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AHL Syracuse Crunch

Syracuse Crunch Weekly - Vol. 31, No. 17

February 4, 2025 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Syracuse Crunch News Release


CRUNCH DROP A PAIR BEFORE BREAK

The Crunch lost two straight matchups against the Rochester Americans in a home-and-home series in Week 17.

Syracuse had a sluggish start to the week on Friday in Rochester, where the Crunch fell behind 3-0 in barely 11 minutes. The game was tight the rest of the way, but the Crunch lost, 4-1, in the opening game of the set against the Amerks. In Saturday's rematch the Crunch held three one-goal leads, but the Amerks took their one and only lead when they won the game in overtime.

Saturday marked the Crunch's 10th defeat in overtime or a shootout (4-10, 0.286), and it was their eighth on home ice (3-8).

The Crunch hit the AHL All-Star Break at 18-15-6-4 and carry 46 points. In what is currently a three-team race for the final North Division playoff spot, the Crunch lead the Belleville Senators by five points and the Utica Comets by 11 points, but those teams have five and two games in hand respectively on the Crunch.

TOP PERFORMER

Rookie Dylan Duke scored his first two goals since returning from a seven-game absence due to injury. Duke tallied the Crunch's lone goal in Friday's loss to the Amerks. He then scored a go-ahead goal early in the third period on Saturday, but the Crunch saw that lead slip away in an overtime defeat.

The 21-year-old leads the Crunch with 13 goals this season. The last Crunch rookie to lead the team in goals was Alex Barré-Boulet, who tied for the team and AHL lead with 34 in 2018-19.

Duke is tied for third on the Crunch with 22 points (13g, 9a) in 36 games this season.

HALVERSON EARNS NHL CONTRACT

The Tampa Bay Lightning signed goaltender Brandon Halverson to an NHL contract on Tuesday. Halverson, who was named an AHL All-Star, was unable to participate in the All-Star Classic as he joined the Lightning in Tampa. The 28-year-old leads the Crunch with a 12-7-7 record with a 2.20 goal-against average and a .918 save percentage.

Halverson started last season on an ECHL contract with the Orlando Solar Bears. He signed a professional try-out with the Crunch in November and turned that into a two-year AHL contract. He was released from that AHL contract to ink his two-year NHL deal; Halverson will now require waivers if he is to rejoin the Crunch this season.

The Michigan native has one career NHL appearance - a relief outing for the New York Rangers on Feb. 17, 2018.

POULIOT REPS CRUNCH AT ALL-STAR

With Brandon Halverson unavailable to attend, defenseman Derrick Pouliot was the lone Crunch representative at the AHL All-Star Classic hosted by Coachella Valley.

During the Skills Competition, Pouliot participated in CCM Hardest Shot, Silvercrest Pass and Score, and the Upper Deck Breakaway Relay. The Eastern Conference won the Skills Competition, 19-13.

The North Division did not fare as well in the All-Star Challenge on Monday. The squad went 1-2 in three round robin games. Pouliot notched two assists and was a team-best plus-4 rating to cap his third career All-Star appearance.

UPCOMING WEEK

Friday, Feb. 7 vs. Utica | 7 p.m.

The Crunch emerge from the All-Star Break Friday night at home against the Utica Comets. It will mark the halfway point of the 14-game season series. The teams have split the first six contests; after the Crunch started 3-1, the Comets have earned two straight wins against the Crunch.

The Comets lost three of four (1-2-1-0) heading into the All-Star Break after rattling off four straight wins. They are 15-21-3-2 overall and have closed the gap to the final playoff position to 11 points.

Saturday, Feb. 8 at Hershey | 7 p.m.

The Crunch travel overnight Friday and arrive in Hershey on Saturday to take on the Bears in Hershey's first game following the All-Star Break. Hershey went 7-1-2-0 in the 10 games leading into the break, with its lone regulation loss a 9-0 drubbing against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

The two-time defending Calder Cup Champions are again atop the AHL standings with 61 points (28-12-5-0). They have won twice against the Crunch this season; both matches took place in Syracuse.

WEEK 17 RESULTS

Friday, Jan. 31 | Game 42 at Rochester | L, 4-1

Syracuse 0 1 0 - 1 Shots: 10-9-9-28 PP: 0/3

Rochester 3 0 1 - 4 Shots: 8-8-7-23 PP: 1/2

2nd Period-Duke 12 (Crozier), 5:20.. .. Tomkins 12-7-6 (5 shots-2 saves); Fanti ND (17 shots-17 saves). A-7,857

Saturday, Feb. 1 | Game 43 vs. Rochester | OTL, 4-3

Rochester 1 1 1 1 - 4 Shots: 9-8-5-1-23 PP: 1/4

Syracuse 1 1 1 0 - 3 Shots: 10-7-22-0-39 PP: 0/4

1st Period-Korczak 4 (Khaira, Carlile), 11:50. 2nd Period-Groshev 4 (Unassisted), 9:50. 3rd Period-Duke 13 (Santini, Khaira), 3:34.. .. Halverson 12-7-7 (23 shots-19 saves) A-6,228

Category Average/Total AHL Rank (Prev)

Power Play 13.7% (21-for-153) 31st (29th)

Penalty Kill 81.5% (128-for-157) 20th (19th)

Goals For 2.60 GFA (112) 31st (30th)

Goals Against 2.63 GAA (113) 6th (4th)

Shots For 27.53 SF/G (1184) 28th (29th)

Shots Against 27.81 SA/G (1196) 10th (10th)

Penalty Minutes 12.05 PIM/G (518) 22nd (20th)

Category Leader

Points 33 Pouliot

Goals 13 Duke

Assists 28 Pouliot

PIM 48 Crozier

Plus/Minus +11 Huuhtanen|Pouliot

Wins 12 Halverson

GAA 2.20 Halverson

Save % .918 Halverson

North Division GP W L OTL SOL PTS PCT GF GA PIM HOME ROAD LAST 10 STREAK S/O

1. Laval 42 28 11 2 1 59 0.702 130 106 653 15-5-1-1 13-6-1-0 8-1-1-0 5-0-0-0 2-1

2. Rochester 43 27 12 3 1 58 0.674 151 119 502 9-6-2-1 18-6-1-0 6-3-0-1 4-0-0-0 3-1

3. Toronto 41 24 11 2 4 54 0.659 126 107 406 11-5-0-2 13-6-2-2 7-2-0-1 2-0-0-1 2-4

4. Cleveland 43 24 13 3 3 54 0.628 135 133 513 12-6-2-3 12-7-1-0 5-3-2-0 1-0-0-0 2-3

5. Syracuse 43 18 15 6 4 46 0.535 112 113 518 8-6-4-4 10-9-2-0 3-5-1-1 0-1-1-0 2-4

6. Belleville 38 18 15 1 4 41 0.539 110 125 495 9-8-1-2 9-7-0-2 5-5-0-0 1-0-0-0 3-4

7. Utica 41 15 21 3 2 35 0.427 107 132 529 7-10-1-2 8-11-2-0 6-3-1-0 1-0-1-0 0-2

Check out the Syracuse Crunch Statistics



American Hockey League Stories from February 4, 2025


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