CRUNCH LOOK TO EXTEND STREAK INTO BREAK
 
The Syracuse Crunch face off against the Providence Bruins at Amica Mutual Pavilion in the final game before the Christmas Break.
 
The Crunch have won four straight games, including the first two games of their season-high six-game road trip. Tonight is the first of two meetings between the Crunch and Bruins this season.
 
BROADCAST COVERAGE

Countdown to Crunch Time at 6:45 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 secured a 5-3 road win over the Hartford Wolf Pack last night at PeoplesBank Arena.
 
Goals from Brendan Furry and Mitchell Chaffee gave Syracuse a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes. Hartford briefly tied the game at 2-2 in the second, but it was even for just 17 seconds before Lucas Mercuri tallied on a partial breakaway at 17:32, sending the Crunch into the second intermission with a 3-2 lead.
 
Scott Sabourin scored a nifty between-the-legs goal early in the third to make it 4-2 Syracuse. The Wolf Pack pulled within one with 2:30 remaining, but Dylan Duke sealed the win with an empty-net goal with eight seconds left. The Crunch outshot Hartford 30-17.
 
Syracuse has won four straight and has outscored opponents 20-6 over its last four games.
 
COMING UP CLUTCH
 
Veteran forward Scott Sabourin made it goals in two straight games since his return from an NHL recall with Tampa Bay. His highlight-reel breakaway goal gave the Crunch a 4-2 lead early in the third period.
 
The tally held up as the game-winning goal and was his second game-winning strike in two games. He has a team-leading four game-winning goals this season and six goals in total for the Crunch. His four winners are a new career-high for the 33-year-old who has 18 career AHL game-winning goals. 
 
SCOUTING THE BRUINS
 
Providence (19-5-1-0) sits in second place in the Atlantic Division and owns the second-best record in the Eastern Conference. The Bruins enter tonight's game at Amica Mutual Pavilion well-rested. They haven't played since losing, 2-1, in overtime to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last Saturday. Providence lost just three games in October and November but has since cooled off, already dropping three games this month.
 
Forwards Patrick Brown and Fabian Lysell have spearheaded Providence's offense. Brown leads the team and ranks seventh in the AHL with 27 points (10 goals, 17 assists), while Lysell has scored a team-best 11 goals.
 
Defensively, the Bruins give up just 2.12 goals per game — the best mark in the Eastern Conference. Goaltenders Michael DiPietro (.933 save percentage, 1.97 goals-against average) and Simon Zajicek (.932 save percentage, 2.02 goals-against average) are both top five in the AHL in save percentage and goals-against average.
 
MERCURI, FURRY EXTEND STREAKS
 
Forwards Lucas Mercuri and Brendan Furry extended their personal scoring streaks last night. Mercuri scored a pivotal goal to give the Crunch a 3-2 lead 17 seconds after Hartford tied the game at two. It stretched Mercuri's goal streak to a career-high three games. He added an assist later in the game for his first career multi-point performance.
 
Furry pushed his point streak to four straight games with the opening goal last night. He has four points (2g, 2a) during what is a new career-high streak. He has played to a plus-4 rating in that span. 
 
RACKING UP THE MILES
 
The Crunch continue a stretch of six straight road games, which is the longest of the season for the team. The games will take place in five different cities with the lone two-game stay in one city taking place in Laval following the Christmas Break.
 
The Crunch have opened the stretch with two straight wins. They are 10-6-1-0 on the road this season, including a 4-2-0-0 road record versus Atlantic Division foes.
 
PELLETIER, FINLEY RECALLED
 
Forward Jack Finley had his conditioning loan with the Crunch terminated and Jakob Pelletier was recalled by the Tampa Bay Lightning prior to the Crunch's game last night in Hartford.
 
Finley played three games during his conditioning stint and added three points (1g, 2a). Pelletier led the Crunch in scoring with 31 points (15g, 16a) and was named the AHL's Player of the Week last week.
 
Last night was the third game Pelletier has missed this season due to recall; it was the Crunch's first win in those games.