CRUNCH LOOK TO BOUNCE BACK AGAINST ROCKET
 
The Syracuse Crunch hope to snap a two-game losing streak tonight against the Laval Rocket at Upstate Medical University Arena.
 
It's the eighth and final regular season game between the two teams. The Crunch are 4-1-1-1 against Laval and blanked the Rocket, 2-0, 10 days ago on the road.
 
Syracuse trails Laval by three points for first place in the North Division, however, the Rocket have played two more games.
 
BROADCAST COVERAGE
 
Countdown to Crunch Time at 4:45 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 lost to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, 4-1, last night at Upstate Medical University Arena. Syracuse has now lost two straight games in regulation for the first time since Jan. 7-9.
 
Lehigh Valley scored twice, five minutes apart, to take a 2-0 lead less than 10 minutes into the first period. Mitchell Chaffee responded on the power play at 15:37 of the first to trim the deficit to one.
 
Neither team scored in the second period, however, the Crunch held a 34-14 advantage in shots on goal after 40 minutes.
 
The Phantoms notched an insurance goal midway through the third to retake their two-goal lead. An empty netter with 22 seconds remaining put the finishing touch on a 4-1 Lehigh Valley victory.
 
PECA MAKING HIMESELF AT HOME AGAIN
 
Forward Matthew Peca played his first Crunch game of the season last night. The 32-year-old veteran recorded the primary assist on Mitchell Chaffee's power-play goal late in the first period. It marked Peca's first point in a Syracuse uniform since May 5, 2018 — Game 2 of the North Division Finals against Toronto.
 
Peca was traded to the Crunch on Tuesday by Springfield in exchange for Wyatt Newpower. He served as captain of the T-Birds the past three seasons.
 
20 FOR CHAFFEE
 
Mitchell Chaffee scored his 20th goal of the season last night with a one-timer from the left circle on the power play. It's the second time Chaffee has hit the 20-goal milestone in his AHL career (23g in 2021-22 with Iowa). He's the third player on the Crunch to hit 20 goals this season.
 
SCOUTING THE ROCKET
 
Laval enters tonight's contest in first place in the North Division and third in the Eastern Conference. After beginning February 7-0-0-1, the Rocket have hit a rough patch, posting a 3-5-0-0 record in their last 8 games. They fell to the Utica Comets last night, 5-2, on the road.
 
Laval's offense is led by formidable forwards Laurent Dauphin (59pts) and Alex Belzile (52pts), however, the two have been held in check recently. Dauphin is on an eight-game goal drought and has just 1 tally in his last 12 contests, while Belzile has only managed one assist in his last four outings. Neither appeared on the scoresheet last night in Utica.
 
Jacob Fowler has been called up to Montréal, leaving Kaapo Kahkonen (17-7-4/2.63/.899) to shoulder the majority of the workload in the crease. The Rocket also acquired two-time Calder Cup Champion Hunter Shepard (6-7-2/3.65/.885) in a trade with Ottawa yesterday.
 
GEEKIE RETURNS TO SYRACUSE
 
Forward Conor Geekie was returned on loan to the Crunch from the Tampa Bay Lightning today. The Crunch's second-leading scorer has 51 points (14g, 37a) in 47 games this season. He had registered at least one point in 15 of the 17 Crunch games he played prior to his recall on March 2.