Bears Edge Falcons in Shootout
November 2, 2012 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Springfield Falcons News Release
Springfield, Mass. - The Springfield Falcons (5-1-0-2) earned a point for the seventh time in eight games to begin the 2012-2013 season on Friday night at the MassMutual Center, succumbing in a shootout to the Hershey Bears (4-3-1-0), 3-2. Michael Chaput registered his first professional goal as Springfield maintained first place in the Eastern Conference, tied at 12 points with the Syracuse Crunch.
As they had done in the previous six games, the Falcons netted the contest's opening goal. After Dalton Smith and Sean Collins crashed the net, Chaput buried a loose puck on the doorstep, putting Springfield up 1-0 at 8:51.
After taking a pass from the right side, Boyd Kane skated to the net and flipped a puck over Falcons netminder Curtis McElhinney, tying the game, 1-1, at 10:57.
Springfield jumped back in front in the early stages of the second period, as Ryan Johansen flung a pass to the net that Jonathan Audy-Marchessault tipped over the glove of Bears goaltender Braden Holtby, giving the Falcons a 2-1 edge at 4:14.
The Bears wasted little time in knotting the score back up at 2-2, as Matt Pope pounced on a rebound and guided the puck into the net at 7:15 of the middle frame.
McElhinney and Holtby turned back 13 combined shots in the third period, and then five total in the five-minute overtime session.
Jeff Taffe snapped a puck past McElhinney in the first attempt of the shootout, but Matt Calvert responded for the Falcons, rifling a shot by Holtby in the bottom of the opening round. After the teams ventured through the next 10 shooters without a goal, Stanislav Galiev struck for the Bears in the seventh round. Holtby stopped Andrew Joudrey's game-extending bid, and the Bears prevailed with the 3-2 decision.
McElhinney (5-1-0-1) turned aside 27 of 29 shots in regulation and overtime, and then five of seven in his 2012-2013 shootout debut. Holtby (2-1-0-0) made 31 saves on 33 attempts in 65 minutes, and was six of seven in the breakaway session.
The Falcons head to Connecticut to meet the Whale for the first of 12 times on Sunday at 7:00 p.m. Springfield returns to host Connecticut on Friday, Nov. 9 on Hometown Heroes Night at the MassMutual Center at 7:00 p.m. Single-game tickets to see the Falcons in 2012-2013 can be purchased at the MassMutual Center Box Office from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. through game time on Saturday home dates, and starting four hours prior to Sunday home contests. Fans can also purchase tickets by logging onto Ticketmaster.com.
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