AHL Syracuse Crunch

Crunch In Race For Home Ice

March 20, 2006 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Syracuse Crunch News Release


PUSH FOR HOME ICE IN FULL FORCE: Syracuse enters the final weeks of the season battling with Grand Rapids and Manitoba for home-ice advantage in the 2006 Calder Cup Playoffs. The Crunch (12 games remaining-88 points) trail the Griffins (10 games remaining - 103 points) by 15 points for first place in the North Division and lead the Moose (12 games remaining - 86 points) by two points for second place. The magic number for the Crunch to clinch a trip to the playoffs is 2 ½ (any combination of Syracuse wins and Rochester losses adding up to 2 ½).

FRANCHISE WINS RECORD SET: With their win on Friday night over Albany, Syracuse set a franchise single season wins record, with 40th victory, breaking the old mark of 39 set in 2001-02. Their win on Saturday night tied the home wins record of 22 set during the 2001-02 season as well.

PICARD RECALLED BY COLUMBUS: The Syracuse Crunch announced that the Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled left wing Alexandre Picard.

Picard, 20, has appeared in 45 games with Syracuse this season, recording 15 goals, 15 assists and 52 penalty minutes. He has appeared in three games with Columbus earlier this season, registering six penalty minutes. A native of Les Saules, Quebec, Picard was selected by Columbus in the first round, eighth overall, in the 2004 Entry Draft.

FOR THE NUMBERS: Through March 20, 2006, Syracuse has recorded a Columbus-era high 178 players transactions compared to the teams' 161 total transactions made during the regular season in 2003-04. Last year Syracuse only saw 57 transactions during the lockout.

CRUNCH GAME-WORN JERSEY AUCTION: The Syracuse Crunch announced that their 2005-06 game-worn jersey auction will begin on Friday, March 17 when Syracuse hosts Albany.

Available for the auction this year are the teams' home jerseys (white color), road jerseys (blue color), third jerseys (red color), theme jerseys, St. Patrick's Day jerseys and warm-up jerseys. All of the available Crunch jerseys can be viewed on the Crunch's official website (www.syracusecrunch.com) beginning Friday, March 17

Fans can bid on Syracuse's 2005-06 game-worn jerseys at remaining Crunch home games or on the Crunch's official website www.syracusecrunch.com/shop/jersey_auction_new.cfm.

Bids must be made in $20 increments (for example - if current bid is $500, bids of $520, $540, $560, etc... will be accepted).

All winning bids will be notified within 48 hours of the conclusion of the auction. The auction will conclude Wednesday, May 3 at 5 p.m.

Winners are responsible for shipping and handling costs. Jerseys are not autographed.

THIS WEEK'S OPPONENTS:

BINGHAMTON (OTTAWA SENATORS): Syracuse hosts Binghamton on Friday, March 24 for the eighth and final regular season game. The Crunch lead the series 4-3-0, despite losing 4-2 to the Senators on March 4 at War Memorial at Oncenter. Center Mark Hartigan (4g, 9a) leads all players in head-to-head scoring with 13 points. Right wing Jeff Heerema (8a) leads the Senators in head-to-head scoring with eight points. Goaltenders Martin Prusek (0-1-0) and Andrew Penner (1-1-0) have split time in net for Syracuse. Binghamton goaltender Billy Thompson has posted a 1-3-0 record against Syracuse. Lifetime, the Crunch are 12-17-2 against the Senators.

HAMILTON (MONTREAL CANADIENS): On Saturday, March 25 Syracuse hosts Hamilton for the seventh and of eight regular season game. Syracuse leads the series 3-2-1, despite Hamilton beating Syracuse 6-5 in overtime on February 24 at the War Memorial at Oncenter. Center Mark Hartigan leads all players in head-to-head scoring with 10 points (7g, 3a). Right wing Andrei Kostitsyn (4g, 2a) and center Maxim Lapierre (1g, 5a) lead the Bulldogs in head-to-head scoring with six points. Goaltender Andrew Penner has a 1-1-1 record in net for Syracuse. Hamilton goaltenders Olivier Michaud (2-0-0) and Yann Danis (0-2-0) have split time in net. Lifetime, the Crunch are 27-31-12 against the Bulldogs.

UPCOMING PROMOTIONS:

Crunch Announce Details of Score with P&C Promotion: The Syracuse Crunch announced the details of the Score with P&C Promotion.

Beginning March 25, Syracuse Crunch fans that purchase any of the designated Acosta brand products noted below from P&C will be eligible to purchase up to four adult or child tickets for only $10 a ticket (up to $8 savings on each ticket) until April 15, 2006.

Customers must purchase any of these Acosta Products at P&C to receive the Syracuse Crunch Ticket Discount:

Hershey's Campbell's Duncan Hines

Heinz

Once customers purchase these products with their P&C Wild Card they will receive a checkout coupon with their receipt. They simply need to bring the checkout coupon to the Crunch box office to receive their Syracuse Crunch ticket discount.

Just one more way P&C and the Syracuse Crunch have teamed up to save Crunch fans more!

Saturday, April 1

Empire Vision Centers Poster Night II: The Syracuse Crunch announced today that their Saturday, April 1 game against Rochester will be Empire Vision Centers Poster Night II at the Crunch.

The first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive a 2005-06 Crunch poster, compliments of Empire Vision Centers.

PRACTICE SCHEDULE: The Crunch's weekly schedule is as follows:

Tuesday, March 21 10:30 a.m. practice @ War Memorial at Oncenter

Wednesday, March 22 10:30 a.m. practice @ War Memorial at Oncenter

Thursday, March 23 10:30 a.m. practice @ War Memorial at Oncenter

Friday, March 24 10:00 a.m. skate @ War Memorial at Oncenter

7:30 p.m. game vs. Binghamton

Saturday, March 25 10:00 a.m. skate @ War Memorial at Oncenter

7:30 p.m. game vs. Hamilton

Sunday, March 26 Off Day

*All practice times and locations subject to change

CRUNCHABLES: Defenseman Andy Delmore is within one assist of Chris O'Sullivan (1999-00) for most assists by a defenseman at 47. He is also four points short of tying O'Sullivan and Radim Bicanek (2000-01) for most points by a defenseman (65)... Syracuse's penalty kill unit was perfect this past weekend stopping all 12 of their opponents power play opportunities... Center Fedor Fedorov tallied his first Crunch goal in Syracuse's 2-1 overtime win over Albany on Friday... Left wing Cam Severson registered his first goal in a Syracuse uniform, tallying twice in Syracuse's shutout victory over Peoria on Saturday... Center Peter Sarno appeared in his 400th career AHL game on Friday night against Albany... Defenseman Dustin Wood made his Crunch debut Friday against the River Rats.

2005-06 RECORD: 41-21-4-2, 84 points (22-7-2-1 home, 19-14-2-1 road), second place, North Division

THIS WEEK'S GAMES

Friday, March 24 vs. Binghamton (29-31-4-4), 66 points, fifth place, East Division

Radio: 570AM WSYR, Internet: B2 Networks (www.syracusecrunch.com)

Saturday, March 25 vs. Hamilton (30-36-0-4), 64 points, sixth place, North Division

Radio: 570AM WSYR, Internet: B2 Networks (www.syracusecrunch.com)

*Radio station subject to change.

LAST WEEK'S RESULTS

Friday, March 17 CRUNCH 2 OT Albany 1

Saturday, March 18 CRUNCH 2 Peoria 0

HOME TEAM IN CAPS

Check out the Syracuse Crunch Statistics



American Hockey League Stories from March 20, 2006


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