Tonight (3/20): Home vs. WB/Scranton Penguins
Have a glance at the Eastern Conference standings. The Crunch hold the third spot as a divisional leader with 80 points. Right behind them lies the Baby Pens, who have 78 points and stand second in the East Division. This is the fourth meeting between the two teams with the Crunch winning the last two matches over Penguins. However, when you look at the final scores, each game has been decided by only one goal, including Scranton winning the first game in overtime fashion. The Penguins have always been fierce competition for the Crunch. They will be looking to not only even the season series, but gain ground in the playoff chase within the East Division and the Eastern Conference. This team reminds me more of the Penguins who gave the Crunch their first loss in the 2012-13 playoffs, pesky and skilled. On the other hand, the Crunch may use their momentum from last weekend and try to embarrass the Baby Pens like they did in the rest of the 2012-13 Eastern Conference Finals. It is Star Wars Night for the Crunch. Hopefully the force will be with them.
Saturday (3/21): Home vs. Utica Comets
The hottest rivalry in hockey ignites again in the Old Barn. Like the Crunch in the Eastern Conference, the Comets are first in the North Division and third in the Western Conference. The last time these teams met, the Crunch handled the Comets in the War Memorial with a 4-1 win. On the other hand, I think it can be agreed upon that Utica was not at their best. Pat Nagle, a former member of the Crunch, made his first start in net for Utica in the loss. This time, the Comets have either Joe Cannata or Joicam Eriksson in the goal, who have more experience starting against tough AHL competition. Utica is looking to claw back and get another win against their I-90 rival. As usual, I think the Old Barn will have more Comet Crazies in the stands and make it feel like an away game for the Crunch. Syracuse has to use home ice to their advantage and clinch the series against the Comets.
Sunday (3/22): Away vs. Springfield
Earlier in the season, the Crunch struggled against the Falcons and found themselves trying to chase them down in the division. Eventually, the Crunch not only caught Springfield, but jumped them for first. Now, the Falcons are in a dog fight with Hartford to take back first place from the Crunch. More importantly, the Falcons are sitting in eighth place of the Eastern Conference, which is the final spot in the playoffs. As of today, Springfield has 72 points, just eight behind the Crunch and one point behind the Wolf Pack. On the other hand, the Crunch have only beaten the Falcons once this season in five games. If anyone is going to beat the Crunch this weekend, the odds lie in favor of the Falcons. The Crunch need this win to keep the Falcons down in both the division and conference. It would also stand as a statement win heading to the postseason. You never know, the Crunch may end up facing the Falcons in the playoffs, just like in 2012-13.
Keys to the Weekend:
Who starts in net and when?
Last weekend, both Guddy and York had great performances between the pipes. Both are basically unbeatable at their best. However, looking at experience and consistency, it is going to be a difficult call on which goalie starts in each game this weekend. York is good, but I would not trust him enough to go against Utica or Springfield. On the flip side, I don't think Guddy can go all three games this weekend. That would drain him and leave him questionable for the Wednesday match in Leigh Valley along with two home matches next weekend. It'll be interesting to see which games Guddy will play in and if York does get some playing time this weekend.
The Return of the Captain:
This morning, reports came in stating Tampa Bay has reassigned Captain Mike Angelidis back to the Crunch. This is a great move for the Crunch. They not only get their captain back, but they get a scoring threat plus some muscle back into a lineup in need of motivation and force. I wouldn't be surprise if Mike gets a couple of goals and racks up some penalty minutes for Syracuse.
Spread Offense:
Last weekend, the Crunch saw a variety of players produce goals on offense. They need to keep this trend going. Though having Gourde and Marchessault score plenty of goals isn't a bad thing, having more goal scorers keeps defenses on their toes and gives them fits trying to isolate and stop only a couple of offensive threats.
Late Season Push:
If you know the Crunch like I do, they always seem to pull out a late season run that propels them into the post season. Last weekend may stand as a sign of that habit rearing its head again. Believe me, wins are wins, no matter how or when the Crunch get them. Unlike in the past, the Crunch have the advantage of having a great first half of the season. Because of this, the Crunch are fighting for top seed positioning instead of fighting just to make the playoffs. Hopefully, the Crunch have their late season push and it turns into a lengthy playoff run.
Conclusion:
This is a must win weekend for the Crunch. Any loss this weekend can spell disaster for the Crunch concerning the rest of the season and possibly the playoffs. They need to not only win these games, but they need to learn from them in order to make improvements and prepare for the upcoming postseason. This is a weekend where fans need to flood to the War Memorial and cheer on the boys in white and blue (especially Saturday, DO NOT let Comet Crazies dominate attendance.) Let's Go Crunch!
Thanks/Credits:
http://syracusecrunch.com/news/2015/3/20/Crunch_0320155240.aspx
http://theahl.com/playoff-primer-2015-p196322
http://syracusecrunch.com/schedule.aspx?path=mhockey&schedule=4&&tab=2
http://www.uticacomets.com/roster/
http://syracusecrunch.com/news/2015/2/28/Crunch_0228153810.aspx?path=mhockey