TOP SQUADS COLLIDE IN ROCHESTER
 
The Syracuse Crunch make their second trip of the season to Blue Cross Arena to face the Rochester Americans tonight.
 
The clubs are tied atop the North Division with 14 points, although the Amerks have played one more game than the Crunch. The teams have split two meetings this season with the home team winning both contests.
 
BROADCAST COVERAGE
 
Countdown to Crunch Time at 6:50 p.m.
Streaming: Pay-to-watch video via AHLTV on FloHockey | www.syracusecrunch.com/watch
Radio: ESPN Radio Syracuse | www.espncny.com
 
LAST TIME OUT
 
The Crunch suffered their first home loss of the season in a 7-4 setback to the Belleville Senators Saturday night.
 
Cooper Flinton gave the Crunch a 1-0 lead in the first period, but the Senators scored the next two to close out the first period. They were the first two goals allowed by the Crunch at home all season. 
 
Jakob Pelletier tied the score at two in the second, but the Senators answered with back-to-back tallies over the next three minutes to go up, 4-2. Nick Abruzzese and Boris Katchouk potted goals to get the game level before Belleville rattled off the final three goals — including a pair of empty-net goals — to pull away with the win.
 
GEEKIE ON THE GO
 
Forward Conor Geekie has slotted into the Crunch lineup and grabbed points in all five appearances this season. The 21-year-old has back-to-back multi-point contests to give him seven points (3g, 4a) in five Crunch games. The Strathclair, Manitoba native has logged 27 points (14g, 13a) in 29 AHL games over the last two seasons.
 
Geekie began the season with the Tampa Bay Lightning, adding one assist before being assigned to the Crunch on Oct. 20.
 
PELLETIER'S PRODUCTION
 
Forward Jakob Pelletier was named the Crunch's Toyota Player of the Week after posting three straight multi-point games. He finished the week with a team-high six points (2g, 4a). The 24-year-old has points in five consecutive contests and in all but one game this season. 
 
The Quebec product is Syracuse's current points (13), goals (5), and assists (8) leader. Pelletier is tied for third in the league for points, and is top-10 in both goals and assists. He is nearly a point-per-game player in his AHL career, logging 143 points (56g, 87a) in 148 AHL games for Syracuse, Calgary and Stockton since 2021-22.
 
SCOUTING THE AMERICANS
 
The Americans split their weekend set in Laval and had their five-game winning streak snapped at the hands of the Rocket. The Amerks (7-3-0-0) scored only two goals in both games in Laval after tallying at least four in six of their first eight games of the season.
 
Leading scorer Isak Rosén is on recall with the Buffalo Sabres. He was named the Fortune Tires "Expect More" AHL Player of the Month for October after recording 12 points (5g, 7a) in eight games. Zac Jones is tied with Rosén at 12 points; he has a league-high 10 power-play assists.
 
Devon Levi has started five of the Amerks 10 games played this season, but he has not yet faced the Crunch. He is 5-0-0 with a 1.80 goals-against average and a .933 save percentage, including one shutout.  
 
HEAD-TO-HEAD
 
The Crunch and Amerks have split the first two games of their 12-game series. The home team has won both games, which bucks a trend from the previous five years. In the previous five regular seasons, the Crunch are 21-7-2-0 at Blue Cross Arena while the Amerks are 18-9-2-1 at Upstate Medical University Arena.
 
Nick Abruzzese leads all players with three points (1g, 2a) in the series. Viktor Neuchev leads Rochester skaters with two points (1g, 1a); both came in the Amerks' 4-2 win two weeks ago.