CRUNCH REBOUND WITH TWO WINS

The Syracuse Crunch won back-to-back games in Week 7 to win consecutive games for the first time in November.
 
The Crunch returned to the win column with a 3-2 triumph over the Laval Rocket Wednesday at Place Bell. Tommy Miller scored the game-winning goal with less than two minutes remaining in the third period. Syracuse followed that up with a 5-3 win at home Saturday against the Bridgeport Islanders.
 
The team improved to 11-6-0-0 on the season, putting the Crunch in a tie for second place in the North Division with 22 points. They play three games against their New York State rivals surrounding Thanksgiving this week.
 
TOP PERFORMERS
 
Nick Abruzzese led the Crunch with five points in two games in Week 7. The 26-year-old matched a career high with three assists in the Crunch's win Wednesday in Laval. It marked only his second three-assist game (also Nov. 11, 2023, at Grand Rapids) and his seventh three-point contest.
 
As an encore, Abruzzese recorded a multi-point effort Saturday against the Bridgeport Islanders. He nabbed an assist in the second period and then tallied a go-ahead goal in the third. That held up as his first game-winning goal of the season, and it was the 12th of his AHL career. He has 16 points (5g, 11a) in 17 games during his first season with the organization.
 
***
 
Mitchell Chaffee topped the Crunch with three goals, and he finished with four points, in Week 7. The 27-year-old potted a pair of power-play goals Wednesday in Laval. He added a helper on the power play Saturday before scoring an empty-net goal to seal a 5-3 win over the Islanders.
 
The Rockford, Michigan native has nine points (4g, 5a) in nine games for the Crunch this season to give him 98 in his 132-game AHL career. He has points in seven straight games, which is the longest by any Crunch player this season.
 
ROSTER RECONSTRUCTION
 
The Crunch roster continues to be impacted due to injuries for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Defenseman Max Groshev earned his first career NHL recall yesterday. The converted forward has six points and a team-high plus-8 rating in 17 games this season, which is his first as a full-time defenseman. 
 
He joins Charle-Edouard D'Astous, Steven Santini and Declan Carlile in Tampa Bay, which means four of the Crunch's six defensemen who played on opening night are currently on recall in the NHL.
 
BUNDLES OF BEARS
 
The Crunch held their 15th annual Stanley Steemer Tired Teddy Toss Saturday against the Bridgeport Islanders. Scott Sabourin's goal at 17:16 of the first period sparked the cascade of cuddly critters.
 
The Crunch collected 10,367 stuffed animals, which are now in the process of being cleaned by Stanley Steemer before they are donated to local charities benefiting the Central New York community.
 
UPCOMING WEEK         
          
Wednesday, November 26 at Utica | 7 p.m.
The Crunch begin a three-game week with a Wednesday road test in Utica. The Crunch have won the first three games of the season series and have outscored the Comets, 13-2. 
 
The Crunch hit the quarter pole of the season looking for their third win streak of at least three games. The Comets have gone winless in six straight games (0-4-1-1) and are last in the AHL with seven points (2-10-2-1).
 
Friday, November 28 at Rochester | 7:05 p.m.
The Crunch make their third trip this season to Rochester on Friday to face the Americans. The teams have split their first two games at Blue Cross Arena, and the Crunch hold a 2-1-0-0 record overall in the series.
 
The clubs enter the final week of November tied for second place in the North Division with 22 points.
 
Saturday, November 29 vs. Utica | 7 p.m.
The Crunch close out November with a home contest against the Utica Comets. It's the Crunch's Hockey Fights Cancer night to benefit Upstate Cancer Center. The team will wear Hockey Fights Cancer jerseys, which will be auctioned on the ice after the game.
 
WEEK 7 RESULTS
 
Wednesday, Nov. 19 | Game 16 at Laval | W, 3-2
Syracuse        0 1 2 - 3     Shots: 13-7-7-27           PP: 2/7
Laval              0 1 1 - 2     Shots: 6-11-10-27         PP: 0/1
2nd Period-Chaffee 2 (Abruzzese, Pelletier), 13:12 (PP). 3rd Period-Chaffee 3 (Geekie, Abruzzese), 5:24 (PP). Miller 2 (Abruzzese, Allard), 18:37. . . . Halverson 6-4-0 (27 shots-25 saves) A-8,668
 
Saturday, Nov. 22 | Game 17 vs. Bridgeport | W, 5-3
Bridgeport        1 2 0 - 3               Shots: 7-12-2-21      PP: 1/2
Syracuse            1 2 2 - 5               Shots: 5-10-9-24      PP: 1/3
1st Period-Sabourin 4 (Katchouk, Mercuri), 17:16. 2nd Period-Duke 8 (Chaffee, Pelletier), 9:39 (PP). Pelletier 6 (Pietroniro, Abruzzese), 12:15. 3rd Period-Abruzzese 5 (Pelletier, Geekie), 7:40. Chaffee 4 (Unassisted), 18:50. . . . Halverson 7-4-0 (21 shots-18 saves) A-6,047
 

Category	Average/Total	AHL Rank (Prev)
Power Play	24.7% (19-for-77)	8th (9th)
Penalty Kill	82.1% (46-for-56)	13th (9th)
Goals For	3.41 GFA (58)	T-5th (10th)
Goals Against	2.65 GAA (45)	T-8th (10th)
Shots For	29.24 SF/G (497)	10th (8th)
Shots Against	25.24 SA/G (429)	3rd (3rd)
Penalty Minutes	13.76 PIM/G (234)	14th (11th)

 

Category		Leader
Points	18	Pelletier
Goals	8	Duke
Assists	12	Pelletier
PIM	27	Carlile|Schmidt
Plus/Minus	+8	Groshev
Wins	7	Halverson
GAA	2.18	Fanti
Save %	.916	Fanti

 

North Division	GP	W	L	OTL	SOL	PTS	PCT	GF	GA	PIM	HOME	ROAD	LAST 10	STREAK	S/O
1. Laval	18	12	6	0	0	24	0.667	57	41	313	7-2-0-0	5-4-0-0	7-3-0-0	2-0-0-0	0-0
2. Syracuse	17	11	6	0	0	22	0.647	58	45	234	4-3-0-0	7-3-0-0	5-5-0-0	2-0-0-0	0-0
3. Rochester	19	11	8	0	0	22	0.579	65	61	281	4-3-0-0	7-5-0-0	4-6-0-0	1-0-0-0	0-0
4. Belleville	18	9	7	2	0	20	0.556	58	60	218	3-3-1-0	6-4-1-0	6-3-1-0	0-1-1-0	2-0
5. Toronto	17	8	7	1	1	18	0.529	51	51	183	4-2-0-1	4-5-1-0	5-4-1-0	2-0-0-0	0-1
6. Cleveland	13	5	4	3	1	14	0.538	30	36	177	1-3-2-1	4-1-1-0	3-3-3-1	1-0-0-0	0-1
7. Utica	15	2	10	2	1	7	0.233	26	49	198	2-5-1-1	0-5-1-0	2-6-1-1	0-4-1-1	0-1