CRUNCH CAP HOLIDAY SERIES IN LAVAL
 
The Syracuse Crunch and Laval Rocket meet for the second consecutive day this afternoon at Place Bell.
 
The Rocket overcame a 2-0 deficit to prevail in a shootout, 4-3, yesterday. The Crunch are 1-0-0-1 in two previous matches in Laval this season.
 
BROADCAST COVERAGE
 
Countdown to Crunch Time at 2:45 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
 
Both teams rallied from behind in a 4-3 Rocket shootout win over the Crunch yesterday at Place Bell.
 
The Crunch had a 2-0 lead deep into the second period. Ethan Gauthier opened the scoring with an unassisted goal in the first period. Conor Geekie made it 2-0 with a breakaway goal 20 seconds into the second frame. The Rocket got on the board with one second remaining in the second period on a point shot by William Trudeau.
 
The Rocket scored twice early in the third to take a 3-2 lead. Syracuse responded to tie the game at 13:22 of the third. Wojciech Stachowiak got the equalizer off a rebound following a long battle for possession along the left wall.
 
The teams combined for 10 shots in overtime, but the game ended up in a shootout. The Crunch scored on their first two attempts but were denied on their last two chances. Laval scored on its final three shots to take the shootout, 3-2, and win the game 4-3. 
 
GAUTHIER GETS ANOTHER
 
Rookie Ethan Gauthier tallied his second goal in his last four games to open the scoring in yesterday's game. The unassisted goal gives Gauthier four points (2g, 2a) in the last four games. 
 
The 20-year-old was born in Arizona while his dad was playing for the Phoenix Coyotes, but he grew up in the Province of Quebec. He played junior hockey in the QMJHL for Sherbrooke and Drummondville. Gauthier was selected by the Lightning in the second round of the 2023 NHL Draft. He has six points (2g, 4a) in 17 games this season.
 
SCOUTING THE ROCKET
 
The Rocket snapped their three-game losing streak with their shootout win yesterday. They improved to 2-1 in games requiring a shootout and 3-1 in any game that has gone to overtime. The Rocket took over sole possession of first place in the North Division with 37 points (18-10-0-1), which is one point ahead of the Crunch.
 
Laurent Dauphin extended his scoring streak to a league-high 13 games. He is in a three-way tie for the AHL scoring lead with 32 points (10g, 22a). Laval's losing streak coincided with three-game suspensions for Dauphin, Alex Belzile and Joshua Roy; all three returned ahead of yesterday's game.
 
Kaapo Kahkonen made 33 saves yesterday to improve to 8-2-1 in 12 appearances this season for the Rocket. He is slated to start again this afternoon. 
 
A HOLIDAY TRADITION
 
This weekend will mark the fourth straight year that the Crunch and Rocket play a two-game set at Place Bell between Christmas and New Year's Eve.
 
The three previous sets have ended in sweeps. The Rocket won both games in 2022 and in 2023, but the Crunch earned two wins in last year's series. Yesterday was the first game in the holiday series that required overtime.
 
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 this weekend.
 
The Crunch have opened the stretch with a 2-1-0-1 record. They are 10-7-1-1 on the road this season. Today marks their 20th road game, the most played by any team in the AHL this season.