Game 13 Preview: Syracuse Crunch at Utica Comets

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CRUNCH COLLIDE WITH COMETS

The Syracuse Crunch finish a four-game road stretch with a Veteran’s Day contest against the Utica Comets at the Adirondack Bank Center.

 

It’s the third game of the 12-game season series between the clubs. Syracuse has shut out Utica in both matches at home, outscoring the Comets 7-0 between the two games.

 

BROADCAST COVERAGE

Countdown to Crunch Time at 4:45 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

The Crunch lost their second straight game, 3-2, versus the Charlotte Checkers on Saturday at Bojangles Coliseum. It’s the first time this season that the Crunch have lost consecutive games.

 

Syracuse and Charlotte were tied after the first period. Both goals came in the opening three minutes, and the Crunch got their tally from Lucas Mercuri. The Checkers potted the next two goals to go up 3-1. A late strike from Nick Abruzzese wasn’t enough for the Crunch to make the comeback. 

 

Syracuse held a 30-28 shots advantage in the second of the two-game set, but they fell to 8-4-0-0 on the season.

 

QUIET IN THE QUEEN CITY

The Crunch couldn’t muster much offensively in their back-to-back losses to the Checkers.

 

Syracuse only scored three times all weekend, its lowest offensive output across any two-game stretch this season. Entering the weekend Syracuse had scored three or more goals in all but one other game — a 4-2 loss in Rochester on Oct. 22. The Crunch were averaging 4.17 goals per game on the road, but that has now dropped to 3.50 goals per road game.

 

The Crunch are 8-1-0-0 this season when they score three or more times. The only loss came at home against Belleville — a 7-4 loss on Nov. 1.

 

ABRUZZESE AMBUSH

Forward Nick Abruzzese netted his fourth goal of the season Saturday against Charlotte. The 26-year-old scored off a pass from Dylan Duke in the final two minutes of the game, marking his fourth time in the last five games putting up a point.

 

The Slate Hill, New York native is tied for second on the team in goals (4) and points (10). The former Maple Leafs draft selection has picked up points in all but four games this season.

 

SCOUTING THE COMETS

The Comets (2-7-1-0) sit in last place in the North Division. Utica has won two of its last three games after posting an 0-6-1-0 record in October. The Comets split two games last weekend, but they enter tonight’s contest coming off a 4-0 loss to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Sunday. It was the Comets’ fourth shutout loss of the year.

 

Utica has scored just 16 goals this season, the fewest in the AHL. Quebec native Xavier Parent leads the Comets with six points, while fellow Canadian forward Angus Crookshank’s four goals pace the club.

 

Nico Daws has backstopped the Comets to their two wins this season. He is 2-2-0 with a league-best 1.51 goals-against average and a .942 save percentage, which ranks second. He has allowed one or fewer goals in three of his four starts; the lone outlier was when he surrendered four against the Crunch on Oct. 31.  

 

PACKING A PUNCH

Crunch forward Lucas Mercuri had an eventful Saturday in Charlotte. The rookie scored his third goal of the season to tie the game at one at 2:56 of the first period. A few minutes later he dropped the gloves with MacKenzie Entwistle for his second fight of the season.

 

The Montreal native has four points (3g, 1a) in 10 games this season. His two regular season fights are the most on the team. He also had a scrap in the Crunch’s preseason game against the Comets on Oct. 2.