CRUNCH AIM TO SNAP SKID 
 
The Crunch finish off their three-game homestand as they wrap up their season series against the Cleveland Monsters tonight at Upstate Medical University Arena.
 
Syracuse lost last night to the Bridgeport Islanders for its third straight regulation loss. Cleveland last played Thursday and earned a 3-1 win over Chicago.
 
The Monsters have won two of the first three games of the season series, including a 5-2 win in Syracuse on Nov. 9
 
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 pumped a season-high 45 shots on goal, but scored only two goals in a 5-2 loss to the Bridgeport Islanders last night.
 
The Islanders caught the Crunch on a counterattack and William Dufour slipped a shot past Matt Tomkins at 2:12 of the opening period for a 1-0 lead.
 
Things slipped away in the second for the Crunch, who were outscored 3-1 in the frame. Chris Terry scored twice and added an assist to stretch the Islanders lead to 4-0 before the Crunch finally broke through on a second chance from Tristan Allard.
 
The Crunch netted a power-play goal early in the third period — Jujhar Khaira steered home a feed from Gage Goncalves — which made it 4-2. Syracuse continued to pressure and fired 18 shots in the third, but Jakub Skarek held the Crunch in check before Bridgeport added an empty-net goal at 17:21.
 
SCOUTING THE CRUNCH
 
The Crunch have lost three straight games in regulation for the first time all season. They've been outscored 12-3 in the three games, and twice they've allowed five goals in a game. They only lost three straight games in regulation one time last season (Dec. 9-13).
 
Syracuse enters tonight with a 17-14-5-4 record. The Crunch are in fifth place in the North Division with 43 points. They are 7-6-3-4 at Upstate Medical University Arena this season.
 
Tristan Allard scored the Crunch's first goal last night. It marked his third goal of the season and was his first since Nov. 27.
 
KHAIRA LACES UP FOR 500TH GAME
 
Forward Jujhar Khaira is set to play in his 500th professional game tonight. The veteran missed the first 33 games of the season due to injury before making his Crunch debut on Jan. 10. 
 
A 2012 third round pick by the Edmonton Oilers, Khaira played in the NHL for the Oilers, Chicago Blackhawks and Minnesota Wild. He was limited to 23 total games in 2023-24 with Minnesota and AHL-Iowa due to injury. He collected 18 points (5g, 13a) in his 22 AHL contests for the Wild.
 
Khaira has five points (3g, 2a) in seven Crunch games this season. In 162 career AHL games with Syracuse, Iowa, Bakersfield and Oklahoma City, Khaira has 80 points (30g, 50a). He also has 80 points (33g, 47a) in 337 NHL games for Edmonton, Chicago and Minnesota.
 
SCOUTING THE MONSTERS
 
The Monsters (23-12-2-3) bounced back on Thursday with a strong 3-1 win against Chicago, following a high scoring 6-5 overtime loss the night before. It was a balanced attack with a goal in each period for the Monsters. Goalie Zach Sawchenko made 28 saves on 29 shots in the win. It was the fourth time Cleveland has allowed one goal or fewer in nine January games.
 
Forward Luca Del Bel Belluz paces the Monsters in scoring with 37 points on the season. The 21-year-old spent nearly all of last season with the Monsters as well, in addition to one game in the NHL with the Blue Jackets. He is currently on recall with Columbus and has six points in eight NHL games. He was leading the AHL in scoring at the time of his recall (Jan. 8). 
 
Cleveland's offense has been clicking over the last week. The Monsters have netted 14 goals in the last four games, but have only come away with one regulation win. Hunter McKown has been a huge part of that, with goals in each of the previous three games coming into tonight. He has five goals in that span.
 
HEAD-TO-HEAD
 
The Crunch and Monsters finish their four-game season series tonight. The Monsters (2-0-0-1) have won two of the first three meetings; they split a pair of overtime games in Cleveland in December after the Monsters snagged a regulation win in Syracuse on Nov. 9.
 
Luca Del Bel Belluz — currently recalled to Columbus — leads all scorers with seven points. He scored a goal in all three games, and netted a pair in each of the last two meetings. Joseph LaBate (2g, 2a) and James Malatesta (1g, 3a) lead active Monsters with four points against the Crunch. 
 
Dylan Duke leads the Crunch with five points in the series. The Cleveland area native scored all five during the two-game set at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
 
The Monsters have won the special teams battle in the series. They are 4-for-9 (44.4%) on the power play, while the Crunch are only 1-for-7 (14.3%).
 
LIGHTNING ACQUIRE RYDER KORCZAK
 
The Tampa Bay Lightning acquired Ryder Korczak from the New York Rangers in exchange for Lucas Edmonds. Korczak was loaned to the Crunch earlier today and will wear jersey number 38 for Syracuse.
 
Korczak, 22, has skated in 107 career AHL games — all with the Hartford Wolf Pack — since 2022-23. He has earned 31 points (12g, 19a) in that span. He was selected with the 75th pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft by the Rangers.
 
Edmonds was in his third season with the Crunch. He collected 48 points (25g, 23a) in 120 games for the Crunch. He was loaned to the Wolf Pack by the Rangers.