CRUNCH END WEEKEND IN UTICA

The Syracuse Crunch look to rebound from an overtime loss when they take on the Utica Comets tonight at the NBT Bank Arena.
 
It's the second game of the 12-game season series between the teams. The Comets topped the Crunch, 5-2, last Friday in Utica.
 
BROADCAST COVERAGE

Countdown to Crunch Time at 5:45 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 dropped their fourth straight game, a 3-2 overtime loss, to the Toronto Marlies last night at Upstate Medical University Arena.
 
Four of the five goals were scored on the power play, including the Marlies overtime game-winning goal.
 
Ethan Gauthier opened the scoring with a power-play strike for the Crunch 2:36 into the first period. The Marlies came back to tie the game on the man advantage later in the frame.
 
Vinni Lettieri scored the first of his two goals to put Toronto up 2-1 in the second period, but Gauthier answered that with an early tally in the third to tie the game at two.
 
The game went to overtime, but Lettieri won the game with a power-play goal at 1:02 to hand the Crunch their third overtime loss this season.
 
SCOUTING THE CRUNCH 

The Crunch have lost four straight games, matching their longest winless streak from all of last season (Dec. 20-Jan. 1). Syracuse has fallen to 5-6-3-0 on the season, and the team is in sixth place in the North Division with 13 points.
 
Last night marked the fifth one-goal game of the season for the Crunch. They are now 1-1-3-0 in those games. Half of their 14 games have been blowouts in one direction or the other; seven games have been decided by three or more goals including the only previous game against Utica.
 
SCOUTING THE COMETS

The Comets had the night off yesterday, but they have already secured a pair of wins this week to push their winning streak to six. They are 10-2-0-0 to start the season and boast the top points percentage (0.833) in the AHL. They sit in second place in the North Division with 20 points.
 
Both wins this week have come via shutouts, and they've allowed just 2.00 goals per game this season. David Rittich (6-1-0/2.16/.912) and Jakub Málek (4-1-0/1.39/.921) both grabbed one of the shutouts.
 
Four players who faced off against the Crunch last week have since been recalled to New Jersey. Among the group is leading scorer Lenni Hämeenaho, along with Stefan Noesen, Vladislav Kolyachonok and Anton Silaev.
 
GAUTHIER STEPS UP

With Jakob Pelletier unavailable due to injury last night, Ethan Gauthier was moved onto the Crunch's top line with Dominic James and Nick Abruzzese. The move paid instant dividends for Gauthier, who scored twice for his second career multi-goal game (also Feb. 6, 2026, vs. Belleville).
 
Gauthier has six points (3g, 3a) in 13 games this season for the Crunch after posting 27 (12g, 15a) in 56 games as a rookie last year.
 
Abruzzese and James earned assists on both goals. Abruzzese leads the Crunch with 11 assists this season and James now has three in six Crunch games this season.
 
OVERTIME BUGABOO 

The Crunch played — and lost — their third overtime game of the season last night. All three overtime games have been decided in the five-minute overtime period.
 
Syracuse is winless in its last eight games — including Calder Cup Playoffs games — that have required extra time. 
 
Their last overtime win came on March 6 vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Since then they have lost three shootout games, two playoff overtime games and the three overtime setbacks to begin this season. Six of the eight have taken place on home ice.