CRUNCH REMATCH WITH CHECKERS
 
After a thrilling overtime game last night, the Crunch and Charlotte Checkers go head-to-head for the second night in a row at Upstate Medical University Arena.
 
It's the final game of the four-game season series; the teams split in Charlotte before the Checkers grabbed the overtime win last night.
 
LAST TIME OUT
 
The Crunch rallied from two goals down late in the third period to earn a standings point in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Checkers.
 
Charlotte grabbed a 3-1 lead in the first period. Calle Sjalin opened the scoring with a point shot off a face off at 6:11 to make it 1-0. Phil Myers tied the score six minutes later, but Dominic Franco immediately responded 19 seconds after that to put the Checkers back up, 2-1. Franco scored again in the final minute of the frame for the 3-1 advantage.
 
After a scoreless second period, the Crunch got on the comeback trail with an early goal from Alex Barré-Boulet to make it a one-goal game. It stayed 3-2 until the final four minutes when Lucas Carlsson capitalized on a steal to give Charlotte a seemingly safe 4-2 lead.
 
The Crunch rallied with less than three minutes left in the game, scoring twice with their goalie pulled. Simon Ryfors scored a power-play goal at 17:08 before Gage Goncalves tied the game at 19:21 to force overtime. 
 
Logan Hutsko scored the overtime winner 1:52 into the extra session. 
 
SCOUTING THE CRUNCH
 
The Crunch found a way to extend their points streak to four games (3-0-1-0) and they are now 8-1-2-0 in the last 11 games. With a 21-14-4-3 record, the Crunch are in third place in the North Division with 49 points; they are two points behind Utica and have two games in hand on the Comets. 
 
In what has been a topsy-turvy season on home ice, the Crunch are in the midst of their third three-game winless spell at Upstate Medical University Arena. The Crunch have earned a standings point in 15 of their 21 home games (10-6-4-1), but last night dropped the Crunch to 0-5 in games decided in overtime or a shootout in Syracuse.  
 
Four players-Phil Myers, Alex Barré-Boulet, Gabriel Dumont and Gemel Smith-have logged points in the last four games for the Crunch. Dumont notched his second multi-point performance of the season last night and has picked up points in 11 of the last 13 games. Dumont, an AHL All-Star, has 21 points (12g, 9a) in 29 games. Smith, who has tied his career high for assists (24) is three points away from matching his career high for points (40).
 
BARRÉ-BOULET POWERS COMEBACK
 
AHL All-Star Alex Barré-Boulet had a hand in all four Crunch goals last night for his second game with at least four points (1g, 3a) this season. It was his 18th multi-point game of the season, one shy of last year's career-high 19.
 
Barré-Boulet has goals in four straight games for the third time in his career. His career high is five games, set March 26-April 10, 2021. He has nine points (4g, 5a) during his four-game scoring streak to race into a tie for second overall in AHL scoring with 53 points (14g, 39a) in 40 games. He is one goal away from becoming the third Crunch player to record 100 goals for the franchise.
 
SCOUTING THE CHECKERS
 
The Checkers extended their winning streak to four games with last night's triumph over the Crunch. All four wins have come on the road in New York (Utica, Rochester (x2) and Syracuse) and the Checkers are 9-4-1-0 against North Division teams this year. They are 6-0-0-0 on the road against the North.
 
Charlotte has scored four or more goals in five of the last six games. With 29 goals in that span, the Checkers have raised their goals per game average from 2.76 to 3.05. 
 
Charlotte is third in the Atlantic Division with 52 points and a 24-15-2-2 record. The Checkers are on an 12-4-0-1 run in the last 17 games, which started on the heels of a five-game losing streak in mid-December.
 
Dominic Franco scored his first two goals of the season last night for the Checkers. They were his first AHL goals since he netted four in 23 games for Rochester in 2020-21. After going 19 games with no goals and one point, defenseman Calle Sjalin has goals in back-to-back games and a three-game scoring streak with his opening tally last night.
 
MYERS, ALNEFELT RECOGNIZED
 
Prior to last night's game, defenseman Phil Myers and goaltender Hugo Alnefelt were honored as the Crunch's Army co-defenders of the month of January. 
 
Myers, who has picked up where he left off to begin February, led Crunch defensemen with 11 points (3g, 8a) in 12 January contests. He now carries a four-game scoring streak, which includes a goal in three of the last four games.
 
Alnefelt allowed six goals in five January starts, posting a 4-1-0 record with a 1.22 goals-against average and a .965 save percentage. Overall this season, the 21-year-old is 12-5-1 with a 2.24 goals-against average that ranks fourth in the AHL and a .928 save percentage that ranks second.
 
HEAD-TO-HEAD
 
The Crunch and Checkers finish their four-game regular season series tonight. By earning a point in an overtime loss last night, the Crunch (1-1-1-0) have a chance to finish with a winning record against the Checkers for the first time since 2010-11, when they went 3-1-0-0.
 
Alex Barré-Boulet's four points last night give him a series-high five (1g, 4a) against the Checkers this season. The Checkers have rolled out a balanced attack against the Crunch; no player has more than two points, but 13 have at least one in the series. 
 
Charlotte has won seven of its last nine appearances in Syracuse dating to the start of the 2017-18 season. The teams split in Syracuse last season.