After having five days off for the AHL All-Star break, the Lake Erie Monsters return to action on Friday night when they travel to Syracuse to take on the Crunch. Prior to the break, Lake Erie spent the past weekend on the road in Norfolk and Philadelphia. On the road, Lake Erie went 1-1, beating the Admirals, 3-2, on Friday and losing to the Phantoms, 3-2, on Saturday.

Defenseman Kyle Cumiskey and goaltender Tyler Weiman represented the Monsters in the 2009 AHL All-Star Game, playing for the Canadian AHL All-Stars. In the game, Cumiskey registered two points (1G, 1A) and a plus/minus rating of +6 while Weiman played in the third period, making eight saves on 15 shots.

The game Friday marks the fourth of eight meetings this season between the Monsters and Crunch. It is Lake Erie’s second tilt at the Onondaga County War Memorial at Oncenter. So far this season, Lake Erie is 2-1 against the Crunch. The Monsters will come back to Quicken Loans Arena on Saturday for a 7:30 p.m. matchup with the Hamilton Bulldogs, a team they’ve played five times this season, compiling a 1-4 record.

In their first game against Syracuse, December 20th, the Monsters and goaltender Tyler Weiman posted the third shutout of the season in a 4-0 victory. Center Marty Sertich registered his fourth multi-point game of the season, putting up two goals, including the eventual game-winner.

Lake Erie’s second game of 2009, January 3rd against the Crunch at The Q, yielded a 3-2 Monsters win. Forward Codey Burki led the way with two points (1G, 1A), while defenseman Mike Vernace scored the game-winning goal in overtime. Goaltender Jason Bacashihua made 29 saves in the one goal victory.

Most recently, Lake Erie was dropped, 3-1, by Syracuse on January 6th at The Q. Kevin Harvey, Tom Sestito and Derek MacKenzie all scored for the Crunch while goaltender Dan LaCosta made 24 saves. Bacashihua made 25 saves in the loss and Lake Erie’s lone goal came from the stick of Chris Mueller.

After the Friday night tilt, Lake Erie will travel 335 miles west back to The Q for a 7:30 p.m. tilt against Hamilton. The Monsters will debut their alternate black jersey on that night and all fans who buy tickets at the box office and wear a black shirt will receive $3 off their ticket. All fans are encouraged to wear black shirts to cause a “blackout” at The Q.

So far, Lake Erie has mustered just one win against the Bulldogs in five attempts. The lone victory for the Monsters against the Bulldogs came at home on Sunday, November 9th. In the game, forward Chris Stewart and defenseman Kyle Cumiskey, both currently up with Lake Erie’s NHL affiliate, the Colorado Avalanche, had three point nights. Stewart recorded a hat trick, Lake Erie’s only one so far this season, and Cumiskey registered three assists, a number that marks a Monsters season high for 2008-09.

The Monsters pack their bags and leave for a two-game road trip that will see them play the Manitoba Moose on Monday and Tuesday nights. Lake Erie dropped their only contest against the Moose this season, 1-0, on January 17th at The Q.