CRUNCH TANGLE WITH MONSTERS
 
The Crunch are home for a playoff rematch against the Cleveland Monsters tonight at Upstate Medical University Arena.
 
It is Military Appreciation Night presented by Visions Federal Credit Union; the Crunch will wear specialty jerseys featuring a black base with dark camouflage on the shoulders and across the bottom. The team will auction off select game-worn jerseys on the ice immediately following the game. To participate in the auction, head to Sections 102 and 103 at the conclusion of the game.
 
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 fell to the Hartford Wolf Pack, 2-1, in overtime Wednesday at the XL Center.
 
Just five days after the Crunch prevailed in overtime against the Wolf Pack in Syracuse, the two teams played another tight contest in Hartford. Goaltenders Brandon Halverson and Dylan Garand kept the game scoreless into the third period; Garand made 13 saves in the first period and Halverson made 11 stops in the second period.
 
The Wolf Pack scored first on a 2-on-1 rush 5:55 into the third period. That score held until the final minute of regulation. With a 6-on-4 advantage, Conor Sheary fired a one-timer that Garand stopped, but Joel Teasdale popped in the rebound with 16.2 seconds left to tie the score. 
 
The overtime featured very few chances, but Alex Belzile slipped free with under 10 seconds left to win the game for the Wolf Pack.
 
SCOUTING THE CRUNCH
 
The Crunch grabbed a standings point on Wednesday, but their overtime loss to Hartford was their second straight setback. It's the second time this season the Crunch have lost back-to-back games and it moved them to 5-4-1-0 this season.
 
Goals have been hard to come by for the Crunch in the first 10 games of the season. They've scored at least three goals just three times so far and one of those contests required overtime. Syracuse has totaled 24 goals in 10 games and its 2.40 goals per game ranks 27th in the AHL. 
 
Joel Teasdale scored the Crunch's lone goal in Wednesday's overtime defeat. He potted a rebound with 16.2 seconds remaining to tie the score at one and earn the Crunch a standings point. The 25-year-old, who is skating on a professional tryout (PTO) with the Crunch, has six points (3g, 3a) in 10 games.
 
GET OUT IN FRONT
 
The Crunch, like all teams, would like to play with a lead, but that has been easier said than done through the first 10 games of the season. They have scored first only three times this season. Only three teams have done so less frequently than the Crunch this season.
 
The Crunch are 3-0-0-0 when striking first; they have earned shutout wins in two of those three instances. Syracuse has been outscored 7-4 in the first period; it is the only period in which the Crunch have a negative goal differential.
 
Cleveland has been outscored 11-8 in the first 20 minutes. The Monsters have scored first five times, and they are 4-1-0-0 in those games.
 
SCOUTING THE MONSTERS
 
The Monsters are in the midst of a New York swing. After opening this week with a 4-2 loss at home against Rochester, the Monsters pulled out a 3-2 shootout win last night in Utica. After tonight's match in Syracuse, the Monsters head back to Utica for a Veteran's Day contest in Utica on Monday.
 
A few months removed from playing until Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Monsters are 5-4-0-1 through 10 games this season. They are tied with the Crunch for fifth place in the North Division with 11 points.
 
Trey Fix-Wolansky is off to a point-per-game start for the Monsters with 10 (4g, 6a) in 10 games. The Monsters' all-time leading scorer, Fix-Wolansky was held in check last night before delivering the shootout game-winning goal against the Comets. He has 209 points in 234 career AHL games with the Monsters. His 141 points since the start of the 2022-23 campaign rank third among all AHLers; his current teammate Rocco Grimaldi ranks first in that span with 152 points. 
 
GONCALVES BACK FROM TAMPA BAY
 
Gage Goncalves has returned to the Crunch following a two-game stint with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He averaged 10:12 of ice time in the two appearances. Goncalves took one of the Lightning's two shootout attempts in their loss to the Flyers on Thursday. 
 
The fourth-year-pro has logged four points in his last three Crunch games. He missed the first five games of the season with an injury. He led the Crunch in scoring last year with 58 points (13g, 45a) in 69 games.
 
PLAYOFF REMATCH  
 
Tonight marks the first meeting between the Crunch and Monsters since they met in last season's North Division Finals. After the clubs split a four-game season series in 2023-24, the Monsters swept the Crunch in three games to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. 
 
The Crunch scored only five goals in three games; of the 16 combined goals in the series, 10 were scored in Cleveland's 6-4 Game 3 clincher in Syracuse.
 
Three Monsters led the team in scoring with three points in that series. Justin Pearson is the only one of the three on Cleveland's current roster.
 
Gabe Fortier and Niko Huuhtanen led returners with two points apiece in that series.
 
In the regular season series, no player scored more than two goals. Among returners, Declan Carlile (2g) and Trey Fix-Wolansky (2g, 2a) were the only two to score twice.