CRUNCH READY FOR FINAL TWO WEEKS
The Syracuse Crunch earned a single standings point in two contests against Atlantic Division foes in Week 26.
The Crunch fell in the weekend opener against the AHL-leading Providence Bruins, 4-2, Friday in Syracuse. The Crunch erased two one-goal deficits, but the Bruins got the winner early in the second period before adding an empty-net goal in the third. Syracuse traveled to Springfield on Saturday and rallied three times before falling in a shootout, 4-3, to the T-Birds. Syracuse has earned points in nine straight road games (7-0-0-2) since Feb. 7.
The Crunch have 85 points (39-21-3-4) and trail the Laval Rocket by two points for first place in the North Division. Syracuse controls its destiny in the race for the North Division title; if the Crunch win their final five games they would clinch the division title.
TOP PERFORMERS
Nick Abruzzese scored a goal in both games last weekend to extend his goal streak to three straight games. It's the first time since his rookie season (2022-23) that he has cashed in in three straight games; he has never scored a goal in four straight games in the AHL.
His equalizer on Saturday in Springfield helped force overtime and earn a valuable standings point. He has 47 points (14g, 33a) in 52 games and is closing in on career-highs in goals, assists and points during his first season with the Crunch.
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Defensemen
Ethan Samson jumped back into the lineup Saturday in Springfield and netted the lone multi-point game of the weekend for the Crunch. He scored a tying goal in the second period and factor in on another tying goal in the third for his first two-point game since joining the Crunch in December.
The 22-year-old blueliner has collected 10 points (3g, 7a) in 26 Crunch games this season.
PELLETIER TIES FRANCHISE RECORD
Jakob Pelletier matched the Crunch's franchise record by extending his point streak to 18 consecutive games. Pelletier has collected 25 points (8g, 17a) during the streak, which began on Feb. 20. He has eight more points than his closest teammate in that span.
Pelletier has tied Mark Hartigan for the longest point streak in Crunch history. Hartigan's 18-game run went from Dec. 14, 2005 to Feb. 2, 2006 and featured 36 points (17g, 19a). It also the longest streak in the AHL since Paul Carey's 19-game run for the Hershey Bears during the 2016-17 season.
UPCOMING WEEK
Wednesday, April 8 vs. Rochester | 7 p.m.
The Crunch wrap up their 12-game season series against the Rochester Americans tomorrow night at Upstate Medical University Arena. The Crunch have won six of the 11 matches in the series, but Rochester picked up a shootout win in the previous meeting to snap the Crunch's four-game head-to-head win streak.
Rochester picked up a second straight win with a shootout decision Monday in Cleveland to trim its magic number to clinch a playoff berth to six. The Amerks are 30-27-5-4 and are in fifth place in the North Division with 69 points. Rochester is 1-3-0-1 in five contests in Syracuse.
Saturday, April 11 vs. Utica | 7 p.m.
The Crunch face off against the Utica Comets for the final time in the 2025-26 season. Syracuse is 8-3-0-0 in the season series against Utica and all 11 games have ended in regulation. The Crunch have won all five home games in the series.
Utica's second-half surge has the Comets within seven points of the final North Division playoff spot with only six games remaining. They are 13-8-0-2 since the AHL All-Star Break. Utica enters the week with points in five straight games (4-0-0-1).
Sunday, April 12 vs. Toronto | 4 p.m.
The Crunch end the weekend with a Sunday home game against the Toronto Marlies. It wraps up the four-game season series between the clubs. Toronto has won the last two meetings, including a 5-1 win in Syracuse on March 11 that broke the Crunch's string of 12 wins in 13 games.
The Marlies have lost four straight games and have not yet secured a playoff berth, but their magic number stands at one. They are in fourth place in the North Division with 74 points.
WEEK 26 RESULTS
Friday, April 3 | Game 66 vs. Providence | L, 4-2
Providence 2 1 1 - 4 Shots: 14-9-5-28 PP: 1/2
Syracuse 1 1 0 - 2 Shots: 7-8-11-26 PP: 0/1
1st Period-Peca 11 (
Mitchell, Pietroniro), 6:58. 2nd Period-Abruzzese 13 (
Pelletier, Groshev), 1:35.
