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Falcons Weekly Notes

December 3, 2012 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Springfield Falcons News Release


Springfield, Mass. - The Springfield Falcons (12-4-1-3) won two of three games this past week to jump back into a tie with the Syracuse Crunch for first place in the Eastern Conference standings. The Falcons began their three-in-three stretch on Friday in Manchester, trailing 3-0 entering the third period before rallying to pull off a miraculous 5-4 victory over the Monarchs. After dropping a 2-1 decision to the Monarchs on Saturday, the Falcons rebounded on Sunday. Curtis McElhinney made 34 saves for his AHL-best 11th win and fifth shutout of the season, as Springfield prevailed over the Connecticut Whale on the road, 5-0.

The Falcons head to "The Rock" this weekend for the only time this season, playing two games in Newfoundland against the St. John's IceCaps on Friday and Saturday at 6:00 p.m. ET.

Springfield returns home to host St. John's on Saturday, Dec. 15 at 7:30 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. For information about discounted group packages to Falcons home games, call (413) 739-GOAL (4625).

WEEK IN REVIEW

Springfield 5, Manchester 4

Verizon Wireless Arena

Friday, Nov. 30

What looked like an apparent defeat entering the third period turned into the Falcons' most dramatic rally in four years. Facing a 3-0 deficit heading into the final 20 minutes, Springfield scored five times to shock Manchester, 5-4. Nick Holden and Matt Calvert scored early in the third to bring the Falcons to within a goal, 3-2. After Robert Czarnik struck past the halfway point of the period, the Monarchs appeared to have regained the momentum, going back up by two, 4-2. Dalton Smith's goal just 11 seconds later brought the Falcons right back into it, now trailing 4-3. Ryan Craig then scored twice in the final seven minutes, connecting from the slot to tie the game, 4-4, and wristing in a feed from Andrew Joudrey with Springfield short handed to pull off the thriller, 5-4. The game marked the first time since Dec. 13, 2008 in a 4-3 shootout win over the Hartford Wolfpack that the Falcons had fought back from a three-goal, third-period margin to earn two points. The five-goal period was Springfield's most productive since it scored five times in the final 20 minutes in a 6-2 victory against Connecticut on Apr. 2, 2011.

Manchester 2, Springfield 1

MassMutual Center

Saturday, Dec. 1

Cam Atkinson's goal at 11:13 of the first period put Springfield in front, 1-0, but the Monarchs battled back with a pair of quick goals. Dwight King converted at 13:40 of the initial stanza to tie the game, 1-1, while Linden Vey fired in a centering pass from the slot at 15:50 for the final goal of the contest, giving Manchester a 2-1 advantage. The Falcons appeared to have tied the game 11 minutes into the final stanza, as Atkinson drove a puck from the left circle by Mannino. Referee Tim Mayer ruled that Manchester had possessed the puck on a delayed penalty, negating the goal and putting the Falcons on the power play instead. Springfield could not cash in on any of its late opportunities, as Manchester emerged with the 2-1 win. Paul Dainton stopped 27 of 29 shots, making several key saves in the final two periods to keep the Falcons within a goal.

Springfield 5, Connecticut 0

XL Center

Sunday, Dec. 2

The Falcons returned to the XL Center for the first time since they posted a historic 10-2 win in Hartford on Nov. 4 and picked up right where they left off. Cam Atkinson, Ryan Johansen, and Matt Calvert each scored for the Falcons in the first, providing Springfield with a 3-0 cushion after 20 minutes. Sean Collins wristed a puck past Whale netminder Jason Missiaen halfway through the game to increase the lead to 4-0. Ryan Craig converted on the power play with six minutes left in the third, closing out the scoring at 5-0. From there, the focus shifted to Curtis McElhinney. The eighth-year pro had posted several key stops throughout the game and was bidding for his fifth shutout of the season. McElhinney kept the Whale off the board for the rest of the contest, tying Manny Legace for the most shutouts in a single season by a Falcons goaltender.

