CRUNCH LOOK TO SALVAGE WEEK 
 
The Syracuse Crunch host the Laval Rocket at Upstate Medical University Arena for the first time this season.
 
It's the fourth game of the season series, but the first three games have been contested in Laval. The Rocket have won two straight against the Crunch; both wins came immediately following the league's holiday break.
 
BROADCAST COVERAGE
 
Streaming: Pay-to-watch video via AHLTV on FloHockey | www.syracusecrunch.com/watch
Television: CNY Central — CW6 beginning at 5 p.m.
Radio: ESPN Radio Syracuse | www.espncny.com beginning at 4:45 p.m.
 
LAST TIME OUT
 
The Crunch were held to 15 shots on goal and were shut out for the first time this season last night in Utica.
 
The 3-0 loss to the Comets was the Crunch's sixth in the last seven games (1-4-1-1) since Dec. 20.
 
The Crunch mustered only six shots on goal through two periods but were only down by one goal, which was scored on a deflection by Xavier Parent 35 seconds into the second period.
 
The Comets added a power-play goal and an empty-net goal to fend off the Crunch's comeback effort. The Comets have won the last two meetings against the Crunch.
 
DRY SPELL…
 
With the exception of their 6-0 win last week against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, the Crunch have seen their high-powered offense go cold over the last three weeks.
 
The Crunch have scored a total of 15 goals in the last seven games since Dec. 20, but if you remove the six-goal outing last weekend it is nine goals in six games. 
 
Over the seven games the Crunch have gone from averaging 3.56 goals per game to 3.26 goals per game.
 
...BUT THE DEFENSE STAYS STRONG
 
Although they only fired 15 shots on goal offensively, the Crunch played a stout game defensively and limited the Comets to only 15 shots on goal last night. That marks the 10th time this season — and the seventh time over the last 11 games — that they've allowed fewer than 20 shots on goal.
 
The Crunch have been the stingiest team in the AHL this season allowing 24.21 shots per game. They are 6-3-1-0 when allowing fewer than 20 shots but 1-2-1-0 in the last four instances.
 
SCOUTING THE ROCKET
 
The Rocket started their week last night with a 3-2 win in Rochester for their 10th road win of the season (10-7-0-0). The win moves the Rocket to 22-11-0-1 this season and secured head coach Pascal Vincent the nod as the North Division's coach at the AHL All-Star Classic in Rockford next month.
 
They won despite missing the league's leading scorer, Laurent Dauphin, who was out with an illness. He tops the AHL with 38 points (11g, 27a) in 30 games and had points in 16 straight games before being held without one last Saturday.
 
FIGHT NIGHT
 
For the second time in the last three games the Crunch had three players drop the mitts for a fight. They also had three fights last Saturday against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
 
Cooper Flinton and Jarred Tinordi logged their second scraps of the season while Conor Geekie had his first of the campaign. Twelve different players have had at least one fight for the Crunch this season. 
 
SPECIAL TEAMS BATTLE
 
The Crunch had their streak of three straight games without allowing a power-play goal end last night. They also lost the special teams battle for only the eighth time this season.
 
The Crunch are 1-6-1-0 this season when they have allowed more power-play goals than they have scored.