CRUNCH FACE MUST-WIN GAME 4
 
The Syracuse Crunch look to extend their season this afternoon against the Cleveland Monsters in Game 4 of the North Division Semifinals at Upstate Medical University Arena.
 
The Monsters lead the best-of-5 series, 2-1, after winning Game 3 in overtime, 4-3, on Friday in Syracuse.
 
If the Crunch win this afternoon, they force a winner-take-all Game 5 in Syracuse next Saturday. If the Monsters win, they'll face either Laval or Toronto in the North Division Finals.
 
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
 
MONSTERS TAKE SERIES LEAD
 
The Monsters beat the Crunch, 4-3, in overtime in Game 3 Friday at Upstate Medical University Arena.
 
Syracuse led 1-0 after the first period thanks to Spencer Kersten's first career Calder Cup Playoffs goal at 10:08. Cleveland tied the game just eight seconds into period two, capitalizing after the puck appeared to hit the netting above the glass. Eight minutes later, they scored off the rush to take their first lead. 
 
Nick Abruzzese tied the game in the second period and Ethan Gauthier put the Crunch back in front early in the third. The Monsters knotted it up again six minutes later to force overtime. 
 
Hudson Fasching scored the winner on a wraparound goal 10:05 into the extra session.
 
WORKING OVERTIME 
 
Friday featured the first overtime game of the series. Cleveland prevailed to improve to 11-5 all-time in playoff overtime games. The Crunch fell to 15-17 in overtime during the playoffs.
 
The Monsters were far more familiar to overtime during the 2025-26 season. Their 22 overtime games ranked second-most in the AHL, and they posted a 13-9 record in games decided past regulation. 
The Crunch played a league-low 10 overtime games and had a 3-7 record in those games.
 
FACING ELIMINATION
 
Syracuse faces elimination today for the first time this postseason. Now in their eighth straight Calder Cup Playoffs, the Crunch have posted a 5-7 record when facing elimination in their preceding seven playoff runs. They are 1-2 against the Monsters in that span.
 
The last time the Crunch trailed 2-1 in a best-of-5 series, they beat Laval, 3-0, in Game 4 of the 2022 North Division Semifinals.
 
SCOUTING THE MONSTERS
 
Veteran forward Hudson Fasching scored the overtime game-winner for Cleveland on Friday. It marked the first overtime goal of Fasching's 377-game AHL career across both the regular season and playoffs.
 
Luca Del Bel Belluz (0g, 4a) and Mikael Pyyhtiä (1g, 2a) lead Cleveland in points and are the only two Monsters to appear on the scoresheet in all three games. Rookie Guillaume Richard, who recorded his first career two-goal playoff game in Game 3, leads the team with two goals.
 
Zach Sawchenko is 2-0 in the series and has stopped 60 of the 65 shots he's faced. Including the regular season, he's 4-1 against Syracuse this season with a 2.48 goals-against average and .904 save percentage. 
 
SPECIAL TEAMS STALEMATE
 
Neither team has scored a power-play goal through the first three games. Syracuse went 0-for-5 on the man advantage in Game 3 and is 0-for-8 in the series. Cleveland was 0-for-2 in Game 3 and is 0-for-6 in the series. 
 
The teams were a combined 5-for-31 (16.1%) during the regular season series. Syracuse was 2-for-12 and Cleveland was 3-for-19.