CRUNCH HELD WINLESS IN WEEK 2
 

The Syracuse Crunch dropped a pair of games — one on the road and one at home — in Week 2.
 
The club played its third straight road game to start the season Friday in Rochester. The Crunch lost, 7-1, against the Amerks. The Crunch hosted the Belleville Senators for their 33rd home opener on Saturday night. Syracuse led 1-0 after two periods, but the Senators rallied for a 3-2 win. It snapped the Crunch's four-game winning streak in home openers dating to 2022.
 
Syracuse looks to snap its early-season losing streak with two weekend contests. The Crunch host the Americans on Saturday and then visit the Hamilton Hammers for the first time on Sunday.
 
TOP PERFORMERS
 
Veteran defenseman Jarred Tinordi topped the Crunch in scoring last week with a pair of assists, giving him points on two of the three Crunch goals scored. Tinordi picked up the primary assist on Brendan Furry's tally on Friday and then notched the secondary assist on Noah Steen's game-opening score on Saturday.
 
Tinordi also led all Crunch players with six shots on goal, and he was one of four Crunch skaters to finish as a positive player (plus-1) over the weekend.
 
The 34-year-old is in his second season with the Crunch and brings with him over 700 games of pro experience in the NHL and AHL combined. 
 
•••
 
Forward Noah Steen picked up his first goal of the season in Saturday's loss to the Belleville Senators. Steen opened the scoring by tapping home a loose puck in the crease in the first period. It marked the Oslo, Norway native's second career AHL goal in eight career games. The 22-year-old skated in five Crunch games at the end of last season.
 
Steen was selected in the seventh round, 199th overall, in the 2024 NHL Draft. He played the last two seasons in the Swedish Hockey League. He also represented Norway at the 2026 IIHF World Championships, scoring the bronze medal winning goal in overtime versus Canada.
 
HARKINS, JAMES MAKE DEBUTS
 
Forwards Jansen Harkins and Dominic James played their first Crunch games of the season last week. For Harkins, it was his second game of the season after playing in the Tampa Bay Lightning's season opener. The 29-year-old signed a one-year, two-way contract as a free agent this summer and brings over 500 games of pro experience to the Crunch. 
 
James made his season debut after missing training camp due to a broken hand. He was held without a point over the weekend after he gobbled up five points (3g, 2a) in his four AHL games to start last season. That earned him a recall to Tampa Bay, where he spent the rest of the season and played 43 games.
 
UPCOMING WEEK     
              
Saturday, October 17 vs. Rochester | 5 p.m.
The Crunch look to bounce back in the season series as they host the Rochester Americans Saturday in Syracuse. The Amerks defeated the Crunch, 7-1, last Friday in Rochester to improve to 8-2 in the last 10 series-opening contests against the Crunch.
 
The trio of Jason Polin, Conor Sheary and Matthew Peca carried the day for the Amerks in the first meeting. They combined for eight points (2g, 6a), and Polin scored two of their three power-play goals (3-for-6).
 
Syracuse posted a 4-2 home record against Rochester last season, but the road team has won more games than the home team in the series over the last five seasons.
 
Sunday, October 18 at Hamilton | 3 p.m.
The Crunch wrap up their weekend with a Sunday afternoon match against the Hamilton Hammers. It's the first meeting between the teams in franchise history. The Hammers are new to the AHL after the New York Islanders moved their affiliate from Bridgeport, Connecticut to Hamilton, Ontario. It's the first time the AHL has had a team in Hamilton since the Bulldogs played their final season in 2014-15. 
 
Syracuse and Hamilton did not play in 2014-15. The most recent game between the cities came on April 19, 2014, a 3-1 Crunch win over the Bulldogs.
 
The Hammers won their inaugural game, but they have dropped their last three decisions — all against the Toronto Marlies. Former Crunch forward Mitchell Chaffee paces the Hammers with four goals, including an opening night hat trick.
 
WEEK 2 RESULTS
 
Friday, Oct. 9 | Game 3 at Rochester | L, 7-1
Syracuse        0 1 0 - 1     Shots: 9-4-11-24           PP: 0/3
Rochester     2 4 1 - 7     Shots: 9-10-11-30         PP: 3/6
2nd Period-Furry 1 (Tinordi, Duke), 5:54. Rodrigue 0-2-0 (19 shots-13 saves) | Sogaard ND (11 shots-10 saves), A-4,163
 
Saturday, Oct. 10 | Game 4 vs. Belleville | L, 3-2
Belleville   0 0 3 - 3         Shots: 7-8-10-25           PP: 1/5
Syracuse    1 0 1 - 2         Shots: 11-15-6-32         PP: 0/4
1st Period-Steen 1 (Allard, Tinordi), 8:04. 3rd Period-Abruzzese 3 (Pelletier, Miller), 7:10. Sogaard 1-1-0 (25 shots-22 saves) A-6,163
 

Category	Average/Total	AHL Rank (Prev)
Power Play	11.8% (2-for-17)	25th (T-14th)
Penalty Kill	61.1% (11-for-18)	32nd (T-29th)
Goals For	1.50 GFA (6)	31st (T-28th)
Goals Against	4.00 GAA (16)	27th (T-13th)
Shots For	27.75 SF/G (111)	T-20th (T-20th)
Shots Against	28.75 SA/G (115)	T-15th (T-18th)
Penalty Minutes	21.25 PIM/G (85)	2nd (2nd)

 

Category		Leader
Points	3	Abruzzese
Goals	3	Abruzzese
Assists	2	Duke|Pelletier|Tinordi
PIM	22	Mercuri
Plus/Minus	+1	Allard|Santini|Szturc
Wins	1	Sogaard
GAA	1.73	Sogaard
Save %	.937	Sogaard

 

North Division	GP	W	L	OTL	SOL	PTS	PCT	GF	GA	PIM	HOME	ROAD	LAST 10	STREAK	S/O
1. Utica	3	3	0	0	0	6	1.000	8	4	28	1-0-0-0	2-0-0-0	3-0-0-0	3-0-0-0	0-0
2. Laval	4	3	1	0	0	6	0.750	16	7	105	1-1-0-0	2-0-0-0	3-1-0-0	3-0-0-0	0-0
3. Toronto	4	3	1	0	0	6	0.750	16	12	56	1-0-0-0	2-1-0-0	3-1-0-0	3-0-0-0	1-0
4. Cleveland	4	3	1	0	0	6	0.750	17	15	58	1-1-0-0	2-0-0-0	3-1-0-0	3-0-0-0	0-0
5. Rochester	4	2	1	0	1	5	0.625	13	7	50	2-0-0-0	0-1-0-1	2-1-0-1	0-1-0-0	0-1
6. Belleville	4	2	2	0	0	4	0.500	10	13	58	1-2-0-0	1-0-0-0	2-2-0-0	0-1-0-0	1-0
7. Hamilton	4	1	2	0	1	3	0.375	14	17	44	0-1-0-1	1-1-0-0	1-2-0-1	0-2-0-1	0-1
8. Syracuse	4	1	3	0	0	2	0.250	6	16	85	0-1-0-0	1-2-0-0	1-3-0-0	0-3-0-0	0-0