Falcons Host Wolf Pack Tonight
December 9, 2005 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Springfield Falcons News Release
The Springfield Falcons and Hartford Wolf Pack will meet tonight for the fourth time this season and third time at the MassMutual Center. The Falcons lead the season series with a 2-1-0-0 record, including one overtime win. Springfield defeated the Wolf Pack on October 14 at Hartford, 2-1, followed by a 4-3 overtime win in Springfield on October 21. Hartford won the last meeting between these two teams, 5-3, back on November 6. Falcons center Jason Jaspers leads the team in scoring against Hartford this season with four goals and two assists for six points in three games. Jaspers scored the game-winner against the Wolf Pack in the first meeting of the season. Springfield right wing Jim Campbell scored the game-winner in overtime back on October 21 and has three goals in three games against Hartford this season.
The Falcons enter tonight's game with a record of 13-9-1-2 good for 29 points and are only five points behind both Manchester and Portland, who are in a first-place tie for the Atlantic Division lead. Springfield has won three of their last four games, including a 3-0 shutout over the Lowell Lock Monsters Wednesday night at the Paul Tsongas Arena. Anders Eriksson scored his first goal in a Falcons uniform, followed by Zbynek Hrdel and Ryan Craig. Goaltender Gerald Coleman recorded his second shutout in his last three starts making 33 saves in improving his record to 10-4-0 on the season. Springfield will host the Manchester Monarchs on Saturday night, before heading to Providence on Sunday afternoon for a matinee against the Bruins.
The Wolf Pack enter tonight's game on a two-game winning streak after beating the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, 5-3, back on Sunday, December 4. Wolf Pack defenseman Martin Grenier scored the game-winner for Hartford in their win over Bridgeport, while goaltender Robert Gherson made 23 saves in improving his record to 5-1-1 this season. Hartford has earned a point in their last six games posting a record of 4-0-1-1 in that span. Hartford currently has a record of 12-6-2-3 good for 29 points and is tied with the Falcons for points in the Atlantic Division standings. The Wolf Pack will conclude their weekend on Saturday night when they host the Philadelphia Phantoms at the Hartford Civic Center.
FIRST AS A FALCON: Springfield defenseman Anders Eriksson scored the game-winning goal Wednesday night for the Falcons, his first marker as a member of the Falcons. Eriksson has played in eight games since signing a Professional Tryout Agreement with Springfield on November 21 and has one goal and five assists for six points. Eriksson, who is in his 11th professional season, is a veteran of 233 AHL games and 412 NHL contests.
CAPTAIN STEPPING UP: Springfield captain Ryan Craig extended his scoring streak to four games on Wednesday night when he collected his 10th goal of the season. Craig has two goals and two assists in his last four games and also has 10 goals and eight assists for 18 points in 25 games this season. Craig set up the game-winning goal last Saturday in Manchester and is second on the team in shots on goal with 76.
CONKLIN DOWN ON CONDITIONING: The Hartford Wolf Pack announced on Thursday that goaltender Ty Conklin has been assigned to the Wolf Pack on a conditioning loan from the NHL's Edmonton Oilers. Also, rookie goaltender Al Montoya has been assigned to Hartford's ECHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers, on a conditioning assignment. Conklin, a fifth-year pro, has been out of action since October 21 with a groin injury. In four games this year with the Oilers, he is 1-1-0, with a 4.39 goals-against average and an 83.6% save percentage. Last season Conklin played in Germany for Wolfsburg, posting a 2.99 goals against average in 11 games. In 2003-04 with Edmonton, the former University of New Hampshire Wildcat was 17-14-4 with a 2.42 GAA and a 91.2% save percentage in
38 appearances.
IMMONEN ON A STREAK: Hartford center Jarkko Immonen is currently on a three-game scoring streak and has collected a point in 10 of his last 12 contests. Immonen had a 7-game scoring streak from November 9-November 23 in which he collected three goals and six assists for nine points.
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American Hockey League Stories from December 9, 2005
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