CRUNCH TAKE ON THE COMETS
 
The Syracuse Crunch travel to face off against the Utica Comets tonight at the Adirondack Bank Center.
 
It's the seventh game of the 12-game season series. The Crunch have won five of the first six contests, but the Comets earned a win in the previous meeting on Dec. 10.
 
BROADCAST COVERAGE
 
Countdown to Crunch Time at 6:45 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 allowed three goals in the first period and fell to the Rochester Americans, 3-2, Wednesday at Upstate Medical University Arena.
 
The Amerks took a 2-0 lead with two goals in a 38-second span four minutes into the game. They added to the lead barely 10 minutes into the first period. 
 
The Crunch seized control over the final two periods and outshot the Amerks 24-13 during those 40 minutes. Dylan Duke made it 3-1 with a power-play goal in the final 10 seconds of the second period. Jakob Pelletier pulled the Crunch within one early in the third. 
 
Syracuse had its five-game home winning streak snapped. Brandon Halverson stopped 27-of-30 shots in the setback; it was his third straight start.
 
PELLETIER APPROACHING MILESTONES
 
Crunch leading scorer Jakob Pelletier is approaching a pair of scoring milestones. The fifth-year-pro is at 98 career AHL assists in 168 games for the Stockton Heat, Calgary Wrangler and Crunch. He has 166 AHL points, including 36 (17g, 19a) in 29 games this season for the Crunch.
 
The 24-year-old is also five points shy of 200 points in his pro career. He has 29 points (11g, 18a) in 87 NHL games for the Calgary Flames, Philadelphia Flyers and Tampa Bay Lightning. He has 195 points (79g, 116a) in 255 pro appearances at the NHL and AHL level.
 
SCOUTING THE COMETS
 
The Comets have won two straight games and have points in three in a row (2-0-1-0) to begin 2026. They are 7-4-2-1 since the start of December after beginning the season with a 2-12-2-1 record. They have 24 points in 31 games and are in last place in the North Division.
 
Rookie Lenni Hämeenaho has points in three straight games with five points (3g, 2a) in that span. He leads the Comets in scoring this season with 19 points (9g, 10a). The 21-year-old Finn is in his first season in North America.
 
Nico Daws picked up his sixth win of the season Wednesday versus Springfield. He is 6-9-5 with a 2.93 goals-against average and a .884 save percentage in 21 appearances. He is 1-4-0 in five starts against the Crunch.
 
KEEPING IT ROLLING
 
Second-year forward Dylan Duke skated in his 100th pro game Wednesday and scored one of the Crunch's two goals. He ranks second on the Crunch in goals (15) and fourth in points (26) in 33 games. 
 
Duke has scored goals in four straight games for the first time in his career, and he has seven goals in the last 10 games to lead the Crunch in goals in that span.
 
The Crunch are the only team in the AHL with two players in the top 10 in goals. Duke is tied for ninth and Jakob Pelletier (17) is tied for fifth. 
 
ROELENS, KERSTEN JOIN CRUNCH FROM ORLANDO
 
Forwards Milo Roelens and Spencer Kersten have joined the Crunch from the Orlando Solar Bears. Kersten tops the Solar Bears and ranks third in the ECHL with 34 points (15g, 19a) in 28 games. He was named an ECHL All-Star on Wednesday. The 25-year-old skated in nine games for the Crunch last season and nabbed his first career AHL goal.
 
Roelens has picked up 18 points (11g, 7a) in 29 games for Orlando. He scored eight points (6g, 2a) in 35 games for the Crunch last season. Neither player has appeared in a game for Syracuse this season.