Falcons Host Pirates Tonight
Published on December 16, 2005 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Springfield Falcons News Release
The Springfield Falcons and Portland Pirates will meet for the fourth time this season and third meeting at the MassMutual Center. The Falcons are 1-2-0-0 against the Pirates this season, including 1-1 on home ice. These two Atlantic Division rivals last played each other back on Sunday, November 27 with Portland winning that contest 5-4. That game featured a wild third period with the two teams combining for six goals. Springfield beat Portland opening night, 4-2, at the MassMutual Center with the Falcons erasing a 2-0 deficit on that night by scoring four unanswered goals.
The Falcons head into tonight's game having picked up points in three of their last four games posting a record of 2-1-0-1 in that span. Springfield currently has a record of 14-10-1-3 on the season good for 32 points in a highly competitive Atlantic Division. In three games against the Pirates this season, Falcons center Jason Jaspers leads the team in scoring against Portland with two goals and three assists for five points. Norm Milley also has added three assists in three games against Portland, while veteran Jim Campbell has scored twice in two games against the Pirates.
The Pirates head into Springfield with a record of 17-7-2-0 good for 36 points and a first-place tie with the Manchester Monarchs in the Atlantic Division. Portland will play three games in three days this weekend, including back-to-back home games against Albany on Saturday and Sunday. Portland hasn't played since last Saturday, December 10 when they defeated the Lowell Lock Monsters in a shootout, 4-3. Corey Perry scored the game-winner for the Pirates in that contest. Similar to the entire Atlantic Division, Portland has seen 10 of their last 12 games decided by one goal or less and have posted a record of 7-3-2-0 in their last 12 contests.
FIRST PENALTY SHOT OF THE YEAR: Springfield Falcons forward Norm Milley converted on the Falcons first penalty shot of the season last Sunday afternoon in Providence. Milley's penalty shot goal was the Falcons first penalty shot goal since Dmitry Afanasenkov scored on Providence Bruins goaltender Andrew Raycroft on October 20, 2002.
STRONG DECEMBER THUS FAR: The Falcons enter tonight's game with a record of 4-2-0-1 through seven games thus far in December. Following tonight's game, Springfield will conclude 2005 with five games, two home and three away. Four of the five remaining games in December will be against divisional opponents, the Falcons are 11-8-1-2 against Atlantic Division foes this year.
ON FIRE SINCE ARRIVING: Portland right winger Corey Perry has been very productive since being reassigned to the Pirates by their National Hockey League affiliate the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. Perry has six goals and nine assists for 15 points in nine games played. Perry has collected a point in all nine games, and has produced four multi-point games.
Perry is in his first season of professional hockey after collecting 47 goals and 83 assists for 130 points in 60 games for the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League last season. Perry was a teammate of Falcons goaltender Gerald Coleman with London last season. Perry led the OHL in both regular season and playoff scoring last season. In 15 games with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim this season, Perry has recorded one goal and five assists for six points.
MAKING AN IMPACT: Portland center Ryan Getzlaf has also made an impact to the Pirates lineup since being reassigned to Portland by Anaheim on November 21, 2005. In eight games with the Pirates, Getzlaf has collected three goals and 12 assists for 15 points. Getzlaf has earned a point in seven of the eight games he has played, including six multi-point games. In 16 games with Anaheim this season, Getzlaf collected four goals and three assists for seven points.
American Hockey League Stories from December 16, 2005
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- San Antonio wins over Manitoba - San Antonio Rampage
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- Stars defeat Wolves 4-1 - Iowa Chops
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- Admirals sink Senators in shootout - Binghamton Senators
- Hamilton's Hat Trick Powers Sound Tigers Past Lowell - Bridgeport Islanders
- Brick Hauser Blanks River Rats - Manchester Monarchs
- Hamilton's hat trick topples Monsters, 5-2 - Albany Devils
- Hamilton Scores Two Power Play Goals In 3-1 Win - Adirondack Phantoms
- Admirals Defeat Binghamton 6-5 in a Shootout - Norfolk Admirals
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- Knights Receive MacDonald From Calgary - Abbotsford Heat
- Join the Griffins at home for the holidays - Grand Rapids Griffins
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- Ayers Assigned to Dayton - Syracuse Crunch
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