WEEK AHEAD

Friday, Dec. 7 - Springfield at St. John's, 6:00 p.m., Mile One Centre

Saturday, Dec. 8 - Springfield at St. John's, 6:00 p.m., Mile One Centre

MCELHINNEY MAKES HISTORY

In just his 16th start, Curtis McElhinney held an opponent scoreless for the fifth time in 2012-2013 to equal Manny Legace's club mark of five shutouts, set in 37 appearances in 1995-1996. McElhinney put together perhaps his most impressive game of the year, keeping the puck out of the net on multiple Whale breakaways and two-on-one rushes, including a glove rob of Ryan Bourque right after Sean Collins' goal in the middle stanza. In addition to topping the AHL with 11 wins and five shutouts, McElhinney ranks third in the league with a .940 save percentage and fifth with a 1.85 goals-against average. His career high for shutouts in one season is seven, recorded with the Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights in his second pro campaign of 2006-2007. McElhinney has 18 shutouts in his AHL career and two more at the NHL level.

EXCELLING AT THE XL CENTER

The Falcons have dominated the Whale in two games at the XL Center this season, outscoring their I-91 rival 15-2. Springfield scored at least three goals in its first four periods in Hartford this season before striking one time in each of the final two frames on Sunday.

CAPTAIN COMES THROUGH

After producing tallies in each of the first two games of the season, Ryan Craig was held without a goal for each of the next 15 contests. Craig snapped the skid in a big way Friday, scoring the tying and winning goals in Manchester. The 10th-year pro registered points in each outing this past weekend and is on a three-game point streak (3g-1a). Craig is alone in 10th all-time on the Falcons with 44 goals in a Springfield sweater.

'JAM' RISES TOWARD THE TOP

With two helpers on Sunday, Jonathan Audy-Marchessault rose into a tie for seventh in the AHL with 21 points and a tie for third with 15 assists, both team highs.

ATKINSON REACHES DOUBLE DIGITS

Cam Atkinson scored twice on the weekend to become the first Falcon to reach 10 goals in 2012-2013. His 42 goals with Springfield places him in a tie for 12th in club history.

BIG DIFFERENCE

The Falcons have outscored their opponents by a total of 28 goals, the highest in the league and eight better than the second-place Abbotsford Heat. The Falcons rank second in the AHL in both offense and defense, scoring 3.50 goals/game while allowing 2.10 goals/game. Springfield has limited its opponents to two goals or less in 13 of the 20 games this year.

NO LOOKING BACK

Through eight weeks of play, the Falcons have a sizeable lead in the Northeast Division with a seven-point edge for the top spot over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

RULING THE ROAD

Springfield has the best road record in the AHL of 6-1-1-0 (.812), having taken points in seven of eight away contests this season. The Falcons have scored five goals in four-straight road appearances.

DRAZENOVIC ADDS POWER

Nick Drazenovic has 12 points on the power play this season (4g-8a), tied for the most in the league.

HIGH FIVE

The Falcons are fifth in the league on the power play and on the penalty kill. Springfield struck on the man advantage in all three games this weekend and is 23/106 (21.7%) on the season. The Falcons killed off all 11 short-handed situations in the three games on the weekend and has not allowed an opponent to score on the power play in four-straight contests. Springfield is 93/108 (86.1%) on the penalty kill in 2012-2013.

FALCONS RAISE TOYS FOR TOTS

As part of Gary Rome Auto Group Night, the Falcons asked fans to donate unwrapped toys for Toys for Tots, a program run by the United States Marine Corps Reserve. The fans responded, bringing over 400 toys to be donated to children whose parents cannot afford to buy them gifts for Christmas.

MOVEMBER TO REMEMBER

Organized by Nick Holden, 20 Falcons players along with head coach Brad Larsen grew Movember mustaches to raise support for the fight against prostate cancer and other male illnesses. The group raised $1,293 for the cause, eclipsing the $1,000 goal.

SHOP FOR FALCONS GEAR AT TOWER SQUARE

Falcons fans can purchase their favorite team sweatshirts, jerseys, and souvenirs, as well as purchase ticket packages as the holiday season approaches inside downtown Springfield's Tower Square.

Open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday until Dec. 21, the Tower Square venue gives fans a chance to browse a wide variety of Falcons merchandise and ticket packages, both of which make for great holiday gifts, in a popular downtown location. Fans can still shop for Falcons gear and ticket packages at the Falcons Nest Pro Shop, located inside the team office at 45 Falcons Way, during normal business hours or online.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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