CRUNCH GO FOR FIFTH STRAIGHT WIN
 
The Syracuse Crunch make their final trip of the season to Utica for a match against the Comets at the Adirondack Bank Center.
 
Syracuse has won seven of the first 10 head-to-head games against the Comets, but Utica has won the last three games contested at the Adirondack Bank Center.
 
The Crunch have wins in 11 of their last 12 games — including in four straight — entering the weekend finale.
 
BROADCAST COVERAGE
 
Countdown to Crunch Time at 2:45 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
 
Lucas Mercuri scored on the power play in overtime as the Crunch fended off a Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins rally to win, 3-2, Friday in Syracuse.
 
The Crunch opened up a 2-0 lead in the first eight minutes of the game. Tristan Allard cashed in off a 2-on-1 rush at 5:05 of the first period. Brendan Furry doubled the lead by tipping off a saucer pass from Jakob Pelletier off the rush at 7:46.
 
The Penguins scored the next two goals to tie the score. They nabbed one early in the second period and got the equalizer in the final minute of regulation. 
 
Mercuri's first career overtime goal came off a setup by Pelletier to give the Crunch their fourth straight win.
 
A RARITY
 
Friday's Crunch game was only the seventh to require overtime this season, which is the fewest in the AHL. Syracuse improved to 3-4 in games decided after regulation, and they are now 2-3 in the five-minute overtime period. Both overtime goals have been scored by rookies: Dominic James on Oct. 12 at Hershey and Lucas Mercuri on March 6 vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
 
Last season the Crunch played the third-most overtime contests in the league with 21.
 
MERCURI MASTERCLASS
 
Rookie forward Lucas Mercuri delivered his first career overtime goal Friday against the Penguins. The tally extended the Crunch's winning streak to four games and gives Mercuri four goals in his last six games.
 
The Montreal native, who turned 24 yesterday, leads all Crunch rookies in scoring with 21 points (12g, 9a). His plus-17 rating is sixth best among all AHL rookies.
 
SCOUTING THE COMETS
 
The Comets have climbed into the playoff conversation in the North Division with a 7-3-0-1 run since mid-February. They had a four-game winning streak snapped last night in Belleville and now complete a three-in-three weekend.
 
Forward Brian Halonen leads Utica with 17 goals and is tied for the team lean in points (28). He's riding a three-game point streak and has six points (5g, 1a) in seven games against the Crunch this season. Fellow forward Xavier Parent also has 28 points (16g, 12a) and has been on a tear recently. Parent has goals in five consecutive games, scoring seven goals over that span.
 
In the crease, Nico Daws (11-14-7/3.02/.885) is 1-6-0-0 in seven starts against Syracuse this season. Daws was pulled early in the second period of last night's 7-3 loss at Belleville after allowing five goals on 10 shots. Rookie goaltender Jakub Málek (9-11-2/2.71/.892) entered in relief and made 10 saves on 12 shots faced.  
 
FURRY STAYS HOT 
 
Forward Brendan Furry tallied his third goal in the last four games with a first-period strike on Friday. The Toledo, Ohio native continues to establish a new career-high with 13 goals and 27 points this season. 
 
Signed by the Crunch as a free agent this summer, Furry has 30 career AHL goals over 176 games between the Crunch and the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.