TOP PERFORMERS
Gemel Smith led the Crunch in Week 8 scoring, tallying one goal and two assists in the two games. He logged his fifth multi-point game of the season in Friday's loss at Belleville; he notched the game's opening goal and added an assist in their 6-4 loss to the Senators. The Toronto native picked up a primary assist on the Crunch's first goal in their 3-1 win over the Marlies Saturday. That assist marked his 200th career AHL point.
Smith carries a seven-game point streak, matching his seven-game streak that he opened the season with. Smith has 19 points (7g, 12a) this season, earning a point in 14 of 16 games played.
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Felix Robert pushed his scoring streak to three straight games with a point in both games in Week 8. After collecting a helper in the Crunch's loss at Belleville on Saturday, Robert broke a 1-1 tie with 5:43 left to play in the third period of Saturday's 3-1 win over the Marlies.
The goal, which stood as his first game-winning goal of the season, was his 10th overall, tying for the team lead with Simon Ryfors. The Crunch are one of four teams with at least two players with 10 or more goals this season.
KOEPKE, MYERS JOIN CRUNCH
The Crunch's rosters picked up two bid additions late last week, with the Tampa Bay Lightning assigning forward Cole Koepke and defenseman Philippe Myers to the Crunch.
Koepke, 24, earned a spot with the Lightning out of training camp and skated in 17 games with Tampa Bay to begin the season. He logged one goal for the Bolts. Koepke made his Crunch season debut Saturday in Toronto; he scored an empty-net goal and added four shots in the team's win. Koepke led Crunch rookies with 20 goals last season and he finished with 39 points over 69 games.
Myers, 25, was acquired by the Lightning this summer in a trade with the Nashville Predators. He has three points in 11 games so far this season with the Lightning. Now in his fifth pro season, Myers has seen AHL action for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (2017-20) and the Toronto Marlies (2021-22), totaling 125 games with 65 points.
UPCOMING: ROCHESTER | TORONTO | UTICA
The Crunch's three-game week begins Wednesday in Rochester for the fifth head-to-head matchup against the Americans. The Amerks have won three of the first four games, including each of the last two games. Rochester has won both games at Blue Cross Arena. The Amerks split a pair of games in Cleveland last week and they are 11-7-1-1 this season to sit in second place in the North Division.
The Crunch return to Upstate Medical University Arena on Friday to kick off a string of five straight home games when they take on the Toronto Marlies. It's the third week in a row the teams will go head-to-head; the Crunch have won both of those to even up the season series after the Marlies grabbed two wins in October. Toronto sits atop the North Division with a 13-7-1-0 record despite falling to the Crunch over the weekend.
Syracuse finishes the week with just the second match up against the Utica Comets. The teams are slated to meet 14 times in the regular season, meaning they will go head-to-head 13 times over the Crunch's final 50 games (26.0%). The Crunch defeated the Comets, 8-3, Nov. 12. The Comets have played the fewest games in the division (18) and they are 7-7-3-1 this season.
WEEK 8 RESULTS
Friday, December 2 | Game 19 at Belleville | L, 6-4*
Syracuse 2 0 2 - 4 Shots: 15-9-15-39 PP: 1/3
Belleville 1 2 3 - 6 Shots: 16-11-5-32 PP: 1/2
1st Period-Smith 7 (Raddysh, Fortier), 4:57. Thompson 3 (Carlile, Robert), 11:53. 3rd Period-Finley 3 (Carrick, Goncalves), 5:46 (PP). Dumont 2 (Smith, Fortier), 10:26. . . . Alnefelt 3-3-1 (31 shots-26 saves) A-1,752
Saturday, December 3 | Game 20 at Toronto | W, 3-1
Syracuse 0 1 2 - 3 Shots: 6-10-13-29 PP: 1/3
Toronto 0 1 0 - 1 Shots: 3-11-13-27 PP: 1/4
2nd Period-Barré-Boulet 5 (Smith), 2:42 (PP). 3rd Period-Robert 10 (Element, Carlile), 14:17. Koepke 1 (Barré-Boulet, Carrick), 19:33 (EN). . . . Lagace 5-5-3 (27 shots-26 saves) A-3,361
