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Falcons Weekly Notes

March 5, 2013 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Springfield Falcons News Release


Springfield, Mass. - The Springfield Falcons (34-14-4-3) collected eight standings points in under 48 hours at the MassMutual Center this past weekend, beating Adirondack in the completion of the suspended Feb. 17 game before sealing a home season sweep of the Phantoms later on Friday night, prevailing over Providence in a shootout on Saturday, and then blanking Worcester on Sunday. With their four-win weekend, the Falcons pulled into a tie for first place in the AHL standings at 75 points with Syracuse and Texas and reclaimed the league's best points percentage of .682. Springfield leads Connecticut by 14 points with two games in hand for first place in the Northeast Division at the start of the 22nd week of the 2012-2013 season.

The Falcons embark on a four-game road swing when they venture to Adirondack and Albany this weekend. Springfield returns home to host Providence on Saturday, Mar. 16 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. For information about discounted group packages to Falcons home games, call (413) 739-GOAL (4625).

WEEK IN REVIEW

Springfield 3, Adirondack 2 (SO)

Friday, Mar. 1 (Completion of Feb. 17 game)

MassMutual Center

On Feb. 17, Springfield grabbed a 1-0 lead at 5:51 of the first period on a power-play goal by Ryan Craig before Adirondack countered with two middle-stanza strikes by Rob Bordson and Danny Syvret to take a 2-1 edge. The game resumed on Friday with Adirondack up by a goal and Springfield commencing a two-minute power play with 3:42 left in the second. Playing in his first contest since being injured on Feb. 1, Scott Howes returned with a game-tying goal at 10:16 of the third, as Springfield came back to push the action into overtime. Following a scoreless sudden-death session, Jonathan Audy-Marchessault pulled off a spin-o-rama goal in the shootout, while Allen York denied the Phantoms on all five of their bids, as Springfield established its first two points of the weekend.

Springfield 7, Adirondack 2

Friday, Mar. 1

MassMutual Center

The Falcons returned to the ice less than an hour later wearing green jerseys to celebrate "Irish Night" at the MassMutual Center. Springfield carried over the momentum gained from the shootout win earlier in the evening, striking three times in the first period to take a 3-0 lead on goals by Ryan Russell, Scott Howes, and Trent Vogelhuber. Andrew Joudrey snapped a puck home from the slot early in the second, while Jonathan Audy-Marchessault ended a 14-game drought with his first goal since Jan. 15 just after the halfway point of the contest. Matthew Ford and Rob Bordson each found the back of the net later in the game, but Sean Collins and Nathan Moon both struck for the Falcons, while Curtis McElhinney made 21 saves to complete the four-point evening with a 7-2 victory.

Springfield 2, Providence 1

Saturday, Mar. 2

MassMutual Center

Springfield overcame a 1-0 deficit to land its third win of the weekend on "Pink in the Rink Night presented by TD Bank" on Saturday against Providence. Jordan Caron tapped in a backdoor centering feed from Bobby Robins at 7:21 of the opening frame, but Cody Bass cranked in a Scott Howes set up from the slot following the midway point of the contest to tie it, 1-1. Scoring chances were sparse in the third period, as the teams combined for a total of just seven shots to send the game into extra time. David Savard broke up a potential breakaway by Craig Cunningham with 1:30 left in sudden death, extending the game into a shootout. For the second-straight night in the shootout, Allen York was perfect, denying each of Providence's four bids. Sean Collins and Jonathan Audy-Marchessault both converted in the second and third rounds, respectively, as the Falcons emerged winners, 2-1.

Springfield 2, Worcester 0

Sunday, Mar. 3

MassMutual Center

After already putting together a successful weekend, Springfield entered Sunday's game with a rare opportunity to win four times in three days. Ryan Russell lofted a rebound in from the slot at 16:36 of the opening frame, while Tomas Kubalik put home the loose change off a Michael Chaput shot at 4:23 of the second, giving the Falcons and Curtis McElhinney a 2-0 lead. McElhinney, with some help from his teammates, did the rest. Ryan Craig blocked a potential Matt Pelech goal by sliding into the crease later in the second, preserving McElhinney's shutout bid. McElhinney set aside all 13 shots he saw in the final frame as part of a 30-save afternoon, as the goaltender garnered his club-record eighth shutout of the season while the Falcons clinched their eight-point weekend.

WEEK AHEAD

Friday, Mar. 8 - Springfield at Adirondack, 7:00 p.m., Glens Falls Civic Center

Saturday, Mar. 9 - Springfield at Albany, 5:00 p.m., Times Union Center

THREE DAYS, EIGHT POINTS, FIRST PLACE

Springfield became the first AHL team to accumulate eight points in three games since Peoria did so from Dec. 2 to 4, 2005. The Rivermen also completing a suspended game during that stretch, which had been rescheduled because of poor ice conditions.

