a 3-2 lead. Ross Colton put the game away with a long-distance empty-net goal for a 4-2 win.
 
Scott Wedgewood made 43 saves, a season-high for a Crunch goaltender, to earn his 13^th win.
 
SCOUTING THE CRUNCH
 
Syracuse has secured at least a point in 11 of its last 12 games after posting back-to-back wins last week. The Crunch are six wins above the 0.500 mark, which is a new high-water mark for the team this season. The Crunch's points percentage (0.551) is at its highest mark since it was at 0.565 following a shootout loss to Binghamton Dec. 27.
 
The Crunch's recent play has them inside the playoff line in the North Division. They hold a one-point lead on the Binghamton Devils, who have a game-in-hand on the Crunch, but who also prep for a three-in-three this weekend. Syracuse trails third-place Utica by four points.
 
Ross Colton produced back-to-back multi-point games (1g, 3a) last weekend, and the second-year pro is tied for third in the league over the last two weeks with nine points (2g, 7a). His seven assists are one behind Tucson's Andy Miele for the most in the league in that span. His linemate Alex Barré-Boulet is the top scorer in the league during that time with 11 points (7g, 4a).
 
With at least one assist in nine of the last 11 games, and 11 assists in that stretch, Colton has grabbed the Crunch lead with 31 assists and he ranks second on the team in scoring with 42 points (11g, 31a) in 59 games; last year he finished with 31 total points in 66 games.
 
SCOUTING THE MARLIES
 
The Marlies have slipped to seventh place in the North Division with 61 points, four behind the Crunch for the final divisional playoff spot. After a regulation loss Wednesday in Belleville, Toronto only has one fewer game played than the Crunch; that number was four just two weeks ago.
 
After starting the season 14-2-2-1, the Marlies are just 14-23-1-1 since Nov. 30. They also started the year 9-0-0-0 on home ice, but are just 9-10-0-0 since Nov. 30. In that span, the Marlies have the worst record in the North Division and dropped from first place to seventh place; only last place Cleveland has also played below 0.500 (13-18-1-2) in that time.
 
Former AHL MVP Kenny Agostino leads the Marlies in scoring this season with 47 points (25g, 22a) in 50 games. He has points in four of the last five games, totaling seven points (2g, 5a) in that span. Agostino is also the Marlies most potent power-play producer. He leads the team with 18 power-play points (7g, 11a).
 
Several recent trades by the Maple Leafs were made to shake up the Marlies roster for the stretch run. The Marlies received Miikka Salomaki from Milwaukee and he has three points (2g, 1a) in five games for the Marlies. Matt Lorito came over from Bridgeport and added three assists in his first five Marlies games. Calle Rosen, a member of the 2018 Calder Cup winning Marlies team, was acquired by Colorado with the intention of joining the Marlies, but he was uickly recalled to the Leafs due to injuries for the NHL club.
 
Kasimir Kaskisuo is sidelined with an injury and Joseph Woll has started four of the last five games. He gave up an eight-spot to Belleville on Wednesday and is 11-14-3 with a 3.83 goals-against average and a .879 save percentage. His current partner is Parker Gahagen, who has worked his way from the SPHL to the ECHL and now the AHL this season. He lost in his Marlies debut to Binghamton last weekend.
 
SPECIAL TEAMS
 
The Crunch power play cashed in for the third straight game Saturday night against the Amerks and they have a goal in six of the last eight games (7-for-34, 20.1%). The Crunch rank eighth in the AHL at 20.2%, and they are 3-for-12 against the Marlies this season.
 
Toronto capitalized on one of its eight power plays in Wednesday's blowout loss at Belleville. The Marlies rank directly behind the Crunch with a 20.0% power play this season, but their success falters at home, where Toronto is operating at 16.8%, as opposed to its 23.0% mark on the road.
 
Syracuse has allowed four power-play goals in the last three games and the team ranks tied for 13th in the league with an 82.2% penalty kill. The Crunch are one of five teams with at least 10 shorthanded goals, but they have gone 13 straight games without one, last scoring down a man Jan. 31 at Rochester.
 
The Marlies penalty kill is a weak spot and is the third-worst unit in the AHL, killing just 77.6% of opponent power plays. It is the worst mark in the Eastern Conference.
 
KEEP IT GOING
The Crunch embark on March following their best single month of the 2019-20 season. Syracuse posted an 8-2-1-2 mark in February and collected 19 of 26 possible points in 13 games. It was only the third month this season during which the Crunch have posted a winning record, and it's the first time since November.
 
Last month was the team's second-best February in team history, based on points percentage. Their 0.731 points percentage was only behind their 0.750 mark (9-2-2-1) in February 2006.
 
In the last three seasons, the Crunch are a combined 24-8-2-4 in February, a 0.711 points percentage.