CRUNCH CAP WEEKEND IN UTICA  

The Crunch wrap up their three-in-three weekend this afternoon against the Utica Comets at the Adirondack Bank Center.
 
It's the eighth game of the 14-game head-to-head series and Utica leads with four wins through the first seven games.
 
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

The Crunch rallied from a 2-0 deficit and overcame the Rochester Americans, 4-3, in a shootout last night at Upstate Medical University Arena.
 
Syracuse went behind 2-0 on two opportunistic goals by the Amerks in the first period. The Crunch finally got on the board late in the second frame when Jack Finley's backdoor pass bounced in off an Amerk to make it 2-1. 
 
After a potential tying goal was waved off the board early in the third, the Crunch stuck with it and leveled the game at two when Steven Santini's point shot found the top corner of the goal at 11:52. The Amerks quickly stole back the lead on a deflection, but Dylan Duke tied the game at three with his team-leading 16th goal at 17:20.
 
Max Groshev and Conor Geekie scored shootout goals and Matt Tomkins stopped Isak Rosen in the fourth round to seal the win.
 
SCOUTING THE CRUNCH

Syracuse overcame a two-goal deficit last night to leap back into a playoff position in the North Division. The Crunch are 23-18-7-4 and have 57 points, one clear of the Belleville Senators for the final playoff spot in the division. The Crunch finished their four-game homestand with a 3-1-0-0 record. They now play three straight on the road, where the Crunch are 12-10-3-0 this season.
 
The Crunch twice erased a one-goal deficit twice in the third period with goals from Steven Santini and Dylan Duke. Santini's strike was his fourth of the season and his first since Jan. 3, snapping a 19-game goal drought. He is one goal shy of matching his career high of five set last season with the Ontario Reign. 
 
Duke's tally gives him 16 on the season, which paces the Crunch. He has a goal in three of his six games since his recall to Tampa Bay in early February. The Crunch are 11-1-2-1 in games in which he scores a goal.
 
NEW YORK GROOVE  

Today marks the second of three straight games against the Crunch's two New York foes — Utica and Rochester. Syracuse returns to face off against the Comets again on Friday. 
 
The Crunch have 20 games remaining, including today's game, and half are against their closest rivals. Seven of their final 20 games feature the Comets while three will be contested against Rochester.
 
NO DAYS OFF

The Crunch conclude their second of three three-in-three weekend sets this afternoon. It's their first such weekend since Oct. 18-20, a three-game stretch on the road at Laval twice and at Belleville during the second weekend of the campaign.
 
Syracuse dropped the first two games of that set in Laval before earning a Sunday afternoon victory over the Senators. The Crunch will also play three straight days during the final weekend of March.
 
The Comets also play their third game in three days. They have earned a pair of shootout wins. They won Friday at home against Rochester and won last night in Hartford.
 
SUNDAY FUNDAY

Today is only the Crunch's second Sunday game all season. It's their first since earning a 5-2 win on Oct. 20 at Belleville. Syracuse has three Sunday contests on the docket in March.
 
Last season, the Crunch posted a 3-2-0-0 record in five Sunday games. They lost their only Sunday trip to Utica in a 4-1 setback on Dec. 10, 2023.
 
SCOUTING THE COMETS

The Comets continue their charge toward the final playoff spot, which seemed unlikely after the first six weeks of the regular season. They've won three in a row and are 21-14-3-0 since starting the season 0-10-1-2. They are 21-24-4-2 overall and trail the Crunch by nine points for the final playoff spot in the division.
 
Part of their surge has been fueled by success at home. The Comets are 9-1-1-0 in the last 11 home games since Jan. 8, a stretch that began with a 5-1 win against the Crunch.
 
Nolan Foote leads the Comets in scoring with 35 points (17g, 18a) in 46 games. Brian Halonen tops the Comets with 19 goals in 44 games. 
 
Expect Isaac Poulter in net today for the Comets. He is 12-9-5 with a 2.73 goals-against average and a .905 save percentage this season. He is a perfect 4-0-0 against the Crunch with a 1.76 goals-against average and a .932 save percentage.
 
HEAD-TO-HEAD

The Crunch and Comets go head-to-head for the eighth time this season. It begins a stretch of seven meetings over the final 20 games of the season for the Crunch. Utica has won four of the first seven, including an active three-game winning streak. 
 
The Crunch have struggled to score in the series. They tallied seven goals in the first two games — a pair of wins — but they only have eight in the last five matches. Derrick Pouliot leads the Crunch with six points over seven games against the Comets, while Conor Sheary tops the Crunch with three goals. Xavier Parent has three goals and six points against the Crunch to lead the Comets. He has netted the game-winning goal in the last two meetings. 
 
Brandon Halverson has not allowed a goal in two starts against the Comets. Isaac Poulter (4-0-0/1.76/.932) has been nearly as tough to score on for Utica.