The Falcons entered last weekend facing a seven-point deficit for first place in the Eastern Conference and the AHL. Both Syracuse and Texas began play on Mar. 1 with 74 points, while Springfield entered the day with 67. By the end of play on Friday, that gap diminished to three following Springfield's sweep and regulation losses by the Crunch and the Stars. Those two clubs each posted a point on Saturday by succumbing after regulation, while Springfield prevailed in the shootout to pull to within two points of league supremacy. With Texas off Sunday and Syracuse allowing two third-period goals to lose to Hershey, 5-3, Springfield moved into a tie for the top spot in the AHL with its win over Worcester. The Falcons also reclaimed first place in the league in terms of points percentage at .682, and are on pace to garner 103 points and 47 wins, both of which would be franchise records.

MCELHINNEY ADDS TO FRANCHISE RECORD, TIES OTHER MARKS

Curtis McElhinney, who set a Falcons single-season record with his sixth shutout of the season on Dec. 22 in Herhsey, added to his mark with his eighth of the year on Sunday against Worcester. McElhinney set a new personal high for shutouts in a season as well after initially collecting seven in 2006-2007 with the Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights.

By blanking the Sharks on Sunday, McElhinney tied Manny Legace's record for most shutouts in a Falcons career of eight. McElhinney, who reached that mark in 36 appearances with Springfield, accomplished the feat in 117 fewer outings than Legace, who played in 153 games as a Falcon.

McElhinney also matched Marcel Paille for the most shutouts in a season in the 70-year history of AHL hockey in Springfield. Paille registered eight shutouts in 1960-1961 with the Indians during their second of seven Calder Cup championship seasons.

An eighth-year pro, McElhinney is seven wins shy of equaling Scott Langkow's club mark for victories in a season by a Falcons goaltender. Langkow posted 30 for Springfield in 1997-1998.

McElhinney's eight shutouts lead the AHL, while his 23 wins place him in third. He is fifth in the league with a .924 save percentage and 10th with a 2.30 goals-against average.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEKEND

Jonathan Audy-Marchessault's shootout-winning goal on Friday collected over 15,000 views on YouTube over the weekend and qualified as the third highlight of ESPN SportsCenter's Top 10 Plays that evening. Audy-Marchessault skated through the inner-edge of the right circle before spinning 360 degrees to his left and sliding the puck off his forehand by the glove of Cal Heeter. Watch the goal here.

20/20 VISION

The Falcons are a season-high 20 games over .500 for the first time since improving to 42-22-9 with a two-point outing in Portland on Mar. 28, 1998, their final victory of a franchise-record nine-game winning streak. Springfield is a win on Friday shy of equaling the franchise standard for games above .500 of 21, set when the Falcons beat Rochester on Apr. 13, 1996. The club followed up that win the next day with a tie against Albany to stay 21 games over .500 before losing its final contest of the season on Apr. 16, 1996 to Adirondack.

YORK INSPIRES FALCONS' SHOOTOUT SUCCESS

Since falling in their first three shootouts of the season, the Falcons have won four in a row and were led this weekend by the impeccable netminding of Allen York in the skills competition. Making his first two AHL shootout appearances, York refused all nine bids from Adirondack and Providence to help Springfield post two victories. Sean Collins had the shootout winner on Saturday and is 2/3 this season. Jonathan Audy-Marchessault, who had the decisive tally in Friday's shootout, is 2/4.

NOT GIVING IN

The Falcons played 213 minutes and 42 seconds of hockey over the weekend but allowed only three goals to move into second in the AHL on defense. Springfield's team goals-against average dipped to 2.36, and the club will likely shatter its franchise record for goals allowed in a season. The Falcons are currently on pace to give up 179 goals, 36 fewer than their low of 215 in 1995-1996. Springfield has allowed two goals or less in 31 of its 55 games this season. The Falcons' +48 goals differential is the highest in the league.

PENALTY KILL PAVES WAY

Springfield's penalty kill stopped nine of 10 opposing power plays on the weekend and is third in the league in shorthanded situations at 86.4%. Since allowing Syracuse to score three times on the man advantage in a 5-3 win over the Crunch on Feb. 1, Springfield has gone 45/48 on the penalty kill over its last 12 outings.

DEFENDING THE NEST

The Falcons tied a season high with their fifth-straight home win on Sunday. Springfield has won 14 of its last 16 at home since ending a six-game MassMutual Center-losing streak on Dec. 30. The club record for the longest home winning streak is eight games, accomplished twice. Springfield prevailed in eight-straight contests at home from Feb. 8, 1995 to Mar. 12, 1995 and did the same from Mar. 16, 2012 to Oct. 19, 2012.

BATTLING BACK

Springfield's win in the completion of the Feb. 17 game on Friday was its first when trailing after two periods since it overcame a 3-0 deficit in Manchester to defeat the Monarchs on Nov. 30, 5-3. The Falcons are 2-11-2-1 when down after 40 minutes of play.

BEST DAYS OF THE WEEK

The Falcons have had their greatest success this season during Friday and Sunday games. Springfield is 12-2-2-1 on Friday this season, and is 12-2-0-0 on Sunday for a combined mark of 24-4-2-1. Curtis McElhinney has posted five of his eight shutouts in Sunday games in 2012-2013.

