CRUNCH AND COMETS COLLIDE IN SYRACUSE   

The Crunch begin a three-in-three weekend tonight against the Utica Comets at Upstate Medical University Arena.
 
The Crunch had their five-game winning streak snapped last weekend against Rochester. This weekend's slate of games features the Comets tonight and Rochester both tomorrow and Sunday.

BROADCAST COVERAGE

Streaming: Pay-to-watch video via AHLTV on FloHockey | www.syracusecrunch.com/watch
Television: CNY Central — CW6 beginning at 7 p.m.
Radio: ESPN Radio Syracuse | www.espncny.com beginning at 6:45 p.m.
 
LAST TIME OUT

The Crunch had their winning streak halted in a 4-1 loss to the Rochester Americans Saturday at Upstate Medical University Arena.
 
The Amerks applied heavy pressure in the first period — totaling 16 shots in the opening frame — and they broke through with a Mason Jobst power-play goal at 16:58. 
 
Noah Ostlund stretched the lead with a shorthanded goal at 8:27 of the second period. He would go on to net a hat trick with a pair of goals in the third period for the Amerks.
 
Syracuse's lone tally came at 5:28 of the third period. Conor Geekie left the puck for Tristan Allard, who snapped home his fifth goal of the season. That cut the score to 2-1 before Ostlund struck twice more for Rochester. Ryan Fanti made 29 saves in his first Crunch start.
 
SCOUTING THE CRUNCH

The Crunch hit the ice to begin a three-in-three weekend — their final one this season. Syracuse last played on Saturday when the team's five-game winning streak was snapped by the Rochester Americans. The Crunch enter the weekend with a 28-20-8-4 record, giving them 68 points. They are in fifth place in the North Division, and they have a two point lead for the final playoff position.
 
The setback also snapped a three-game home winning streak for the Crunch. It was tied for their longest of the season; they also won three straight at home to begin their home slate this season. The Crunch are 5-2-0-0 in the last seven home contests, giving them a 13-9-4-4 mark this season.
 
Rookie Conor Geekie had a hand in three of the Crunch's four goals over their two games last week. He scored twice Friday against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and added an assist Saturday against the Amerks. He has 12 points (5g, 7a) in 17 games this season.
 
HALVY BACK AFTER FIRST NHL START

Goaltender Brandon Halverson returned to the Crunch this week after making his first career NHL start for the Tampa Bay Lightning last week. His first NHL start last Saturday at Utah came over seven years after his only other NHL appearances — a relief outing for the New York Rangers — on Feb. 17, 2018.  
 
Halverson leads the Crunch with 16 wins this season. He is 16-9-8 with a 2.32 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage. Halverson has won his last three starts, stopping 72 of 77 shots for a .935 save percentage with a 1.67 goals-against average. His last Crunch start (March 15 at Springfield) was his 100th career AHL appearance.
 
MILESTONE MAKERS

A pair of Crunch defensemen are set to hit AHL milestones in tonight's game against the Comets. Max Crozier is lined up to play in his 100th career AHL game, while Derrick Pouliot is dressing in his 400th career AHL contest.
 
Crozier, 24, has logged 49 points (12g, 37a) in 99 AHL appearances since turning pro at the end of the 2022-23 campaign. He has also skated in 18 NHL games with the Lightning since 2023-24. This season, the Providence College product has a career-high in goals (8) and points (25) in 41 Crunch games. He ranks second among Crunch defensemen in points.
 
Crozier trails Pouliot, who leads all Crunch players with 48 points in 59 games. The veteran has 261 career AHL points (52g, 209a) in his first 399 AHL games. He has established AHL career-highs in assists (41) and points (48). Pouliot has also skated in 226 NHL games, tallying 54 points (8g, 46a).
 
CRUNCH ADD TWO FROM NCAA  

As the college hockey season winds down, the Crunch have added two players to their ranks this week. Forward Cooper Flinton and defenseman Noah de la Durantaye have joined the Crunch on amateur tryout contracts. 
 
Flinton, a seventh-round pick by Tampa Bay at the 2021 NHL Draft, also signed his entry-level contract with the Lightning. The forward spent three seasons at Dartmouth College, totaling 89 games from 2022 to 2025. The Auburn, New Hampshire native added 64 points (32g, 32a) for the Big Green.
 
Noah de la Durantaye joins the Crunch from Princeton University, where he skated in 117 games and added 55 points (14g, 41a) from 2021 to 2025. The undrafted defensemen served as captain for the Tigers this season.
 
SCOUTING THE COMETS

The Comets have lost five of the last six games (1-4-1-0) and have just two wins in the last eight outings since March 5. That leaves the Comets with a 24-29-5-2 record entering a three-in-three weekend. Utica is 13 points behind the Crunch for the final playoff position in the North Division.
 
Leading scorer Nolan Foote (18-21—39) is on recall with New Jersey. That leaves Brian Halonen as the leader among active Comets with 35 points, including a team-high 22 goals. 
 
Nico Daws and Isaac Poulter have shared the net this season for the Comets. Daws is 8-18-1/3.19/.893 and Poulter is 13-11-6/2.86/.899 for the Comets. Daws is 1-4-0 against the Crunch and Poulter is 5-0-0.