Halverson 23-9-5 (16 shots-13 saves); Fanti (11 shots-11 saves) A-5,922
Saturday, April 4 | Game 67 at Springfield | SOL, 4-3
SYR 0 1 2 0 0 - 3 Shots: 6-5-8-2-0-21 PP: 0/4
SPR 1 1 1 0 1 - 4 Shots: 12-10-12-2-1-37 PP: 2/7
2nd Period-Samson 3 (
Gauthier, Grondin), 8:07. 3rd Period-Pelletier 28 (
Unassisted), 1:55 (SH). Abruzzese 14 (
Pietroniro, Samson), 8:38. Shootout-Springfield 1 (Bordeleau NG, Dean NG, Kaskimaki NG, Thomas G), Syracuse 0 (Abruzzese NG, Peca NG, Groshev NG, Duke NG).
Halverson 23-9-6 (36 shots-33 saves) A-5,841
| Category |
Average/Total |
AHL Rank (Prev) |
| Power Play |
21.9% (53-for-242) |
5th (5th) |
| Penalty Kill |
81.7% (174-for-213) |
17th (T-12th) |
| Goals For |
3.30 GFA (221) |
T-10th (8th) |
| Goals Against |
2.61 GAA (175) |
4th (3rd) |
| Shots For |
27.90 SF/G (1822) |
17th (T-16th) |
| Shots Against |
25.60 SA/G (1715) |
3rd (1st) |
| Penalty Minutes |
14.28 PIM/G (957) |
9th (8th) |
| Category |
|
Leader |
| Points |
75 |
Pelletier |
| Goals |
31 |
Duke |
| Assists |
47 |
Pelletier |
| PIM |
130 |
Mercuri |
| Plus/Minus |
+34 |
Mitchell |
| Wins |
23 |
Halverson |
| GAA |
2.39 |
Halverson |
| Save % |
.906 |
Halverson |
| North Division |
GP |
W |
L |
OTL |
SOL |
PTS |
PCT |
GF |
GA |
PIM |
HOME |
ROAD |
LAST 10 |
STREAK |
S/O |
| 1. x Laval |
68 |
40 |
21 |
2 |
5 |
87 |
0.640 |
217 |
183 |
1098 |
22-8-1-3 |
18-13-1-2 |
5-3-0-2 |
1-0-0-0 |
6-5 |
| 2. x Syracuse |
67 |
39 |
21 |
3 |
4 |
85 |
0.634 |
221 |
175 |
957 |
21-9-1-1 |
18-12-2-3 |
4-3-0-3 |
0-1-0-2 |
1-4 |
| 3. x Cleveland |
68 |
35 |
25 |
6 |
2 |
78 |
0.574 |
205 |
214 |
855 |
18-11-4-2 |
17-14-2-0 |
3-6-0-1 |
2-0-0-1 |
3-2 |
| 4. Toronto |
67 |
32 |
25 |
5 |
5 |
74 |
0.552 |
210 |
213 |
961 |
18-11-1-3 |
14-14-4-2 |
4-5-1-0 |
0-4-0-0 |
3-5 |
| 5. Rochester |
66 |
30 |
27 |
5 |
4 |
69 |
0.523 |
202 |
209 |
750 |
15-15-3-2 |
15-12-2-2 |
5-5-0-0 |
2-0-0-0 |
2-4 |
| 6. Utica |
66 |
26 |
30 |
5 |
5 |
62 |
0.470 |
178 |
205 |
773 |
15-13-2-4 |
11-17-3-1 |
6-3-0-1 |
4-0-0-1 |
3-5 |
| 7. Belleville |
67 |
26 |
32 |
8 |
1 |
61 |
0.455 |
208 |
240 |
951 |
12-18-3-1 |
14-14-5-0 |
5-4-0-1 |
0-1-0-0 |
3-1 |
