CRUNCH BATTLE PHANTOMS
 
The Crunch play the first of two straight home games this weekend when they match up against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms at Upstate Medical University Arena.
 
It's the final game of the four-game season series between the clubs. The Phantoms have won two of the first three, including an overtime win in Syracuse on Jan. 4.
 
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
 
Max Crozier scored 38 seconds into overtime to give the Crunch a 2-1 win over the Utica Comets Wednesday at the Adirondack Bank Center.
 
The Crunch opened the scoring 11:36 into the first period. Syracuse broke out on a 3-on-2 rush and Tristan Allard found Max Groshev trailing the play. Groshev received the pass and ripped his sixth goal of the season from the high slot. The goal came on the Crunch's second shot of the night.
 
Utica pulled even 10:31 into the second period. The Comets dumped the puck in and Xavier Parent grabbed it behind the net to wrap it home to tie the score at one.
Neither team scored in the third period despite the Comets pulling their goaltender with less than two minutes to play. 
 
Crozier struck in overtime to earn the Crunch their fifth straight win. Brandon Halverson made 22 saves to earn his fourth straight win.
 
SCOUTING THE CRUNCH
 
The Crunch picked up their fifth straight win to make it 11 wins in the last 13 games since March 9. The Crunch have outscored their opponents 48-25 over the last 13 games to give them a plus-27 goal differential on the season.
 
Syracuse enters tonight's game with 80 points and a 34-21-8-4 record. The Crunch have a seven point cushion for the final playoff position in the North Division. Their magic number to clinch a spot is four, and they clinch a playoff berth today with a win and a Belleville regulation loss at Springfield. 
 
Tristan Allard set up the Crunch's lone regulation goal to give him points in consecutive games for the first time this season. He has 14 points (5g, 9a) in 41 games this season after logging 18 (5g, 13a) in 63 games as a rookie last season.
 
FLIPPING THE OVERTIME SCRIPT
 
During the Crunch's active five-game winning streak, three wins have gone past regulation. Two wins have come in overtime (March 30 at Rochester and April 9 at Utica) and one required a shootout (April 5 at Toronto).
 
The Crunch began the season with a 4-11 record in games that went into overtime this season for a 0.267 win percentage. Since March 1 the Crunch have gone 4-1 past regulation to raise their overall overtime record to 8-12 (0.400).
 
The Phantoms provided one of those overtime defeats for the Crunch (Jan. 4). They are 11-8 (0.579) past regulation this season.
 
CROZIER COMES UP CLUTCH
 
Defenseman Max Crozier delivered the overtime game-winning goal Wednesday at Utica to extend his scoring streak to six straight games. It was his second overtime goal of the season (also Nov. 1 vs. Hartford) which makes him one of four AHL defensemen with more than one this season.
 
Crozier has 31 points (9g, 22a) in 48 Crunch games this season. He ranks fourth on the team in scoring; two of the top four scorers on the Crunch are defenseman (also Derrick Pouliot).
 
Crozier is tied for the team lead with a plus-14 rating. In 24 games since the AHL All-Star break, Crozier has picked up 21 points (6g, 15a) and has a plus-10 rating. 
 
SCOUTING THE PHANTOMS
 
The Phantoms have already nailed down their third consecutive playoff berth in the Atlantic Division. They are currently in sixth place in the Atlantic with 74 points and a 33-27-6-2 record. They can only finish as high as fifth place meaning they are locked into playing in the best-of-3 first round series.
 
The Phantoms have been bolstered by the return of leading scorer Olle Lycksell from Philadelphia. Lycksell has 41 points (17g, 24a) in 40 games for the Phantoms this season. He was on recall with the Flyers for over a month. Rodrigo Abols (12-15—27) was also returned from Philadelphia this week.
 
Since returning from ECHL-Reading, Parker Gahagen has allowed one goal in his three starts to post a 2-0-1 record. He is 11-3-3 with a 2.38 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage in 20 appearances for the Phantoms this season.
 
HEAD-TO-HEAD
 
The Crunch and Phantoms have squared off three times this season. Lehigh Valley won the first two before the Crunch answered with a 3-0 win at the PPL Center on March 21. The Phantoms won the only previous match in Syracuse on Jan. 4.
 
Conor Geekie (2g, 1a) and Derrick Pouliot (1g, 2a) lead the Crunch with three points in the series. Alexis Gendron paces the Phantoms with three goals. 
 
ETHAN GAUTHIER'S ARRIVAL 
 
Forward Ethan Gauthier has joined the Crunch after his season with the Drummondville Voltigeurs ended earlier this week. He posted 62 points (25g, 37a) in 50 games during the regular season and added another 12 points (6g, 6a) in seven playoff games before being ousted by the Halifax Mooseheads.
 
Gauthier, 20, was selected by the Tampa Bay Lightning with their first pick, 37th overall, at the 2023 NHL Draft. In four QMJHL seasons Gauthier earned 241 points (109g, 132a) in 245 games. His dad, Denis, played 554 NHL games for Calgary, Phoenix, Philadelphia and Los Angeles.