CRUNCH SPLIT HOME-AND-HOME SET
The Syracuse Crunch split a two-game series with the Utica Comets in Week 16.
The Crunch won the opening half of the home-and-home set, 6-3, at Upstate Medical University Arena Saturday night.
Mitchell Chaffee (1g, 2a) and
Conor Geekie (3a) led the way offensively. The teams rematched Sunday in Utica, where the Comets prevailed, 5-1.
Syracuse's four-game winning streak was snapped with the loss on Sunday. The Crunch are in second place in the North Division with 49 points (23-15-2-1).
TOP PERFORMERS
Forward
Dylan Duke scored goals in both Crunch games in Week 16. His tally on Saturday turned into the game-winning goal — his fourth of the season which is tied for the team lead. He also added his second fight of the season.
He scored the lone Crunch goal in Sunday's loss to the Comets. Duke moved into sole possession of the team lead with 20 goals on the season, which matches his total from his rookie campaign. The second-year-pro is tied for fourth overall in the AHL. He has 12 goals in the last 18 games since Dec. 12, and he hasn't score more than one goal in any of those games.
***
Brandon Halverson played in both games for the Crunch last week. The netminder started Saturday and made 34 saves in the team's 6-3 win. It was his third game this season with at least 30 saves in a game. Halverson was called upon in relief on Sunday and made 17 saves on 18 shots. He finished the weekend with four goals allowed on 55 shots for a .927 save percentage.
Halverson leads the Crunch with 13 wins this season. He is 13-6-2 with a 2.42 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage.
***
Conor Geekie notched his fifth career three-point game with a trio of assists Saturday versus Utica. It was his third three-point game of the season, which tops the Crunch.
The second-year-pro ranks third on the Crunch in scoring with 35 points (11g, 24a) in 35 games. In 59 career AHL contests, the Strathclair, Manitoba native has 55 points (22g, 33a). He was recently named one of the Crunch's two AHL All-Star representatives.
LUNDMARK MAKES NHL DEBUT
Defenseman Simon Lundmark is the most recent Crunch player to make his NHL debut for the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Swede debuted for the Bolts on Jan. 24 at Columbus. He finished with a plus-1 rating with 16:45 time on ice.
Lundmark is the 14th player this season to skate in a game for both the Crunch and the Lightning, and he's the seventh new player to dress for both clubs during the affiliation. There have been 104 players since 2012-13 to play for both teams.
Lundmark has five assists in 27 Crunch games this season. He has not played for the Crunch since Jan. 3; he was recalled to the Lightning on Jan. 5.
UPCOMING WEEK
Friday, January 30 vs. Laval | 7 p.m.
The Crunch face off against the North Division leading Laval Rocket Friday at Upstate Medical University Arena. The teams have split the first four games of their eight-game season series, and the Crunch won the only previous meeting in Syracuse (Jan. 10).
The Rocket are in the midst of a six-game road trip. They are 2-1-1-0 through the first four games, which featured two games in Abbotsford and two games in Calgary. They are 12-9-1-0 on the road this season.
Saturday, January 31 at W-B/Scranton | 6:05 p.m.
The Crunch make their first of two trips this season to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to face the Penguins. It's the second game of the season series after the Crunch blanked the Penguins, 6-0, on Jan. 3 in Syracuse.
The Penguins don't play again until they host the Crunch on Saturday. They are 5-4-1-0 in January and sit in second place in the Eastern Conference with 58 points (27-12-2-2).
The Penguins rank fourth in the AHL defensively with 2.60 goals allowed per game. The backbone has been goaltenders Sergei Murashov and Joel Blomqvist. Murashov is 15-5-0/2.18/.922 and Blomqvist is 6-4-3/2.26/.920 this season.
