CRUNCH READY FOR REBOUND PERFORMANCE
 
The Crunch hit the ice looking to bounce back from their most lopsided setback since early November as they face the Toronto Marlies tonight at Upstate Medical University Arena.
 
It's the second game of the six-game season series between the clubs. The Crunch won, 2-0, last week in Toronto.
 
Syracuse's 5-1 loss in Utica on Wednesday was tied for its largest defeat of the season (also Nov. 2 vs. Belleville).
 
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 fell behind early and couldn't recover in a 5-1 defeat against the Utica Comets at the Adirondack Bank Center two nights ago.
 
The Comets scored twice in the opening five minutes of the game and never looked back. Mike Hardman made it 1-0 with a redirect in the low slot at 1:31. Shane Bowers banged home a rebound at 4:17 to make it 2-0.
 
Syracuse potted one at 13:19 of the first period to get within 2-1. Dylan Duke muscled a puck toward the goal and Logan Brown scored to cut the deficit. Duke was injured on the sequence and did not return to the game.
 
It stayed 2-1 into the third period before the Comets scored twice in two minutes at 4:43 and 6:48 to stretch the lead. A late goal made it 5-1, marking the Crunch's second loss this season by four goals.
 
SCOUTING THE CRUNCH
 
The Crunch suffered their first regulation loss of 2025 on Wednesday in Utica. It snapped their season-high five-game point streak (4-0-1-0) and is only their second regulation loss in the last 10 games (6-2-2-0).
 
Syracuse is 15-10-5-3 this season and sits in fifth place in the North Division with 38 points. Tonight marks the first of three straight home games, which includes tomorrow against Rochester and Wednesday versus Providence, when the Crunch reach the halfway point of the season.
 
Wednesday was the eighth time the Crunch have allowed more than three goals in a game. It was the first time since Dec. 6 (5-4 OTL at Cleveland); Syracuse had allowed 20 goals in the previous 11 games (1.82 goals per game).
 
POULIOT SET FOR 600TH GAME
 
Defenseman Derrick Pouliot is lined up to play his 600th professional game tonight. The veteran leads the Crunch in scoring with 25 points (5g, 20a) in his first season in the organization. 
 
A 2012 first round pick by the Pittsburgh Penguins, Pouliot has skated in 226 NHL games for the Penguins, Vancouver Canucks, St. Louis Blues, Vegas Golden Knights, Seattle Kraken, San Jose Sharks and Dallas Stars. He has also dressed in 373 AHL contests with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, the San Antonio Rampage, Lehigh Valley Phantoms, Henderson Silver Knights, San Jose Barracuda, Texas Stars and the Crunch.
 
The Estevan, Saskatchewan native has accumulated 238 points (50g, 188a) In 373 AHL games. He also has 54 points in 226 NHL games.
 
SCOUTING THE MARLIES
 
The Marlies have stumbled to begin 2025, losing four straight games in regulation for their first four-game skid of the season. Toronto's rut began with a loss to the Crunch on New Year's Day. They then lost twice to Cleveland and again on Wednesday against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, being outscored 15-6 in that span.
 
Toronto has slipped to 17-9-2-3 on the season. The Marlies have 39 points and they are in fourth place in the North Division. They are 6-4-2-1 on the road this season, but they have won three of their last four outside of Toronto.
 
Alex Steeves paces the Marlies and ranks 12th in the AHL with 30 points in 24 games. His 17 goals are tied for fifth in the league and helped earn him a spot at the 2025 AHL All-Star Classic. 
 
Toronto captain Logan Shaw is the Marlies' other All-Star representative. He has 18 points (4g, 14a) in 28 games this season. He missed the previous match against the Crunch while representing Canada at the Spengler Cup in Switzerland.
 
TAKING A BEATING
 
The status of Crunch forward Dylan Duke is uncertain for tonight after he left Wednesday's game with an injury in the first period. To this point, the rookie is one of four Crunch players to appear in all 33 games; the other three are Derrick Pouliot, Jesse Ylonen and Joel Teasdale. 
 
Syracuse has been hampered by a rash of injuries all season. The Crunch have a total of 216 man games missed due to injury or illness through 33 team games.  
 
HALVERSON NAMED AHL ALL-STAR
 
Brandon Halverson was named a 2025 AHL All-Star when the rosters were announced on Wednesday. It is his first career All-Star selection. He is the lone Crunch player named to the North Division roster for the 2025 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Spotlight 29 Casino, hosted by the Coachella Valley Firebirds.
 
Halverson earned his All-Star nod by posting a 10-4-5 record through 19 appearances this season. He leads the league with a 1.77 goals-against average and ranks third with a .934 save percentage. He is also tied for first in the AHL with four shutouts.
 
Halverson was a second round selection by the New York Rangers in the 2014 NHL Draft. He is 35-36-12 with a 2.82 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage in 85 career AHL games played.
 
Last season, the Traverse City, Michigan native started the campaign on an ECHL contract with the Orlando Solar Bears. He signed a PTO with the Crunch on Nov. 7 then turned that tryout into a two-year AHL contract, which carries through the 2024-25 season.