Syracuse Crunch (Crunch Twitter)

After missing out on the playoffs last year, the Syracuse Crunch are back in the hunt for the Calder Cup. The minor league affiliate of the Tampa Bay Lighting beat rival Utica 1-0, making the day extremely satisfying. 

Playoff games for the Crunch are slated to begin around April 21st. 

While playoffs are on the horizon, the season is not over for the team. The Syracuse Crunch must play to decide if they are still in second place, move up to first or down to third. Their remaining games are the following: at Utica on Wednesday, home vs. Binghamton on Friday and home against Utica on Saturday. Playing their rivals three times in the span of a few days will be a big test for the team. It will be great preparation for what is sure to be a competitive playoff run. 

The Crunch will have some backup during that time. The Lightning were eliminated from playoff contention, allowing several prospects back into Syracuse for their run. Recently, young forwards Joel Vermin and Michael Bournival were reassigned to the team. With more depth on their roster than before, the Syracuse Crunch will be a loaded weapon come playoff time.  

You can keep track of the Crunch and root them on by utilizing the hashtag #FIN15H.