CRUNCH ROLL INTO LAVAL
 
The Crunch take on the Laval Rocket in a midweek showdown tonight at Place Bell.
 
It's the seventh game of the eight-game series between the clubs. The Rocket won the two previous contests in Laval (Dec. 29-30), but the teams have split the six overall meetings this season.
 
LAST TIME OUT
 
The Crunch completed a home-and-home sweep, and improved to 6-0-0-0 against the Toronto Marlies with a 4-2 win at Coca-Cola Coliseum Saturday night. 
 
The Crunch raced out to a quick 2-0 lead in the first period. Gage Goncalves tallied in the opening minute of the game to make it 1-0. After Alex Barré-Boulet and Jack Finley worked to get the puck on goal, Goncalves pounced on the rebound, dragged the puck through the top of the crease and tucked home his eighth goal of the season. They doubled the lead with a power-play goal at 8:27 of the first period. Joe Carroll ripped a one-timer from the right circle and Gabe Fortier banged home the rebound in the slot for a 2-0 lead.
 
The Marlies climbed their way back into the game two minutes later on a tip in front by Kyle Clifford. After a goalless second period, Gabriel Dumont stretched the lead for the Crunch 24 seconds into the third, cashing in on a pass from Waltteri Merelä. Joseph Blandisi scored later in the third period to make it 3-2, but Cole Koepke iced the game with an empty-net goal for a 4-2 Crunch win. 
 
Syracuse went 4-0-0-0 this season in Toronto.
 
SCOUTING THE CRUNCH
 
The Crunch have rebounded from back-to-back losses with their fifth winning streak of at least three games. Their three wins last week pushed the Crunch to 31-17-3-2. With 67 points the Crunch are positioned in second place in the North Division.
 
Syracuse has been particularly effective on the road. Since the start of January the Crunch have posted an 8-2-0-0 road record, and they ride a four-game road winning streak in Laval, where they haven't won in the regular season since March 13, 2019.
 
Syracuse continues an 11-game stretch against North Division foes. They are 23-13-3-2 against divisional opponents. After tonight 12 of their final 18 games will be against divisional opponents.
 
SCOUTING THE ROCKET
 
The Rocket have been a streaky team in 2023-24. After starting the season 5-12-3-2, they turned their season around with a 9-0-1-0 run in January. But after a loss to the Crunch ended that streak, the Rocket have just five wins in the last 16 games (5-10-1-0) to sink to last place in the North Division with 23-24-5-2 record. They are four points out of a playoff position.
 
Brandon Gignac continues to lead the Rocket in scoring with 43 points (14g, 29a) in 48 games. That is despite a several week recall to Montreal. In five games since returning from the Canadiens, Gignac has only one assist.
 
Jakub Dobeš has been Laval's workhorse in net. He has a 16-13-5 record while playing in 37 games, which is tied for second in the AHL. He has appeared in seven straight games for the Rocket.
 
HEAD-TO-HEAD
 
The teams have split the first six games of the season series. The Crunch won three of the four matches in Syracuse while the Rocket have earned wins in the first two games in Laval. They conclude the series April 5 at Place Bell.
 
Felix Robert and Gage Goncalves are tied for the series lead with seven points apiece. Both players have scored three goals in the first six games. Three skaters have posted five points for Laval.
 
Jakub Dobeš has started four of the six games for the Rocket, logging a 2-1-1/2.22/.922 mark in the series.
 
DUMONT DELIVERS AGAIN  
 
Gabriel Dumont scored a goal in all three games, totaling four tallies, to lead the Crunch in Week 21. The captain delivered a go-ahead marker at 8:33 of the third period for the eventual game-winning goal Wednesday at Rochester. That began a trend for Dumont, who scored twice, including another go-ahead, game-winning goal Friday against the Marlies. He completed the week with what turned into a third game-winning tally in the opening minute of the third period Saturday at Toronto.
 
Dumont became the first Crunch player to notch the game-winning goal in three consecutive games since Kyle Palmieri did so March 18-20, 2011. In the process, Dumont has now tied Mark Hartigan for the most game-winning goals in franchise history (18). He also moved into fifth place in franchise history for goals (87), while also becoming the seventh player in Crunch history with 200 points.
 
Dumont is tied for the team lead with 14 goals, giving him 199 in his AHL career. 
 
CRUNCH ACQUIRE FEIST FROM CHICAGO 
 
The Crunch acquired defenseman Tyson Feist from the Chicago Wolves in exchange for future considerations. Feist, 23, has skated in 22 games for the Wolves this season, adding one goal and five assists. He also dressed in two games for the ECHL's Orlando Solar Bears. 
 
The Dawson Creek, British Columbia native split last season between Syracuse and Orlando, skating in six games for the Crunch.
 
GONCALVES BREAKS THROUGH 
 
Forward Gage Goncalves scored his first goal of 2024 in the Crunch's weekend finale victory in Toronto on Saturday. The marker, which opened the scoring in the game, was his eighth goal of the campaign and was his first since Dec. 29 at Laval.
 
Goncalves was held without a goal for 20 games, but he was still piling up the points for the Crunch. He notched 14 assists in the 20 games to maintain his position as the Crunch's leading scorer. The third-year-pro has 43 points (8g, 35a) in 51 games this season.