Syracuse Crunch Weekly Release – Vol. 31, No. 5

CRUNCH COME UP SHORT IN WEEK 5  
 
The Crunch lost a pair of games in Week 5 to fall to 0.500 through the first month of the season. 
 
Syracuse went on the road to begin the week Wednesday at Hartford. The teams were held without a goal until the third period; Joel Teasdale scored with 16.2 seconds remaining to tie the game at one before the Crunch lost with less than five seconds remaining in overtime. After their lone Friday off day of the season, the Crunch were upended by the Cleveland Monsters, 5-2, at a sold-out Upstate Medical University Arena during the team’s Military Appreciation Game.
 
The Crunch have lost three straight games and are 5-5-1-0 entering their second three-game week of the season. They have 11 points and are in sixth place in the North Division. 
 
TOP PERFORMERS
 
Assistant captain Gabe Fortier had his strongest game since returning from injury at the start of November. The 24-year-old notched his first two points (1g, 1a) in Saturday’s loss to the Cleveland Monsters. 
 
Fortier had an offseason operation and was unavailable at the start of the regular season. He made his season debut Nov. 1 and has appeared in four games.
 
The Lachine, Quebec native has appeared in 239 career Crunch games since 2018-19, totaling 102 points (45g, 57a). He was named a permanent assistant captain in March.
 
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Conor Sheary is finding his footing with the Crunch after joining the team two weeks ago. The veteran forward logged a pair of points in Week 5 to stretch his scoring streak to three straight games. 
 
Sheary set up the game-tying goal in the final minute of the third period Wednesday in Hartford, earning the Crunch a valuable point in the standings. He then scored his first Crunch goal in Saturday’s setback against Cleveland.
 
A two-time Stanley Cup champion, Sheary has three points (1g, 2a) in four games with the Crunch this season. He has also skated in three games for the Tampa Bay Lightning. He had 15 points in 57 games with the Bolts last year, his first in Tampa Bay.
 
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Gage Goncalves returned from a two-game stint with the Lightning to post two assists Saturday against the Monsters. He has points in four straight appearances (6a) with the Crunch. 
 
UPCOMING WEEK 
 
Wednesday, Nov. 13 at Belleville | 7 p.m.      
                                                                                                
The Crunch make their second trip this season to CAA Arena to face off against the Belleville Senators. It marks the fourth of eight head-to-head meetings this season; six of the eight take place prior to January. The Crunch won the first two matches — including handing Belleville its lone regulation loss — before the Senators answered back with a 6-2 win on Nov. 2.
 
Derrick Pouliot leads the Crunch with five points (3g, 2a) in the series. He has one three-point (2g, 1a) and one two-point (1g, 1a) game in the last two meetings. Belleville captain Garret Pilon has posted six points (1g, 5a) in three games.
 
Friday, Nov. 15 vs. Laval | 7 p.m.                    
                                                                                  
The Crunch return home Friday for their third meeting this season against the Laval Rocket. The Rocket swept a two-game set at Place Bell Oct. 18-19, holding the Crunch to only one goal over the two contests.
 
The Rocket had their eight-game winning streak snapped over the weekend in Belleville. They are 9-2-0-0 overall and will make a stop in Rochester on Wednesday before taking on the Crunch. 
 
It will mark the return of forward Alex Barré-Boulet, who played the first six years of his career with the Crunch. He holds the Crunch’s franchise records for goals (113), assists (189) and points (302). He has 11 points (3g, 8a) in his first seven games for the Rocket.
 
Saturday, Nov. 16 at Utica | 7 p.m.               
                                                                                       
The Crunch wrap up the weekend Saturday in Utica with their second game this season against the Comets. Syracuse won the season opener, 5-0, at the Adirondack Bank Center. That was the first of a 12-game winless streak for the Comets (0-9-1-2) to begin the season. Their next two chances for a win will be against the Crunch this Saturday and next Friday in Syracuse.
 
The Comets rank 31st in both goals for per game (1.75) and goals against per game (4.25) and their minus-30 goal differential is worst in the league. The New Jersey Devils dismissed Comets head coach Kevin Dineen last week; Ryan Parent has taken over as interim head coach.
 
WEEK 5 RESULTS
 
Wednesday, Nov. 6 | Game 10 at Hartford | OTL, 2-1
Syracuse    0 0 0 1 – 1     Shots: 13-3-15-1-32     PP: 1/4
Hartford    0 0 1 1 – 2     Shots: 3-11-5-2-21        PP: 0/5
3rd Period-Teasdale 3 (Sheary, Pouliot), 19:43 (PP). . . . Halverson 3-1-1 (21 shots-19 saves) A-2,169
 
Saturday, Nov. 9 | Game 11 vs. Cleveland | L, 5-2
Cleveland      2 2 1 – 5     Shots: 11-7-3-21           PP: 2/3
Syracuse        0 0 2 – 2     Shots: 9-13-14-36         PP: 0/2
3rd Period-Sheary 1 (Goncalves, Fortier), 1:29. Fortier 1 (Goncalves, Santini), 9:21. . . . Tomkins 2-4-0 (20 shots-16 saves) A-6,232