CRUNCH CAP ROAD TRIP IN ALLENTOWN
The Crunch wrap up their four-game, four-city road trip tonight against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms at the PPL Center.
The Crunch are 2-0-1-0 so far on the road trip, which
ends tonight with their fourth game in eight days.
The Phantoms won the first game of the four-game series with the Crunch. They earned an overtime win in Syracuse on Jan. 4.
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 scored the final four goals and hammered the Rochester Americans, 5-1, last night at Blue Cross Arena.
The teams traded goals in the first period.
Jack Finley netted his fifth of the season — and his second in as many games — to give the Crunch
at 1-0 lead. That was answered by a shorthanded goal from Josh Dunne later in the frame.
From there the Crunch seized control and rattled off the final four goals. The Crunch finished the game 0-for-4 on the power play, but they deposited two goals moments after their man advantages ended to take a 3-1 lead.
Dylan Duke scored his team-leading 14th goal for the eventual game-winning goal and
Conor Sheary added his 12th in the second period.
Logan Brown scored twice in the third as the Crunch pulled away for their third win (3-3-1-1) against Rochester this season.
SCOUTING THE CRUNCH
The Crunch kept their scoring touch going with five goals last night in their 5-1 win in Rochester. They have scored 14 goals during the last three games — all during this road trip — and they have logged a 2-0-1-0 record.
Syracuse continues to hold fifth place in the North Division with 51 points and a 20-16-7-4 record. The Crunch lead the Belleville Senators by five points, but the Sens have played five fewer games.
Dylan Duke netted his first goal since returning from his first career NHL recall last weekend. The rookie scored his first career NHL goal in his NHL debut last Saturday at Detroit. His two-game stint with the Bolts concluded Sunday in Montreal before the NHL's in-season break began for the internation Four-Nations Face Off. Duke's goal last night was his 14th goal of the season and his third game-winner, both of which lead the Crunch.
FINLEY KEEPS THE HOT HAND
Jack Finley opened the scoring in the first period for his second goal in as many games. He helped the Crunch's comeback effort with a third-period goal Wednesday in Toronto.
Finley has three goals in the last four games, and he has six points (3g, 3a) during an active four-game scoring streak. He logged his first career three-point game on Wednesday.
His four-game scoring streak is one game shy of his career-high set last year (March 29-April 10, 2024). Finley has 12 points (5g, 7a) in 20 games this season.
YLONEN, BROWN BACK WITH A VENGEANCE
After not playing in Wednesday's overtime loss in Toronto, forward
Jesse Ylonen returned to the lineup and earned three assists in the Crunch's 5-1 win against the Americans. It marked the third three-point game of the season, and the eighth of his AHL career.
Ylonen, who had just two points in the previous 10 games, ranks third on the Crunch with 25 points (8g, 17a) in 46 games.
Two of his assists came in the third period on
Logan Brown goals. It marked Brown's second career two-goal game in the AHL and his first since he was skating for Belleville on Oct. 12, 2019 vs. Binghamton.
Brown missed the previous three games out of the All-Star Break due to injury. He has 16 points (7g, 9a) in 21 games this season.
SHEARY STRIKES AGAIN
Conor Sheary scored what turned into an insurance goal late in the second period last night. The veteran has scored goals in three of the last four games and he has a point in all four games since the All-Star Break, matching his longest scoring streak of the season.
Sheary has logged six points (3g, 3a) during the streak and he ranks second on the Crunch in goals (12) and points (30).
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
The Crunch have earned a point in all three games so far during their four-game road trip. They have posted a 2-0-1-0 record earning wins over Hershey and Rochester and dropping an overtime decision to Toronto.
The Crunch conclude the road trip tonight against the Phantoms. Syracuse hopes to earn a point in all four games of the trip. The Crunch last played four consecutive road games and earned a point in each game from March 19-April 2, 2021 when they won four in a row against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Rochester.
Syracuse has been a better road team (12-9-3-0) than a home team (
8-7-4-4) this season.
SCOUTING THE PHANTOMS
The Phantoms enter tonight's match fresh off a 3-2 shootout win on the road against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. It was the Phantoms' league-leading 17th overtime game played this season and they improved to 11-6 (0.647) in those contests. Their overtime prowess has helped them move to fifth place in the Atlantic Division with 52 points (23-18-5-1).
Leading scorer Samu Tuomaala scored a goal in their win last night. He tops the Phantoms with 31 points (11g, 20a) in 42 games. Leading goal scorer Jacob Gaucher also struck for the Phantoms. He paces the club with 15 goals and he ranks second with 29 points.
Parker Gahagen made 30 saves to improve to 8-1-1 in 12 appearances this season. He holds a 2.44 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage with the Phantoms. He's won seven straight starts, including a win over the Crunch last month.
