CRUNCH WRAP THREE-GAME ROAD TRIP IN BELLEVILLE
 
The Crunch play their third straight road game Wednesday against the Belleville Senators at CAA Arena.
 
It's the sixth game of the eight-game season series. The Crunch are 4-1-0-0 so far against the Senators, and they've won their two previous games in Belleville by a combined 9-3 score.
 
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
 
Jesse Ylonen and Max Groshev scored shootout goals and the Crunch prevailed in a six-round shootout to defeat the Cleveland Monsters, 4-3, Saturday at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
 
The Crunch erased two one-goal deficits in the win. Luca Del Bel Belluz opened the scoring 34 seconds into the second period. Dylan Duke matched that to tie the score at one at 16:19 of the period. A miscue just over a minute later led to a Cleveland goal and a 2-1 lead entering the third period.
 
The Crunch pulled even 3:10 into the final frame when Gabriel Szturc banked home a rebound from along the right goal line, making it 2-2. Conor Sheary put the Crunch ahead for the first time when he deposited a rebound at 8:36. The lead held until Del Bel Belluz, who scored twice late Friday to erase a two-goal Crunch lead, tied the game again at 15:23.
 
Syracuse survived a double minor penalty kill late in regulation and well into overtime. The game went into a shootout, where the Crunch went 2-for-6 to earn the win.
 
SCOUTING THE CRUNCH
 
The Crunch snapped their winless spell and pushed their point streak to four (1-0-2-1) with their shootout win against Cleveland. They have earned points in eight of the last 10 games (3-2-2-3) and remain in sixth place in the North Division with 24 points (9-7-3-3).
 
Derrick Pouliot continues to lead the Crunch in scoring after he extended his active scoring streak to four games. His assist Saturday against the Monsters gives him six points (2g, 4a) during his streak. The defenseman has 20 points (5g, 15a) in 22 games this season. He ranks second overall in the league among defensemen.
 
CLOCKING OVERTIME HOURS
 
Saturday's game was the Crunch's ninth overtime game of the season through 22 games played (40.9%). Only Lehigh Valley (10) has played overtime more frequently than the Crunch.
 
Syracuse snapped a six-game skid in games decided past regulation with its shootout win in Cleveland on Saturday. The Crunch are 3-6 in games that require overtime.
 
The Crunch are 3-3-3-3 overall in one-goal games this season.
 
This is the 15th time in franchise history they've gone to overtime in at least three straight games. This current four-game run is the longest since a five-game stretch March 31-April 7, 2023.
 
SCOUTING THE SENATORS
 
The Senators return home following a 4-1-0-0 road trip that begin with a loss in Syracuse. They then swept two-game sets in Bridgeport and Manitoba to carry a four-game winning streak into tonight's game.
 
Belleville is in fifth place in the North Division with 26 points and an 11-4-0-4 record. They are 1-3-0-1 against the Crunch and 10-1-0-3 (0.821) against all other opponents this season.
 
Captain Garrett Pilon leads the Senators in scoring with 16 points (2g, 4a) in 19 games. He's done a lot of his damage this season against the Crunch; he had a team-leading seven points (1g, 6a) in the five head-to-head matches.
 
Goaltender Leevi Merilainen returned from injury for a pair of starts during their five-game road trip. His first start back was a 28-save shutout at Bridgeport. Merilainen is 6-1-2/2.23/.910 in 10 games this season. His only regulation loss came in relief against the Crunch on Oct. 20. 
 
TEASDALE INKS AHL DEAL  
 
Forward Joel Teasdale had a successful tryout and signed an AHL contract with the Crunch for the remainder of the 2024-25 season.
 
Teasdale signed a professional try-out contract with the Crunch prior to the season. He has appeared in all 22 Crunch games this season, compiling nine points (3g, 6a). 
 
Teasdale has skated in 215 career AHL games with Laval, Iowa and Syracuse, adding 106 points (56g, 50a). He has two games of AHL experience with the Montreal Canadiens.
 
DUKE'S SUCCESSFUL HOMECOMING  
 
Dylan Duke returned home to Cleveland and lit up the scoreboard to the tune of five points (2g, 3a) in two games. A native of Strongsville — a Cleveland suburb — Duke recorded his second three-point game of the season Friday with one goal and two assists. He scored another goal and an assist for an encore on Saturday; it's the second time he has had five points in a two-game span this season (Oct. 20-25).
 
The rookie has retaken the team lead in goals with nine and he is tied for second on the Crunch in scoring with 17 points in 22 games. 
 
SZTURC HAS THE HOT HAND   
 
Rookie forward Gabriel Szturc notched a point in all three games last week to help the Crunch earn four standings points. After an assist in Wednesday's overtime loss to the Rocket, Szturc surged in Cleveland with three goals over two games. He potted a pair of goals on Friday and then followed up with another marker on Saturday.
 
Szturc's goal on Friday marked his first professional goal; he is one of six Crunch players to score his first North American pro goal this season. Szturc, 21, also ended up with the seventh multi-goal game by a Crunch skater this season. He ranks fourth on the Crunch with 12 points (3g, 9a) in 22 games this season.