CRUNCH GO FOR REBOUND IN CLEVELAND
 
The Syracuse Crunch rematch the Cleveland Monsters in a matinee contest at Rocket Arena.
 
Cleveland scored four unanswered goals in the third period to rally for a 4-1 win over the Crunch on Thursday. That was the first game of the four-game series between the teams this season.
 
BROADCAST COVERAGE
 
Countdown to Crunch Time at 12:15 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 Monsters snapped their three-game losing skid with a 4-1 win over the Crunch on Thursday night at Rocket Arena.
 
Syracuse grabbed the first goal with a power-play strike in the second period. Gabriel Szturc pumped home his own rebound to give the Crunch the lead at 4:28 of the second period. That lead held until the third period when the Monsters scored four times.
 
Luca Pinelli tied the game with an unassisted goal at 6:35. That started a string of three goals in four and a half minutes that flipped the game. The Monsters added an empty-net goal late to make it 4-1 and earn their first win this season when allowing the first goal (1-5-2-0).
 
CARLILE REJOINS THE SQUAD
 
Defenseman Declan Carlile was returned on loan to the Crunch from the Tampa Bay Lightning yesterday. The fourth-year-pro had his longest stint in the NHL to date, skating in nine games for the Lightning and adding one goal. He has appeared in 13 career NHL games for Tampa Bay.
 
Carlile, 25, returns to the Crunch where he serves as an assistant captain. Despite missing six Crunch games while on recall to Tampa Bay, Carlile continues to lead Crunch defensemen in scoring with 10 points (2g, 8a) in 15 games. 
 
SCOUTING THE MONSTERS
 
The Monsters earned their third comeback win of the season — and their first when trailing after two periods — Thursday against the Crunch. That snapped a three-game skid and got the Monsters back to 0.500 on the season with a 7-7-3-1 record. It was only their second win this season on home ice (2-5-2-1).
 
Luca Pinelli returned from Columbus and keyed the comeback with one goal and one assist in the third period. The 20-year-old has 12 points (6g, 6a) in 14 games this season for the Monsters. The rookie had been on emergency recall to Columbus, where he appeared in his first three career NHL games. 
 
Zach Sawchenko stopped 23-of-24 to earn to win for the Monsters, who were finishing a back-to-back set. He is 3-1-2 this season while serving primarily as a backup to Ivan Fedotov, who was acquired in a trade during the offseason. Fedotov is 4-6-2 in 12 starts for the Monsters this season. 
 
THE OHIO KIDS
 
The week's trip to Cleveland is a homecoming of sorts for Ohio natives Dylan Duke and Brendan Furry. Duke grew up in a Cleveland suburb — Strongsville — which is home to the Monsters' practice rink. He skated on that rink growing up and took part in intermission shootouts during Monsters game. In his first return to Cleveland last season, Duke posted five points (2g, 3a) in two games.
 
Furry hails from Toledo, which is less than two hours west of Cleveland. Furry has one assist in eight career games played against the Monsters. It came in Cleveland on Jan. 19, 2024, while he was playing for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. 
 
HOME AWAY FROM HOME
 
Forward Gabriel Szturc has made Rocket Arena a second home. The second-year-pro scored the only Crunch goal on Thursday night, and he has scored at least one goal in all three of his games played in Cleveland.
 
It was exactly one year ago today that Szturc scored his first career AHL goal in the Crunch's overtime loss to the Monsters. He scored twice that night, and then he added another tally the next day in a Crunch shootout victory.