Falcons Weekly Notes
May 8, 2013 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Springfield Falcons News Release
Springfield, Mass. - The Springfield Falcons begin the Eastern Conference Semifinals of the 2013 Calder Cup Playoffs on Friday and Saturday, when they play Games 1 and 2 of the best-of-seven series at the MassMutual Center. The Falcons defeated the Manchester Monarchs, 3-1, in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, becoming the second team in AHL history to win three games in a best-of-five series in overtime. Springfield's series victory was the fifth in franchise history, and first since it defeated Hartford, 2-0, in the 2003 Eastern Conference Qualifying Round. The Falcons are in the Eastern Conference Semifinals for the third time in team history, and first since 1997.
After playing Games 1 and 2 this weekend at the MassMutual Center, the Falcons will take to the road for Game 3 on Wednesday, May 15, Game 4 on Friday, May 17, and Game 5 on Saturday, May 18. Springfield will return home for Game 6 on Tuesday, May 21, and Game 7 on Wednesday, May 22. Games 5, 6, and 7 of the series will be played only if necessary.
Fans can purchase tickets for all four potential home games of the series now at the MassMutual Center Box Office, or through Ticketmaster.com. 10-Flex Playoff Packs, which allow fans to purchase 10 vouchers that are redeemable at any home game during the postseason, remain on sale by calling (413) 739-GOAL (4625). Unused vouchers can be returned to the Falcons' front office until Jun. 30 for a credit toward any 2013-14 ticket package.
Each of the Falcons' games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals will start at 7 p.m.
The Falcons' opponent will either be the Hershey Bears or the Syracuse Crunch. Springfield will learn the identity of its opponent on Wednesday night, when Hershey and Providence play Game 5 of the best-of-five Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. A Bruins victory would match the Falcons up with the Crunch. If the Bears win, Springfield will meet Hershey.
Below is the Falcons' schedule for the Eastern Conference Semifinals:
Game 1 - Friday, May 10, 7 p.m., MassMutual Center
Game 2 - Saturday, May 11, 7 p.m., MassMutual Center
Game 3 - Wednesday, May 15, 7 p.m., Location T.B.A.
Game 4 - Friday, May 17, 7 p.m., Location T.B.A.
Game 5 - Saturday, May 18, 7 p.m., Location T.B.A. (if necessary)
Game 6 - Tuesday, May 21, 7 p.m., MassMutual Center (if necessary)
Game 7 - Wednesday, May 22, 7 p.m., MassMutual Center (if necessary)
Click here for the Calder Cup Playoffs' series breakdowns.
Click here for the Falcons' individual statistics.
WEEK IN REVIEW
Manchester 2, Springfield 1
Game 3, Eastern Conference Quarterfinals
Thursday, May 2
Verizon Wireless Arena
Springfield entered Thursday's Game 3 looking for the second sweep in its playoff history, but a pair of Manchester power-play goals foiled the Falcons' plans. Nick Deslauriers snapped in a man-advantage shot just 4:49 into the first period, as Manchester claimed a 1-0 lead. David Savard struck on the power play at 8:43, ripping in a one-timer off a feed from Nick Drazenovic, evening the score, 1-1. David Meckler's rebound goal 15:30 into the second period gave Manchester the lead for good, 2-1. The Falcons could not crack Monarchs goaltender Martin Jones the rest of the way. Jones let in only one goal on 33 shots, as Manchester kept the series alive with a 2-1 victory.
