CRUNCH AIM TO SNAP SKID
 
The Crunch hope to snap a three-game losing streak as they face off against the Belleville Senators tonight at CAA Arena.
 
It's the fourth game of the eight-game head-to-head series. The Crunch won the first two games before the Senators responded in the most recent contest (Nov. 2).
 
BROADCAST COVERAGE
 
Countdown to Crunch Time at 6:45 p.m.
Streaming: Pay-to-watch video via AHLTV on FloHockey | www.syracusecrunch.com/watch
Radio: ESPN Radio Syracuse | www.espncny.com
 
LAST TIME OUT
 
The Crunch lost their third straight game, 5-2, against the Cleveland Monsters Saturday at Upstate Medical University Arena.
 
The Monsters scored twice in the first period and twice in the second period to open a 4-0 lead. Rocco Grimaldi started things off by banking a power-play goal off a Crunch skate at 6:17 of the first period. Luca Del Bel Belluz jammed home a power-play goal with less than two seconds remaining in the period for a 2-0 lead. 
 
An even strength and shorthanded goal in the second period made it 4-0 entering the third. Conor Sheary sparked a Crunch surge with a laser from the left circle at 1:29. Gabe Fortier cut the deficit to two at 9:21 with a power move to the goal for his first of the year.
 
Syracuse pushed with 14 shots in the final frame, but Grimaldi sealed the Cleveland win with an empty-net goal.
 
SCOUTING THE CRUNCH
 
The Crunch lost twice last week and have dropped three straight games, a skid which started with a loss to Belleville. They are 5-5-1-0 this season and are in sixth place in the North Division with 11 points.
 
The team has two players tied for the team lead in scoring with seven points. Rookie Dylan Duke (4g, 3a) also holds the team lead for goals, but he has been held to one point in the last five games. 
 
Defenseman Derrick Pouliot (3g, 4a) has done his best work against the Senators, grabbing five of his seven total points in the series. He has scored all three of his goals against Belleville.
 
KEY FIRST PERIOD
 
The Crunch have only scored four goals in the first period this season, which is tied for the second fewest in the AHL. After scoring two in the season opener, they have only struck in the opening 20 minutes twice in the last 10 games. They are 3-0-0-0 when tallying in the first period.
 
Syracuse has a minus-5 goal differential in the first period, which plays into the hands of the Senators. Belleville has a plus-9 differential in the first 20 minutes, scoring 12 goals and allowing only three. The Senators have outscored the Crunch, 5-0, in their three games.
 
STAYING AFLOAT
 
The Crunch have slipped back to 0.500 (5-5-1-0) this season. Syracuse is looking to avoid falling below 0.500 for the first time since the 2022-23 season. The last time they ended a game with a record below 0.500 was when a regulation loss at Belleville slid the Crunch to 7-8-2-2 on Dec. 2, 2022.
 
The Crunch entered their last game in Belleville (Oct. 20) with a 2-2-0-0 record. They kept their 0.500 or better streak alive with a 5-2 win against the Senators.
 
SCOUTING THE SENATORS
 
The Senators are tied with the Toronto Marlies for the fewest regulation losses in the AHL (1), however they have just five wins through their first 10 games (5-1-0-4). They have earned points in six straight games (3-0-0-3) since suffering their lone regulation loss of the season on Oct. 20 against the Crunch.
 
Belleville has picked up 14 points and is tied for fourth in the North Division. The Sens have alternated shootout losses and wins over the last six games; they split a weekend set against Laval last week.
 
Captain Garrett Pilon paces the Senators with 12 points (1g, 11a) in 10 games. He has three straight multi-point outings, posting seven assists in that span.  Cole Reinhardt is second on the club with 11 points (4g, 7a) in seven games. He has a point in five of his seven appearances for Belleville and he had a four-point performance against the Crunch in the last meeting. 
 
SPECIAL TEAMS
 
The Crunch are looking to sort out their special teams units ahead of tonight's match in Belleville. Excluding the empty-net goal near the end of regulation, the Crunch allowed four goals in their loss to Cleveland and three were via special teams. They surrendered two first period power-play goals and a second period shorthanded goal in the loss.
 
They had scored power-play goals in the three previous games, but are operating at only 14.6%, which ranks 24th in the AHL. They have scored a total of six power-play goals while allowing three shorthanded tallies.
 
Saturday was the third time allowing two power-play goals in a game. Overall, the Crunch are at 82.2% on the penalty kill, which is 16th in the league.
 
HEAD-TO-HEAD  
 
The Crunch and Senators continue their early season clashes as they reach the mid-point of their eight-game series tonight. The Crunch scored a pair of victories to start the series, but the Senators enter having won the previous one less than two weeks ago. The teams meet seven times through the first week of 2025 and then finish the series in April.
 
After a tightly contested shootout win for the Crunch in the first match, the last two have been more lopsided. The Crunch won, 5-2, in Belleville and the Senators earned a 6-2 win in Syracuse.
 
Derrick Pouliot paces the Crunch with five points (3g, 2a), while Garrett Pilon heads the Senators with six (1g, 5a). 
 
Matt Tomkins has started all three games for the Crunch, going 2-1-0 with a 2.92 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage. Mads Sogaard and Leevi Merilainen have seen the net for the Senators; both are currently injured.