Falcons Host Pirates Tonight 7:30 pm

Published on November 11, 2011 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Springfield Falcons News Release


GAME PREVIEW - The Springfield Falcons and Portland Pirates meet for the first time this season when they get together on Friday night at the MassMutual Center. The Falcons and Pirates will go head-to-head eight times this year, four home and four away.

This will be the 151st all-time regular season meeting between the Falcons and Pirates. Springfield leads the all-time series with Portland at 72-64-14.

The Falcons have won three of their last four games and currently post a record of 6-6 through their first 12 games. Springfield continues a six-game homestand tonight and the birds will also host the Bridgeport Sound Tigers on Saturday evening.

The Pirates have a record of 4-6-0-1 through 11 games and overall, they have gone 2-2 in their last four contests over the previous two weekends. Portland has been very productive when scoring the game's first goal this year going 3-2 in that category.

BUSY WEEK FOR TRANSACTIONS - On Wednesday, the Columbus Blue Jackets activated goaltender Mark Dekanich off injured reserve and assigned him to the Falcons. The club also assigned right wing Cam Atkinson to Springfield.

Dekanich (pronounced DECK-an-ihch) was injured during a preseason game vs. Winnipeg on September 20 and has missed the season's first 14 games. One of the top goaltenders in the American Hockey League in 2010-11, he went 23-12-2 with a 2.02 goals-against average, .931 save percentage and four shutouts in 43 games with the Milwaukee Admirals, the Nashville Predators' top affiliate. He led the AHL in save percentage, ranked third in goals-against average and was selected to play in the 2011 AHL All-Star Classic.

Nashville's third pick, 146th overall, in the 2006 Entry Draft, Dekanich spent the past three seasons in the Predators organization. He made his NHL debut with Nashville vs. the Los Angeles Kings on Dec. 18, 2010 and stopped 22-of-25 shots in 50 minutes of action. In 122 career AHL games with Milwaukee, he fashioned a 65-38-11 record, 2.25 goals-against average, .928 save percentage and nine shutouts. He was signed by Columbus as a free agent on July 1.

The 25-year-old North Vancouver, British Columbia native played four seasons at Colgate University (ECAC) from 2004-08. He went 51-44-16 with a 2.25 goals-against average, .923 save percentage and 11 shutouts in 118 career games, concluding his career as the school's all-time leader in games played, saves (3,071), save percentage and shutouts.

Atkinson, 22, has registered one goal in five games with the Blue Jackets this season. He made his NHL debut vs. Nashville on October 7 and scored his first NHL goal against Vancouver on October 10. He has also collected 4-2-6 and four penalty minutes in 10 games with the Falcons and is tied for the team lead in goals. Columbus' eighth pick, 157th overall, in the 2008 Entry Draft, he appeared in five games with Springfield at the end of the 2010-11 season and recorded 3-2-5 and was +2 in five games.

On Monday, the Blue Jackets assigned forward Alexandre Giroux to the Falcons. Giroux, 30, scored one goal and had eight penalty minutes in nine games with Columbus after making his Blue Jackets debut at Dallas on October 15. He has tallied one goal and one assist in two games with Springfield this season. In 48 career NHL games with Columbus, Edmonton, Washington and the New York Rangers, he has recorded 6-6-12 and 26 penalty minutes during his 10-year pro career, including 1-1-2 and two penalty minutes in eight games with the Oilers in 2010-11. He added 32-46-78 and 63 penalty minutes in 70 games with Oklahoma City, Edmonton's AHL affiliate, last season. Ottawa's seventh pick, 213th overall, in the 1999 Entry Draft, he has 340-310-650, 837 penalty minutes and a cumulative +143 plus/minus rating in 706 career AHL games.

In 2008-09, Giroux (pronounced gih-ROO) notched 60-37-97 and 84 penalty minutes in 69 games, led the Hershey Bears to the AHL's Calder Cup championship and was named the AHL's Most Valuable Player. In 2009-10, he collected a career-high 50-53-103 and 34 penalty minutes in 69 games as the Bears won their second-straight Calder Cup. He has scored 30 or more goals in seven-straight AHL seasons and appeared in several AHL All-Star Games, including each of the past three years. The Quebec City, Quebec native also registered 111-115-226, 359 penalty minutes and was +44 in 202 career Quebec Major Junior Hockey League games with Hull and Rouyn-Noranda from 1998-01.

Also on Monday, the Falcons announced that defenseman Brett Lebda has been signed to a Professional Tryout Agreement. The 5-foot-11, 195-pound native of Buffalo Grove, Illinois is a veteran of 367 career National Hockey League games collecting 19 goals and 53 assists for 72 career points. Lebda spent six seasons with the Detroit Red Wings from 2004-2010 after completing his collegiate career at Notre Dame from 2000-2004. Lebda was a member of the 2008-09 Detroit team that won the Stanley Cup. Lebda has also played in 111 career AHL contests with the Grand Rapids Griffins from 2004-2006.

FALCONS TIDBITS

Adam Mair has completed his 4-game AHL suspension and returns to the lineup Friday against Portland.

Nick Drazenovic continues to lead the Falcons in scoring with three goals and 11 assists for 14 points in 11 games. He has collected at least a point in nine of the 11 games he has played.

Martin St. Pierre has points in five straight games collecting two goals and five assists in that span.

PIRATES NEWS AND NOTES

* Ryan Duncan continues to lead the Pirates in scoring with four goals and six assists for 10 points in 11 games. Duncan has collected at least a point in seven of the 11 games played. He has two goals in his last three games.

* Brock Trotter has one goal and two assists in his last two games and since joining Portland on October 25, he has collected one goal and two assists in five games. Trotter started the season with the Hamilton Bulldogs where he posted two goals and five assists in five games.

* Andy Miele leads all Portland rookies in scoring with four goals and four assists for eight points in just six games. Miele had a season best five-point night back on October 19 against Manchester when he tallied two goals and three assists.

* Defenseman Nathan Oystrick leads all Pirates' blueliners in scoring with three goals and five assists for eight points in 11 games. Oystrick has one goal and three assists for four points in his last two games.

* Rookie Brett Hextall has three goals and three assists in seven games. Hextall has scored in two straight games leading into tonight's contest.

* Goaltender Curtis McElhinney has started four of the last five games between the pipes.

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American Hockey League Stories from November 11, 2011


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