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Syracuse Crunch goalie Kristers Gudlevskis and his wife, Anastasia Drozdovich (R) and sister-in-law Katherine Drozdovich, the twin pop duo the Dvines, will perform the Canadian national anthem Friday night before the Crunch hosts Toronto in the War Memorial.

Syracuse, N.Y. -- Syracuse Crunch goalie Kristers Gudlevskis' wife, Anastasia, had one plea when she learned that her husband was going to appear in one of the team's popular lip synch videos earlier this season.

"I told him, 'You don't let me down. You're married to a performer. You can't let me down,''' she said Tuesday.

And according to her, he didn't.

"I think he was great in that video. He tried his best,'' she said. "I think a lot of people are surprised by it. That's actually how he is at home. When you meet him, and you know him better in person, he opens up and he's actually opening up more when he's one-on-one, not in a big group of people. And he's funny, and he laughs a lot, so he's that kind of guy.''

Anastasia speaks with the compassion of a wife, naturally, but also with the critical eyes and ears of a singer. Anastasia and her twin sister, Katherine, form the Dvines, a huge pop duo in their native Latvia.

The duo will sing the Canadian national anthem on Friday before the Crunch hosts the Toronto Marlies in the War Memorial.

Kristers will have other things on his mind that night, of course, so he won't be harmonizing with his wife and sister-in-law at that point. But at home and in an unguarded moment he's been known to jump in with a mis-matched verse or two of his own.

"He doesn't know songs. He invents his own songs, his own lyrics, usually,'' Katherine said.

"I would say it's more like a joke than singing. I'm really bad at it. So only them can hear it,'' Kristers said of belting out a tune at home.

For now, Kristers' one known public performance behind the mic will remain a passionate rendition of the Latvian national anthem at a team charity function two seasons ago.

"He actually sings way better when he's at home. He's not under pressure when he sings for me. He's even better then,'' Anastasia said. "He goes to high notes, whatever song he's singing he just likes to go up and sing above his range. That's his style. But he's good. He's not too bad. So, I enjoy his singing to me.''

Anastasia and Katherine, 25, have been singing together ever since they can remember and formed their current pairing about eight years ago. Dvines (pronounced "dee-veens'') actually means twin sisters in Latvian.

Katherine's husband, a pro hockey player in Europe, introduced Kristers and Anastasia about five years ago. The couple's first date was going to the movie "Thor.''

Kristers had always spoken of a spontaneous wedding, perhaps running off to elope on an island. They planned to tie the knot in Syracuse in December, but when he was recalled to Tampa Bay they decided to have the ceremony right then and there.

And such was born a Latvian power couple.

Kristers has long been a well-known figure in the country after playing in international competition as well as reaching the NHL with the Lightning. The DVines perform in venues and festivals all over Latvia.

So who is more popular in their homeland?

"Impossible to say. It's hard to tell. How you measure famous?'' Kristers said.

"The male above 25 would know Kristers more,'' Anastasia said. "But teenagers and girls would know us better.''