"JAM" RISES

Jonathan Audy-Marchessault is third in the AHL with 52 points, is second with 35 assists, and is tied for the Falcons lead with 17 goals. After depositing his first-career hat trick on Jan. 15 in Manchester, Audy-Marchessault went scoreless in his next 14 games before ending the drought this past Friday to tie Cam Atkinson and Ryan Johansen for first place on the club in goals scored.

CAREER NIGHT FOR COLLINS

Sean Collins returned to the Falcons for his first action with Springfield on Friday after recently making his NHL debut with the Blue Jackets over two games. Collins assisted on Scott Howes overtime-forcing goal in the completion of the Feb. 17 game, and then posted a career-high three points (1g-2a) in the 7-2 win over Adirondack later that night.

BREAKING THROUGH

Trent Vogelhuber scored his first AHL goal, the eventual game winner, in the second game on Friday. Nathan Moon connected later in that contest for his first tally as a Falcon before being assigned to Evansville on Sunday. Mike Banwell also grabbed his first Springfield assist in that same game.

CAPTAIN CLOSES IN

Ryan Craig is two power-play goals shy of tying Danny Briere and Jean-Guy Trudel for the most tallies on the man advantage in team history. Craig has 27 power-play goals, while Briere and Trudel each accumulated 29 while donning a Falcons sweater.

SWEATER SWAP

The Falcons wore four different jerseys this weekend. Springfield began the four-game stretch with its white uniforms on Friday before switching to green sweaters for "Irish Night." The Falcons donned pink-tinted jerseys on Saturday for "Pink in the Rink Night" before returning to their whites for Sunday's contest. Following the weekend finale, Falcons players skated with their fans wearing their alternate red jerseys.

WEEKEND OF GIVING BACK

The Falcons held their annual "Pink in the Rink Night" on Saturday evening, with proceeds from a jersey auction benefitting the Mary Kay Foundation, whose mission is to eliminate cancers affecting women and end domestic abuse. On Sunday, Falcons players helped to organize a food drive to benefit the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. Fans responded to the call for action, donating approximately 555 pounds of non-perishable food to those in need.

IN THE COMMUNITY

On Tuesday, Nick Holden and Andrew Joudrey read to students at Tatham Elementary School in West Springfield as part of "Link to Libraries," a program supported by the Springfield Falcons Charitable Foundation. Jake Hansen and Will Weber practiced with youth hockey players from the Westfield Junior Bombers Mite 3 team at Amelia Park in Westfield. Scott Howes and Trent Vogelhuber joined athletes from Special Olympics Massachusetts in a speed-skating practice on Thursday night at the MassMutual Center.

BLUE JACKETS WIN IN OVERTIME

The Columbus Blue Jackets battled back from a 1-0 deficit on Sunday to defeat the Colorado Avalanche in overtime, 2-1. The Blue Jackets have earned points in three-straight games and host the Edmonton Oilers tonight.

LOCK IN YOUR SEAT FOR 2013-2014

Falcons fans are invited to reserve their ticket packages for the 2013-2014 season. Fans can to stop by "Ticket Headquarters" behind section 31 at The Nest during any Springfield home game to lock in their spot for the Falcons' 20th AHL season.

Adult season ticket prices remain the same for 2013-2014, giving fans the opportunity to watch the Falcons compete in all 38 home contests at the MassMutual Center for only $13/game. Season ticket packages in 2013-2014 will come with a no-waste guarantee, giving fans the opportunity to exchange their unused tickets for future home games. Fans can also take advantage of 22 and 10-game ticket packages next season.

The Falcons will also continue to offer flex packages for fans who want to choose what games they want to attend and how many people they want to bring to each contest. Flex packages are broken down into 44, 20, and 12-ticket plans.

Youth ticket packages and flex plans are also available in 2013-2014 for children ages 14 and under.

A $50 non-refundable deposit per seat is required.

NOMINATE A HERO AMONG US

Throughout the season, fans can submit a nomination for TD Bank's "Heroes Among Us" program. Nominees can include teachers, doctors, firefighters, community volunteers, and other individuals you think deserve to be honored at a Falcons game. For more information and to nominate, click here.

SHOP AT THE FALCONS NEST PRO SHOP

Fans can purchase their favorite team gear and apparel at the Falcons Nest Pro Shop, located inside the team office at 45 Falcons Way, during normal business hours or online by clicking here.

The Tower Square location of the Falcons Nest Pro Shop is also open for the remainder of the season 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. each Wednesday and Thursday.

The Tower Square venue, located at 1500 Main St. in downtown Springfield, gives fans a chance to browse a wide variety of Falcons merchandise and ticket packages in a popular downtown location.

The Falcons Nest Pro Shop moves to the MassMutual Center concourse behind section 27 during all home games.

FALCONS NEST PRO SHOP AT 45 FALCONS WAY STORE HOURS

Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

TOWER SQUARE STORE HOURS

Wednesday, Thursday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

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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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