CRUNCH RATTLE OFF THREE MORE WINS
 
The Syracuse Crunch earned three wins in Week 22 to extend their winning streak to five games. It comes on the heels of a seven-game winning streak, giving the Crunch 12 wins in the last 13 games. 
 
The Crunch opened the week with a 2-0 road win against the Laval Rocket at Place Bell. Brandon Halverson made 16 saves for his league-leading sixth shutout. Syracuse picked up a 3-2 overtime win Friday against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins when Lucas Mercuri delivered his first career overtime goal. The Crunch capped the week with a 4-1 win versus the Utica Comets Sunday afternoon.
 
The Crunch have 74 points (35-17-3-1) and are three points behind the Rocket for first place in the North Division.
 
TOP PERFORMERS
 
Brendan Halverson won both of his starts to extend his personal winning streak to eight games, which is one shy of the Crunch's team record. Halverson's shutout on Wednesday in Laval was his 12th career Crunch shutout, setting a new franchise record.
 
Halverson is 21-6-3 with a 2.16 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage in 31 games this season. He is one win shy of what he finished with last year.
 
***
 
Forward Dylan Duke grabbed points in all three games in Week 22 to give him points in 10 of the last 11 games. Duke set up the game-winning goal on Wednesday in Laval and added another assist Friday versus Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. 
 
He scored two goals Sunday for his fourth multi-goal game of the season. He ranks second in the AHL with 29 goals, and he is third with six game-winners. The Crunch last had a 30-goal scorer in 2021-22. 
 
CRUNCH ACQUIRE MATTHEW PECA
 
The Crunch have acquired forward Matthew Peca from the Springfield Thunderbirds in exchange for defenseman Wyatt Newpower. Peca, 32, has served as captain for the Thunderbirds for three seasons. 
 
Now in his 11th pro season, Peca played parts of four seasons with the Crunch from 2014 to 2018. He totaled 134 points (34g, 100a) in 204 Crunch games, and he helped the Crunch to the Calder Cup Finals appearances in 2017.
 
In 530 career AHL games, Peca has 391 points (124g, 267a). He has 34 points (8g, 26a) in 49 games for Springfield this season.
 
UPCOMING WEEK         
          
Wednesday, March 11 vs. Toronto | 7 p.m.
The Crunch play the first of three home games in four days tomorrow against the Toronto Marlies. It's the Marlies first of two visits to Syracuse this season; the clubs have split two games in Toronto.
 
The Marlies were swept in a two-game set in Manitoba to begin a four-game road trip. That came on the heels of a five-game point streak (3-0-0-2), which has them in fourth place in the North Division with 63 points. They are only 0.500 on the road this season (13-13-3-2).
 
Friday, March 13 vs. Lehigh Valley | 7 p.m.
The Crunch take on the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Friday at Upstate Medical University Arena. The Crunch aim to sweep the four-game season series against the Phantoms; they've won the first three meetings by a combined score of 10-3.
 
The Phantoms hold the final playoff spot in the Atlantic Division entering the week. They have a three-point lead on Springfield, but they have lost four straight games (0-3-1-0). 
 
Saturday, March 14 vs. Laval | 5 p.m.
A showdown between the top two clubs in the North Division pits the Crunch versus the Laval Rocket Saturday in Syracuse. The Crunch are 4-1-1-1 against the Rocket this season ahead of the final game of the series.
 
The Rocket hold a three-point lead on the Crunch for first place in the North Division, but they have played three more games than the Crunch. The Rocket are trying to become the first North Division team to claim back-to-back division titles since Toronto from 2011 to 2014.
 
WEEK 22 RESULTS
 
Wednesday, March 4 | Game 54 at Laval | W, 2-0
Syracuse    0 0 2 - 2         Shots: 6-8-8-22              PP: 0/3
Laval          0 0 0 - 0         Shots: 2-10-4-16           PP: 0/3
3rd Period-Newpower 2 (Duke), 14:00. Pelletier 22 (Unassisted), 18:07 (EN). Halverson 20-6-3 (16 shots-16 saves) A-10,243
 
Friday, March 6 | Game 55 vs. W-B/Scranton | W, 3-2 (OT)
W-B/Scranton  0 1 1 0 - 2           Shots: 8-9-7-2-26     PP: 0/3
Syracuse            2 0 0 1 - 3           Shots: 4-6-11-2-23  PP: 1/2
1st Period-Allard 6 (Duke), 5:05. Furry 13 (Pelletier, Chaffee), 7:46. Overtime-Mercuri 12 (Pelletier, Chaffee), 3:21 (PP). Halverson 21-6-3 (26 shots-24 saves) A-5,381
 
Sunday, March 8 | Game 56 at Utica | W, 4-1
Syracuse    1 1 2 - 4         Shots: 8-9-7-24              PP: 0/2
Utica          0 0 1 - 1         Shots: 11-10-7-28         PP: 0/2
1st Period-Abruzzese 9 (Gauthier), 4:48. 2nd Period-Duke 28 (Lundmark, Chaffee), 15:50. 3rd Period-Furry 14 (Pelletier), 14:30. Duke 29 (Mercuri, Tinordi), 19:01. Fanti 11-11-1 (28 shots-27 saves) A-2,636