Falcons Face the Wolf Pack in Hartford Tonight

December 8, 2004 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Springfield Falcons News Release


Hartford, Conn. – The Falcons visit the Hartford Wolf Pack at the Hartford Civic Center tonight in the fourth of ten overall match-ups this season. Game time is 7:05 p.m. The Falcons downed the Pack, 3-2 in a shootout, on Nov. 20 in the first meeting in Springfield this season between the rivals. Jamie Storr stopped 34 of 36 Hartford shots while Adam Henrich and Ryan Craig provided the scoring for the Falcons in the win. The Wolf Pack claimed the prior two encounters of the campaign in Hartford.

Tonight's contest marks the second of six straight games away from the Springfield Civic Center for the Falcons. The club's game on Dec. 15 versus the Philadelphia Phantoms qualifies as a home game, but will be played at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida on the home ice of the Falcons' NHL affiliate Tampa Bay Lightning.

This evening, the Falcons will look to gain their first win since Friday's 2-1 overtime victory over the Portland Pirates. The club fell 3-1 to the Albany River Rats in Springfield on Saturday and 6-4 in Lowell on Sunday. Craig has scored five goals over his last four games including two on Sunday. Team captain Shane Willis has registered points in seven of his last eight contests, posting nine points (5g, 4a) over that span.

Hartford enters the game riding a five-game point streak (4-0-0-1) and snapped the Manchester Monarchs' 13-game winning streak with a 4-3 overtime win in their last game on Sunday. Last season's top goal scorer in the AHL, Jeff Hamilton, scored his second straight game-winning goal with the overtime marker. Hartford goaltending tandem of Steve Valiquette (1.30) and Jason LaBarbera (1.59) currently rank first and third respectively in the league in goals against average (GAA). The Wolf Pack currently reside in second place in the Atlantic Division with a 14-5-1-2 record.

Willis has led the Falcons in points versus Hartford this season with three assists. Craig has net two goals in the season series against the Wolf Pack. Springfield netminder Jamie Storr has accumulated a 1-1-0 record, 2.42 GAA and .942 save percentage (SV%) in two starts versus the Pack.

Hartford right wing Jozef Balej has tallied five points (1g, 4a) and center Dominic Moore has collected four points, all on assists, to pace the Wolf Pack against the Falcons. In two games versus Springfield this season, LaBarbera has posted a 1-0-1 record, 1.45 GAA, and .944 SV%.

Tune into The ZONE – Sports Radio 640 to catch tonight's live broadcast. The game can also be heard through the Internet by clicking on the MassLive.com CyberCast link on the Falcons official web site, www.falconsahl.com.



American Hockey League Stories from December 8, 2004


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