WEEK 16 RESULTS
Saturday, Jan. 24 | Game 40 vs. Utica | W, 6-3
Utica 0 2 1 - 3 Shots: 9-18-10-37 PP: 1/3
Syracuse 2 2 2 - 6 Shots: 15-12-9-36 PP: 1/2
1st Period-Chaffee 10 (
Samson, Mercuri), 6:40. Gauthier 4 (
Geekie, Abruzzese), 11:19 (PP). 2nd Period-Pietroniro 5 (
Tinordi, Geekie), 7:14. Duke 19 (
Szturc, Douglas), 9:54. 3rd Period-Furry 8 (
Geekie, Chaffee), 18:20 (EN). Furry 9 (
Chaffee, Pietroniro), 19:42 (EN).
Halverson 13-6-2 (37 shots-34 saves) A-6,062
Sunday, Jan. 25 | Game 41 at Utica | L, 5-1
Syracuse 0 1 0 - 1 Shots: 15-8-4-27 PP: 0/5
Utica 3 2 0 - 5 Shots: 7-9-11-27 PP: 1/5
2nd Period-Duke 20 (
Samson, Allard), 7:07.
Fanti 8-9-1 (9 shots-5 saves); Halverson ND (18 shots-17 saves) A-1,382
| Category |
Average/Total |
AHL Rank (Prev) |
| Power Play |
21.6% (33-for-153) |
8th (8th) |
| Penalty Kill |
80.3% (102-for-127) |
T-19th (17th) |
| Goals For |
3.24 GFA (133) |
8th (T-11th) |
| Goals Against |
2.63 GAA (108) |
5th (5th) |
| Shots For |
28.59 SF/G (1172) |
16th (17th) |
| Shots Against |
24.90 SA/G (1021) |
2nd (1st) |
| Penalty Minutes |
14.07 PIM/G (577) |
9th (12th) |
| Category |
|
Leader |
| Points |
41 |
Pelletier |
| Goals |
20 |
Duke |
| Assists |
29 |
Abruzzese |
| PIM |
58 |
Mercuri |
| Plus/Minus |
+16 |
Pelletier |
| Wins |
13 |
Halverson |
| GAA |
2.42 |
Halverson |
| Save % |
.902 |
Halverson |
| North Division |
GP |
W |
L |
OTL |
SOL |
PTS |
PCT |
GF |
GA |
PIM |
HOME |
ROAD |
LAST 10 |
STREAK |
S/O |
| 1. Laval |
42 |
24 |
14 |
2 |
2 |
52 |
0.619 |
131 |
114 |
635 |
12-5-1-2 |
12-9-1-0 |
3-4-2-1 |
0-1-0-0 |
2-2 |
| 2. Syracuse |
41 |
23 |
15 |
2 |
1 |
49 |
0.598 |
133 |
108 |
577 |
12-4-0-0 |
11-11-2-1 |
6-4-0-0 |
0-1-0-0 |
1-1 |
| 3. Toronto |
42 |
22 |
15 |
3 |
2 |
49 |
0.583 |
133 |
140 |
593 |
10-6-0-2 |
12-9-3-0 |
5-2-2-1 |
3-0-2-0 |
2-2 |
| 4. Rochester |
40 |
20 |
14 |
4 |
2 |
46 |
0.575 |
129 |
122 |
452 |
8-7-2-1 |
12-7-2-1 |
4-4-1-1 |
0-1-0-0 |
0-2 |
| 5. Belleville |
44 |
19 |
18 |
7 |
0 |
45 |
0.511 |
141 |
155 |
564 |
9-11-3-0 |
10-7-4-0 |
6-2-2-0 |
6-0-2-0 |
3-0 |
| 6. Cleveland |
39 |
19 |
14 |
5 |
1 |
44 |
0.564 |
106 |
115 |
490 |
8-6-4-1 |
11-8-1-0 |
6-3-1-0 |
2-0-1-0 |
1-1 |
| 7. Utica |
39 |
12 |
20 |
4 |
3 |
31 |
0.397 |
95 |
125 |
478 |
8-9-1-2 |
4-11-3-1 |
5-4-0-1 |
1-0-0-0 |
1-3 |
