CRUNCH BEGIN SERIES WITH MONSTERS
 
The Syracuse Crunch host the Cleveland Monsters in a potential playoff preview tonight at Upstate Medical University Arena.
 
If the playoffs began today, the Crunch and Monsters would square off in the North Division Semifinals. Cleveland held serve to begin the four-game season series with a pair of home wins in December.
 
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
 
SYRACUSE STARS NIGHT
 
As part of the AHL's 90th season celebration, the Crunch will wear throwback Syracuse Stars jerseys for tonight's game. The Stars called Syracuse home for 10 seasons from 1930 to 1940, and the team captured the first ever Calder Cup in 1937. Select jerseys will be available during a live on-ice auction after the game.
 
On the other side of the ice, the Monsters will don their Cleveland Barons throwback jerseys. The Barons skated in the AHL from 1937 to 1973, winning nine Calder Cups.
 
LAST TIME OUT
 
Conor Geekie and Nick Abruzzese both scored twice as Syracuse skated past the Rochester Americans, 5-3, last night at Blue Cross Arena. The victory snapped a three-game winless streak for the Crunch. 
 
Trailing 1-0 after 20 minutes, Syracuse struck for three goals in period two. Geekie tied it with a powerplay one-timer from the right circle five minutes into the second. Less than three minutes later, the Crunch capitalized on the power play again thanks to Mitchell Chaffee. Nick Abruzzese tapped in another at 11:47 to give Syracuse a 3-1 lead after two.
 
Early in the third, Geekie and Abruzzese potted their second goals of the night 55 seconds apart to make it 5-1. The Amerks scored at 13:08 and 16:56 but failed to cut into the deficit further. Brandon Halverson made 29 saves in the 5-3 win.
 
TICKET PUNCHED
 
The Crunch officially secured their eight consecutive Calder Cup Playoffs berth last night. The streak began in the 2016-17 season and marks the longest active streak among North Division teams. Only the Providence Bruins have a longer active streak in the AHL.
 
THREE-IN-THREE
 
The Crunch play the middle game of their first three-in-three weekend of the season. Syracuse is home tonight and tomorrow after earning a win in Rochester last night. The Crunch have their second and final three-in-three weekend next week, which also features two home games and a trip to Rochester.
 
Syracuse had three such weekends last season, and the Crunch were a combined 4-4-1-0 in the nine games played during those stretches.
 
SCOUTING THE MONSTERS
 
Cleveland enters tonight's contest in third place in the North Division — four points behind the Crunch. It's the fifth match of a season-high six-game road trip for the Monsters. They thrashed Belleville, 7-2, on Wednesday night.
 
Luca Del Bel Belluz (22g, 31a) leads Cleveland in all three major scoring categories. The 22-year-old enjoyed his best game of the season in Belleville on Wednesday, posting four points (3g, 1a). It marked the second hat trick of his AHL career.
 
Ivan Fedotov (22-13-4/2.77/.890) and Zach Sawchenko (11-7-3/2.82/.890) have shouldered the entirety of the goaltending burden for the Monsters. However, only Sawchenko has faced the Crunch. He won both games — allowing three goals on 51 shots — in Cleveland on Dec. 4 and Dec. 6.