Springfield 4, Manchester 3 (OT)
Game 4, Eastern Conference Quarterfinals
Saturday, May 4
Verizon Wireless Arena
The Falcons entered Game 4 needing a victory in order to advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinals and avoid having to return home on Sunday for a winner-take-all Game 5. Blake Parlett redirected a Cody Bass shot 1:40 into the first period past Martin Jones, as the Falcons started off on the right foot with a 1-0 advantage. The Monarchs fought back with three-straight tallies to take a seemingly-commanding 3-1 edge. Colton Yellow Horn finished off a centering pass from Jordan Weal, sliding the puck by Curtis McElhinney at 8:33 of the first, while Linden Vey buried a shot from the left circle on a four-on-two rush at 10:27 of the opening frame. Vey then knocked home a loose puck on the doorstep at 5:17 of the second, upping Manchester's edge to two goals. Boone Jenner commenced Springfield's comeback bid, corralling a pass from Nick Drazenovic, spinning in front of the net, and pushing the puck through Jones' pads at 13:35 of the middle stanza. Michael Chaput tied the contest later in the frame, whacking a puck in through a scramble in front at 18:24. Following a scoreless third period in which each team had an opportunity on the power play, the clubs ventured into overtime for the third instance in the series. The sudden-death period of Game 4 was the shortest in the series, ending 8:06 in when Drazenovic snapped a wrist shot by Jones on a two-on-one break to move the Falcons into the next round. McElhinney stopped 37 of 40 shots and blanked the Monarchs over the final 42 minutes of the game.
WEEK AHEAD
Game 1 - Friday, May 10, 7 p.m., MassMutual Center (Opponent T.B.A.)
Game 2 - Saturday, May 11, 7 p.m., MassMutual Center (Opponent T.B.A.)
BASS MASTERS THE MONARCHS
Cody Bass led all Falcons skaters in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals with four points (2g-2a). He factored in on all three overtime tallies and became the third player in AHL history to register sudden-death goals in back-to-back contests of a playoff series with his winners in Games 1 and 2. Bass assisted on Blake Parlett's goal in the first period of Game 4, and had the second helper on Nick Drazenovic's series winner later that night.
IN THE 'NICK' OF TIME
Nick Drazenovic's second-career Calder Cup Playoff goal, and first of the 2013 postseason, was his biggest, sending the Falcons to the Eastern Conference Semifinals. It marked the first goal since Mar. 16 for Drazenovic, who was second on the Falcons with a career-high 53 points (17g-36a) in the regular season. Drazenovic became the third player in franchise history to clinch a series with an overtime goal. Jason Simon scored on Apr. 27, 1996 in overtime of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals to deliver a 3-1 series victory for Springfield over Providence. Kevin Brown struck in sudden death one year later, Apr. 27, 1997, as the Falcons defeated the Portland Pirates in the Northern Conference Quarterfinals, 3-2. Each of Springfield's three series victories in the Conference Quarterfinals have been sealed with an overtime goal.
SHUTTING THE DOOR
After allowing three goals in the first 25:17 of Game 4, Curtis McElhinney refused all remaining Manchester attempts over the final 42:49 to backstop the Falcons to the series victory. McElhinney, an AHL Second-Team All-Star and the Falcons' Most Valuable Player in the regular season, is now 5-4 in his career in the Calder Cup Playoffs with a .926 save percentage and a 1.95 goals-against average. He is 3-1 this postseason and is sixth in the AHL with a .943 save percentage while checking in fifth with a 1.74 goals-against average.
OFFENSE BOLSTERED BY BLUELINERS
Blake Parlett and David Savard each scored twice in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals and are tied with Cody Bass for the Falcons' goal-scoring lead. Parlett netted Springfield's first tally of the postseason, striking on a penalty shot in Game 1. He then tipped in a Bass wrister from the right circle in Game 4. Savard scored on the power play in Games 2 and 3 of the series.
THREE FOR RUSSELL
Ryan Russell led Springfield skaters in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals with three assists. He is part of a four-way tie for second on the Falcons in postseason scoring along with Nick Drazenovic (1g-2a), Blake Parlett (2g-1a), and David Savard (2g-1a) at three points.
YOUNG GUNS COME THROUGH
Boone Jenner and Michael Chaput contributed to Springfield's Game 4 second-period comeback by scoring their first-career playoff goals. Jenner capitalized on a Nick Drazenovic-forced turnover by twirling past two Monarchs and beating Martin Jones five hole. With the Falcons down by a goal minutes later, Chaput, Ryan Craig, and Spencer Machacek banged away at a loose puck in front of the net. Chaput, the 2012 CHL Memorial Cup Most Valuable Player with Shawinigan, forced the puck over the goal line, as Springfield fought back to tie the game, 3-3. The two-goal comeback was the Falcons' largest in the playoffs since Apr. 15, 2000, when Springfield battled back from a 4-1 deficit to beat Hartford in overtime of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, 6-5.
