CRUNCH BEGIN FOUR-GAME HOMESTAND

The Crunch are home tonight against the Toronto Marlies in the first game of a four-game homestand that carries through next Saturday.
 
It's the fourth game of the head-to-head series between the clubs. The Marlies have won the last two matches after the Crunch took the opener on New Year's Day.
 
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 ended their four-game road trip with a 4-2 loss to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms Saturday at the PPL Center in Allentown.
 
The Phantoms scored first and never trailed. Both teams scored late in the first period. Alexis Gendron capitalized on a turnover at 18:13 to make it 1-0 Phantoms, but Derrick Pouliot struck back with a power-play goal in the final minute of the frame to level the score.
 
Anthony Richard put the Phantoms up 2-1 with a snipe from the left circle in the second period. Gendron scored his second goal of the game at 13:30 of the third to make it 3-1. Gage Goncalves pulled the Crunch within one with over a minute left, but the Phantoms added an empty-net goal to make it a 4-2 final.
 
SCOUTING THE CRUNCH

The Crunch are back in action after nearly a week between games. They went 2-1-1-0 during a four-game road trip during which they outscored opponents 16-10.
 
Syracuse continues to hold fifth place in the North Division with 51 points and a 20-17-7-4 record. Their lead over the Belleville Senators for the final playoff spot is two points, but the Sens have played three fewer games than the Crunch.
 
Derrick Pouliot posted his team-leading 11th multi-point game of the season Saturday in Lehigh Valley. He scored a power-play goal and added an assist and continues to lead the Crunch in scoring with 39 points (7g, 32a) in 47 games. Pouliot leads all AHL defensemen in scoring and tops all skaters in assists. His assist against the Phantoms was his 200th career AHL assist in 387 career AHL games.
 
GONCALVES RECALLED

The Tampa Bay Lightning recalled forward Gage Goncalves from the Crunch earlier this week as the NHL began practicing following the 4 Nations Face-Off break.
 
Goncalves posted four points (1g, 3a) in three games last week after rejoining the Crunch for the NHL break. He has 18 points (5g, 13a) in 14 Crunch games this season.
 
LOOKING FOR HOME ICE SWAGGER

The Crunch begin a four-game homestand tonight. Out of their final 24 games, 13 are slated for Upstate Medical University Arena.
 
Syracuse hopes to find some magic at home. The Crunch are only 8-7-4-4 at home this season, giving them the third-fewest home wins in the AHL. Eleven of their 23 home games have required overtime, but the Crunch are only 3-8 in those games.
 
The Crunch surrender 2.91 goals per game at home versus 2.40 goals per game on the road.
 
CRUNCH ALUMNI CAPTURE 4 NATIONS WIN

Six Crunch alumni captured the 4 Nations Face-Off championship for Canada last night in a thrilling 3-2 overtime win over the United States.
 
Forwards Brayden Point (2014-15) and (Anthony Cirelli (2015-18) and goaltender Sam Montembeault (2020-21) were the three players on Canada who graduated from the Crunch.
 
Team Canada Head coach Jon Cooper (2012-13), Assistant General Manager Julien BriseBois (2012-19) and Goaltending Consultant David Alexander  (2013-17) also spent time in Syracuse.
 
The next best-on-best international event will be the 2026 Winter Olympics.
 
SCOUTING THE MARLIES

The Marlies arrive in Syracuse on the heels of a 7-2 drubbing of the Laval Rocket on Monday. Toronto has won two straight and three of its last four since an overtime win against the Crunch last week. The Marlies (27-13-2-5) have moved into third place in the North Division with 61 points, and they trail the top spot by only five points with two games in hand.
 
Alex Steeves — who leads the AHL in goals with 29 and ranks second in the league with 46 points — was recalled to the Maple Leafs earlier this week. Steeves had one goal in three games against the Crunch this season.
 
Despite seeing the Crunch score three third period goals last week, the Marlies have been a dominant third period team this season. They have been outscored 37-29 in the first period, but they have a 47-44 advantage in the second period and a 64-40 edge in the third.
 
SPECIALTY JERSEY AUCTION

The Crunch are wearing their Pride jerseys tonight. It is black with rainbow stripes around the bottom and both wrists. The left shoulder features a Progress Pride Flag patch and "Hockey Is For Everyone" is written inside the collar.
 
Select game-worn jerseys will be auctioned off on the ice immediately following the game. Those looking to participate in the auction should head to Sections 102 and 103 following the game.
 
HEAD-TO-HEAD

The Marlies have won two straight against the Crunch after Syracuse claimed the opening game of the six-game season series on Jan. 1. The teams will play the last two games of the series in a home-and-home on April 4-5.
 
Jack Finley leads all players in the series with five points (2g, 3a).