CRUNCH RUMBLE WITH THE ROCKET

The Crunch host the Laval Rocket tonight at Upstate Medical University Arena in the first of three home games in December for the Crunch.
 
It's the fourth game of the eight-game season series between the clubs. The Rocket have won the first three; the most recent match was decided in a shootout (Nov. 15).
 
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 stymied in a four-round shootout and lost to the Rochester Americans, 3-2, Saturday at Upstate Medical University Arena.
 
The Crunch raced out to a 1-0 lead just 2:43 into the first period. Niko Huuhtanen rushed into the offensive zone and uncorked a blast from the right circle for his team-leading eighth goal of the season. It was the Crunch's fastest goal scored to begin a game on home ice this season.
 
They doubled the lead at 2:52 of the second period when Jesse Ylonen deposited a rebound over a sprawled out Devon Levi.
 
The Amerks controlled play the rest of the game, and scored twice in 2:26 to pull even. Isak Rosen tipped home the first at 5:12 of the second period and then Kale Clague hammered a power-play goal at 7:38. 
 
After a goalless third period and overtime, the teams went to a shootout. Viktor Neuvchev tallied in the fourth round to give Rochester the win. The Crunch were outshot, 47-15, in the game.
 
SCOUTING THE CRUNCH

Syracuse enters tonight's contest with an 8-7-1-3 record and 20 points on the season, enough for sixth place in the North Division. Last week was up-and-down for the Crunch: a seven-goal offensive performance (their most in over a calendar year) and win last Wednesday over Belleville, followed by a shutout loss to Rochester Friday, and a shootout loss to the Amerks Saturday.
 
Crunch forward Niko Huuhtanen (8g, 5a) has five points in four games. The winger recorded Syracuse's opening goal in Saturday's affair. That score marks his fourth in the last five contests. The leading goal scorer for the Crunch hasn't posted a point in three matchups against the Rocket this season.
 
Jesse Ylonen led all Crunch players with four points in their three games last week. Ylonen started the week with three assists in Wednesday's 7-1 win over the Belleville Senators. It was his third career three-assist game. Ylonen added his second goal of the season Saturday against the Rochester Americans.
 
Ylonen has 94 career AHL points (36g, 58a), including nine points in 19 games this season 
 
Syracuse goaltender Brandon Halverson is in line for his 11th start tonight. The AHL's leader in goals-against average (1.67) picked up his fifth win of the year last week against Belleville. Halverson has allowed four goals in two games versus Laval this season, including a shootout loss in November.
 
SHOOTOUT SLUMP

After the Crunch won their first shootout of the season on Oct. 12, the team has lost the last three games that have required the skills competition. They've taken place over the last three weekends; Syracuse lost to Laval (Nov. 15), Hershey (Nov. 23) and Rochester (Nov. 30).
 
As a team, Crunch shooters are a combined 1-for-14 (7.1%) in shootout attempts. Jaydon Dureau scored the lone goal on the Crunch's second attempt of the season, which held up as the shootout winner. The team is 0-for-12 since Dureau's goal.
 
Crunch goalies have allowed three goals in 14 attempts over the four games.
 
SCOUTING THE ROCKET

In their final contest of a five-game road trip, the Rocket come into Upstate Medical University Arena with a 13-6-1-0 campaign. Laval has dropped three straight games to fall into second place in the North Division with 27 points.
 
The Rocket have gotten out to a fast start in games lately, but haven't closed them out. In the first period over the weekend, Laval scored twice both Friday and Saturday. However, the Rocket gave up three goals in the third frame each day and blew the pair of contests at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Lehigh Valley, respectively. Laval has a 7-1-0-0 record when it allows the first goal in matchups this season.
 
Rocket forward Jared Davidson (10g, 5a) has been on a tear. The second-year pro has found the back of the net four times in five games, including a score in each of the weekend contests. Davidson is third on Laval in points, trailing Joshua Roy (8g, 8a) and former Crunch forward Alex Barré-Boulet (6g, 10a). In the last matchup against Syracuse in mid-November, Davidson posted two goals and a shootout score to earn the first star of Laval's 4-3 road win. 
 
HEAD-TO-HEAD  

The Crunch and Rocket square off for the fourth game of their eight-game season series. Three of the Crunch's 10 games in December are against the Rocket; the teams have a two-game slate on the docket Dec. 27-28 at Place Bell in Laval.
 
The Rocket have won the first three games of the series. The swept a two-game series in Laval Oct. 18-19 and then won a shootout in Syracuse on Nov. 15.
 
Former Laval skaters Tobie Bisson (1g, 1a) and Jesse Ylonen (2a) top the Crunch in scoring with two points against the Rocket. The Rocket are paced by former Crunch forward Alex Barré-Boulet's four points (2g, 2a); all four points came in the team's first meeting on Oct. 18.
 
The Rocket have controlled the special teams battle. They are 3-for-15 (20.0%) on the power play and a perfect 14-for-14 on the penalty kill.