CRUNCH GO FOR FIFTH STRAIGHT ROAD WIN
 
The Syracuse Crunch make their final trip to Quebec this season to take on the first-place Laval Rocket tonight at Place Bell.
 
It's the seventh game of the eight-game season series; the Crunch are 3-1-1-1 against the Rocket and defeated Laval, 6-4, last Saturday in Syracuse.
 
The Crunch trail the Rocket by five points in the North Division; however, they've played three fewer games.
 
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
 
LAST TIME OUT
 
Three different Crunch players found the back of the net as Syracuse skated past Rochester, 3-1, on Sunday afternoon at Upstate Medical University Arena. The Crunch have now won nine of their last 10 games. They improve to 4-4-0-0 in the 12-game season series against the Amerks.
 
Syracuse led 1-0 after 20 minutes on a four-on-three power-play goal by Conor Geekie midway through the opening period. It marked Geekie's first goal in six games.
 
Brendan Furry cashed in for the second straight game 4:22 into period two. Then, with just 1:23 remaining in the second, Jakob Pelletier scored shorthanded to make it 3-0 Crunch.
 
Rochester spoiled the shutout bid with three minutes left in the third but could draw no closer.
 
Ryan Fanti turned aside 20 shots, while Mitchell Chaffee earned first-star honors with a pair of assists.
 
SHORTHANDED STREAK
 
The Crunch recorded shorthanded goals in both contests last weekend. It's the second time this season Syracuse has tallied with a man-down in back-to-back games (Dec. 12-13 vs. Lehigh Valley and Hartford).
 
Brendan Furry scored on a breakaway in Saturday's 6-4 win against Laval. It was his first shorthanded marker this season, but the forward notched five last year with the Phantoms.
 
On Sunday, Jakob Pelletier tapped in a pass from Mitchell Chaffee in the 3-1 victory over Rochester.
 
The Crunch have nine shorthanded goals this season, tied with Hershey, Manitoba and Bakersfield for the AHL lead. It's the most the Crunch have had in a season since scoring 11 during the 2019-20 campaign.
 
PELTS BACK IN FRONT
 
Jakob Pelletier leads the AHL with 57 points (21g, 36a). He recorded two points (1g, 1a) in Sunday's 3-1 win over Rochester to surge into the top spot past Laval's Laurent Dauphin.
 
Pelletier enters tonight's contest on a four-game point streak. The 24-year-old has racked up a team-high 19 multi-point games this season.
 
GEEKIE RECALLED TO TAMPA BAY
 
Forward Conor Geekie was recalled to Tampa Bay yesterday. The second-year-pro is second on the Crunch and tied for fourth in overall league scoring with 51 points (14g, 37a) in 47 games this season. He has picked up at least one point in 11 of the last 12 Crunch games since Jan. 30.
 
Geekie played in his seventh NHL game this season in last night's 5-1 loss for the Lightning versus the Minnesota Wild.
 
SCOUTING THE ROCKET
 
Laval leads the North Division and sits in third place in the Eastern Conference with 73 points. The Rocket started February 7-0-0-1 but lost three of their last four games to close out the month. They fell to the Crunch, 6-4, on Saturday in Syracuse.
 
Forward Alex Belzile has five points (2g, 3a) in his last two games and leads Laval with 26 goals. His 51 points are tied for fourth in the AHL. Belzile has eight points (3g, 5a) in six games against Syracuse this season.
 
Kaapo Kähkönen (18-5-4/2.63/.902) is 2-1-0-0 in three starts against the Crunch. Hunter Jones (0-3-0/4.16/.844) started in the loss at Syracuse on Saturday, allowing six goals on 19 shots. Rookie goaltender Jacob Fowler (18-7-1/2.23/.915) hasn't played since Feb. 16 due to an illness.