VOGELHUBER'S SHORTHANDED STRIKE
Trent Vogelhuber deposited Springfield's first shorthanded postseason goal since 1997 in Game 2 of the series, corralling a bank pass from Ryan Russell and finishing off a breakaway during the eventual 3-2 Falcons win. The goal was the first for Vogelhuber in his playoff career, but was not the first time the rookie came through in postseason action. As a freshman at Miami (OH), Vogelhuber scored in the 2009 NCAA Championship game to give the RedHawks a 3-1 lead over Boston University. The Terriers fought back in that contest, however, eventually prevailing in overtime, 4-3.
CHAMPIONSHIP EXPERIENCE
The following players on the Falcons roster' have won a championship at the professional, collegiate, or major-junior level:
Greg Amadio - Calder Cup, Hershey Bears, 2010, 2009
Cody Bass - Calder Cup, Binghamton Senators, 2011
Michael Chaput - Memorial Cup, Shawinigan Cataractes, 2012 (MVP)
Matthew Ford - NCAA (D-I), University of Wisconsin, 2006
Bryan Helmer - Calder Cup, Hershey Bears, 2010, 2009, Albany River Rats, 1995
Scott Howes - Kelly Cup, Alaska Aces, 2011 (MVP)
Andrew Joudrey - Calder Cup, Hershey Bears, 2010, 2009, NCAA (D-I), University of Wisconsin, 2006
Spencer Machacek - Memorial Cup, Vancouver Giants, 2007
Nathan Moon - Presidents' Cup, Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, 2011
Ryan Russell - Kelly Cup, Cincinnati Cyclones, 2008
RETURNING TO THE SEMIFINALS
The Falcons are making their first appearance in the Conference Semifinals since 1997 and third in franchise history, with a 1-1 record in those series. Springfield fell in the 1996 Eastern Conference Semifinals to Portland, 4-2, before responding with a 4-1 Northern Conference Semifinal series win over Providence in 1997. The Falcons' victory that year sent Springfield to its only Conference Final appearance in franchise history. After leading Hershey in the series, 3-1, the Falcons came up one game short of a Calder Cup Final berth, dropping the Northern Conference Final, 4-3.
REVERSAL OF FORTUNE
The Falcons became the second team in AHL history, and first since the 1956 Cleveland Barons, to win three overtime games in a best-of-five series. Springfield, 3-0 in overtime this postseason and 9-3 in its Calder Cup Playoff history, was 0-5 in the regular season in sudden-death decisions. The Falcons had lost eight-straight games decided in overtime since their last victory in the sudden-death period on Nov. 16, 2011 over Worcester. In its playoff history, Springfield won its first five overtime games, lost three of its next four, and has now won three in a row.
HOME, SWEET HOME
Springfield is 2-0 at home in the playoffs and, combined with the regular season, is 26-10-1-3 at the MassMutual Center this year. Dating back to Dec. 30, the Falcons have won 20 of 25 games on home ice.
NAILBITING FINISHES
Each of Springfield's Calder Cup Playoff games this year, and 24 of the club's 49 all-time postseason games, have been decided by one goal. Springfield is 14-10 in the playoffs in one-goal contests. The Falcons have won seven of their last eight one-goal games dating back to the regular season. Each of Springfield's last seven wins this year have come by a goal.
OVERTAKING THE MONARCHS
Springfield earned a combined record of 7-2-0-1 over Manchester this season, going 4-1-0-1 in the regular season and 3-1 in the playoffs.
GET YOUR PLAYOFF GEAR AT THE FALCONS NEST PRO SHOP!
Fans are encouraged to wear their red, white, and blue apparel to Falcons playoff games. The best place to purchase Falcons gear is at the Falcons Nest Pro Shop, located inside the team office at 45 Falcons Way, during normal business hours or online by clicking here.
Among the playoff merchandise currently on sale are Falcons playoff t-shirts and pucks, as well as Northeast Division champions t-shirts.
Clearance items currently include adult and youth Reebok alternate jerseys, winter jackets, and women's zip-up hoodies.
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.
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