Falcons Game Preview: Springfield At Adirondack, Game #71
Published on April 12, 2013 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Springfield Falcons News Release
Springfield Falcons (41-20-5-4) at Adirondack Phantoms (28-35-3-4)
Friday, April 12, 2013
7:00 p.m.
Glens Falls Civic Center
RADIO: (presented by FalconsWireless.com) WHYN NewsTalk 560 AM/WHYN.com
WEBCAST: AHLLive.com
IN JUST A FEW HOURS...
The Northeast Division-champion Springfield Falcons head to Glens Falls, N.Y. to kick off the second-to-last weekend of the 2012-13 regular season against the Adirondack Phantoms at 7 p.m. The Falcons won the F.G. (Teddy) Oke Trophy as the champions of the Northeast last weekend, winning consecutive games in Worcester, 7-1, on Saturday and Portland, 4-2, on Sunday. Springfield, currently in second place in the Eastern Conference, trails Providence by two points for the top spot. The Falcons will play two of their final five games against the Bruins starting tomorrow.
Single-game tickets to watch the Falcons compete in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals go on sale on Saturday at 10 a.m. at the MassMutual Center Box Office, or online at Ticketmaster.com. For information on cost-saving ticket packages to watch the Falcons compete in the 2013 Calder Cup Playoffs, click here. Springfield's postseason schedule will be announced on FalconsAHL.com when available. The AHL's regular season ends on Sunday, Apr. 21.
Tonight's broadcast is presented by FalconsWireless.com and starts at 6:58 p.m. on WHYN 560 AM, WHYN.com, the iHeartRadio App, or AHLLive.com.
The Falcons return home to the MassMutual Center after tonight's game for Fan Appreciation Weekend, hosting Providence on Saturday and Connecticut on Sunday. For full details of Fan Appreciation Weekend, click here.
ALL-STARS NAMED
Jonathan Audy-Marchessault was named to the AHL First All-Star Team, while Curtis McElhinney was selected to the AHL Second All-Star Team on Thursday. They became the ninth and 10th Falcons to be selected to one of the AHL's two All-Star Teams. Audy-Marchessault is tied for second in the AHL with 63 points (20g-43a). McElhinney tops the league with a Falcons all-time record nine shutouts, is third with 28 wins, is fourth with a .924 save percentage, and is ninth with a 2.25 goals-against average. The eighth-year pro was also named to the AHL Second All-Star Team in 2006-07 during his second pro season. Both Audy-Marchessault and McElhinney participated in the 2013 AHL All-Star Classic.
HOLDEN HONORED
After recording seven assists in three games last weekend, Nick Holden was honored for his off-ice work on Thursday, being named Springfield's IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year.
VICTORIOUS AGAIN
Curtis McElhinney won for the 28th time on Sunday, putting him two shy of equaling Scott Langkow's franchise record for victories in a season of 30, set in the 1997-98 campaign.
WITHIN RANGE
Jonathan Audy-Marchessault is a goal or an assist behind Jeff Taffe's AHL-leading 64 points and is threatening to become the first Falcon to win the John B. Sollenberger Trophy as the league's leading scorer in the regular season. Bruce Boudreau was the last player in the city of Springfield to own that honor, pacing the AHL with 114 points (42g-74a) with the Indians in 1997-98.
CRAIG CLOSES IN
Ryan Craig is tied for the most goals in Falcons history on the power play with 29, matching Danny Briere and Jean-Guy Trudel.
MAJOR ADDITION
Nick Holden's +23 rating is the highest on the Falcons. The Falcons' record for the highest plus-minus mark in one season is +23, shared by Danny Briere and John Stevens. Holden is tied for sixth among AHL defensemen with a career-high 38 points (8g-30a).
FRANCHISE MARKS IN SIGHT
Springfield enters the last two weekends of the season with franchise records for points percentage, points, wins, and fewest losses in reach.
The highest points percentage in franchise history is .625, set when Springfield notched 100 points over 80 games in its second season of 1995-96. The Falcons would break that mark and record the best year in team history in terms of possible-points earned by collecting five points over the final six games, which would give the club a minimum .632 points percentage in 2012-13.
Springfield's 100 points in 1995-96 is the team record. The Falcons need 10 points to break that mark in their last six outings.
The Falcons' record for victories in a season is 45, posted in 1997-98. Springfield has to win five of its remaining six contests to eclipse that mark.
Springfield is also in range of setting records for fewest losses in a season. The Falcons have lost 20 games in regulation in 2012-13. The fewest by the team is 22, notched in 1995-96. Springfield has lost 25 games in regulation and overtime combined, and the club low is 27, also registered in 1995-96.
Each of the Falcons' first 17 seasons included an 80-game schedule. The AHL schedule was reduced to 76 contests prior to 2011-12.
CLIMBING HIGHER
The Falcons equaled the franchise record and season high of 21 games above .500 with their victory on Sunday. Springfield can increase its record to 22 games above .500 for the first time in its 19-year history tonight.
BIG DIFFERENCE
The Falcons' +49 goal differential is the highest in the AHL, +8 ahead of the second-place Syracuse Crunch.
American Hockey League Stories from April 12, 2013
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- Coyotes Assign Brown to Portland - Portland Pirates
- Amerks Top Barons with 3-2 Shootout Win - Rochester Americans
- Crunch Edged by Sound Tigers - Syracuse Crunch
- Monsters Win Fourth Straight Thanks to Four-Goal First Period - Cleveland Monsters
- Admirals Sail Past Griffins, 4-1 - Grand Rapids Griffins
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- Admirals Beat Grand Rapids 4-1 - Milwaukee Admirals
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- Stars Drop Checkers in Overtime - Charlotte Checkers
- Manchester earns victory to help playoff hopes - Manchester Monarchs
- Tardif scores two to give the Bruins their fourth straight win - Providence Bruins
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- Rinne Named Top Admiral of All-Time - Milwaukee Admirals
- Toffoli Named AHL's Outstanding Rookie - Manchester Monarchs
- Manchester's Tyler Toffoli Named 2012-13 AHL Rookie of the Year - AHL
- Davies Wins Wolves 2012-13 Dan Snyder Award - Chicago Wolves
- IceCaps, Purolator Hold Events to Fight Hunger - St. John's IceCaps
- Falcons Game Preview: Springfield At Adirondack, Game #71 - Springfield Falcons
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