CRUNCH BATTLE BEARS IN SYRACUSE
 
The Crunch begin a two-game homestand tonight against the Hershey Bears at Upstate Medical University Arena.
 
It's the second of four games in the head-to-head series. The Bears won in Syracuse, 5-4, in a shootout on Nov. 23. The final two matches will take place in Hershey on Feb. 8 and April 16.
 
BROADCAST COVERAGE
 
Streaming: Pay-to-watch video via AHLTV on FloHockey | www.syracusecrunch.com/watch
Television: CNY Central — CW6 beginning at 7 p.m.
Radio: ESPN Radio Syracuse | www.espncny.com beginning at 6:45 p.m.
 
LAST TIME OUT
 
The Crunch were upended by the Belleville Senators, 2-1, at CAA Arena Wednesday night, snapping their four-game point streak.
 
All three goals came in the second period. The Crunch struck first at 1:29 when Niko Huuhtanen rushed up ice and set up Jesse Ylonen for a left circle one-timer and a 1-0 lead.
 
Belleville scored twice in just over five minutes to tie and then take the lead. Donovan Sebrango tied the game at 9:24 with a wrist shot that got past the left arm of Brandon Halverson. Stephen Halliday put the Sens up 2-1 with a backhand rebound at 14:56.
 
The Crunch were limited to only four shots in the third period and were outshot, 21-16, for the game. It was their first regulation loss when scoring the first goal this season (5-1-1-2).
 
SCOUTING THE CRUNCH
 
The Crunch had their four-game point streak snapped on Wednesday against the Senators. Syracuse slipped back to 9-8-3-3 this season and the team ranks sixth in the North Division with 24 points.
 
Tonight is the first of two straight home games for the Crunch. They are the final two home contests of the calendar year. The Crunch are 4-3-1-3 at home so far this season.
 
Forward Niko Huuhtanen extended his scoring streak to five games with an assist on the Crunch's only goal Wednesday night. The Finnish forward has six points (1g, 5a) during the streak, which is the longest by a Crunch player this season. Since Nov. 22, Huuhtanen has earned at least one point in eight of his nine games played; he is tied for fifth in the league with 11 points (4g, 7a) in that span. He has 18 points (8g, 10a) in 23 games this season to rank second on the Crunch.
 
THE THINNEST MARGIN
 
The Crunch's 2-1 loss in Belleville on Wednesday was the team's fifth straight game decided by one goal. The Crunch have played 13 one-goal games through their first 23 games this season (57%).
 
Syracuse is 3-4-3-3 in those situations this season for a 0.462 points percentage. The Crunch are 2-1-1-3 at home and 1-3-2-0 on the road.
 
Tonight's opponent — Hershey — has played a league-high 16 one-goal contests this season. The Bears have delivered in the close games to the tune of an 11-2-3-0 record for a 0.781 points percentage. They are 7-0-2-0 on the road in those contests, including a 5-4 shootout win in Syracuse on Nov. 23.
 
SCOUTING THE BEARS
 
Hershey (17-6-3-0) enters Friday's contest in first place in the Atlantic Division. The Bears hold a 10-point lead over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Hershey suffered its first regulation road loss of the season on Wednesday in a 3-0 shutout against Hartford. The defeat ended a franchise-record 12-game road point streak (10-0-2-0), which topped a 10-game effort back in the 2005-06 season. It was their first shutout loss of the season.
 
Bears winger Ethen Frank (18g, 7a) leads the AHL with 18 goals on the season. Those scores are more than double any other Hershey skater. The Denver native posted a goal and an assist in Syracuse last month. Although Frank went pointless for just the ninth time in Wednesday's loss, the 26-year-old scored two goals in Saturday's win over Lehigh Valley. Frank's career-high is 30 goals which he recorded two years ago.
 
The back-to-back defending Calder Cup champions could be in line to start goaltender Clay Stevenson (3-2-2/3.25/.880) for the eighth time this year after Hunter Shepard (13-4-1/2.66/.900) took the loss Wednesday in Hartford. The 25-year-old recorded his third win of the season with 21 saves in a win last weekend at Lehigh Valley. Stevenson faced the Crunch last March, posting 15 saves in a 4-1 win.
 
DUMONT POISED FOR SEASON DEBUT  
 
Crunch captain Gabriel Dumont is set to return to the lineup for the first time since suffering a season-ending knee injury on March 6 in Laval. At the time, Dumont was tied for third on the Crunch with 28 points and was tied for first on the team with 14 goals, including six power-play goals.
 
The 34-year-old has skated in 731 career AHL games since turning pro in 2010-11. He has appeared in games for Hamilton, St. John's, Iowa and Syracuse, totaling 452 points (199g, 253a).
 
Dumont is in his fifth season as Crunch captain (18-19, 2021-25), making him the longest serving captain in team history. Overall, Dumont ranks eighth in Crunch history with 274 games played, seventh in total points (203) and fifth in goals (87).
 
SANTINI MAKES LIGHTNING DEBUT   
 
Defenseman Steven Santini was recalled to the Tampa Bay Lightning earlier this week and made his Lightning debut in last night's win at Calgary. The veteran played 11:37 in 18 shifts and recorded one shot on goal in an 8-3 victory.
 
Santini signed as a free agent with the Lightning on July 1, 2024. He has skated in 124 career NHL games with New Jersey, Nashville, St. Louis and Tampa Bay.
 
The 29-year-old has skated in 14 games this season with the Crunch, logging five points (2g, 3a). Santini is the 93rd player to skate for both the Crunch and Lightning during the affiliation.