Falcons Host The Bruins Tonight
Published on January 3, 2009 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Springfield Falcons News Release
The Springfield Falcons and Providence Bruins meet for the seventh time this season when they face-off on Saturday night at the MassMutual Center. The Falcons are 1-4-1-0 against the Bruins this season, including 1-1 at The Nest. The Bruins have won the last three straight contests in the season series, including two shutouts. Following tonight's game, the Falcons and Bruins will not meet again until Saturday, January 24 in Springfield.
Ryan Potulny is currently the Falcons active leader in scoring against the Bruins with two goals and three assists for five points in five games played. Potulny, Bryan Lerg, Theo Peckham, and Derek Bekar are all tied for the Springfield lead in goals against Providence with two each. Potulny, Rob Schremp and Tyler Spurgeon are all tied for the club lead in assists against the Bruins.
Martins Karsums (5g, 4a, 9pts) and Johnny Boychuk (2g, 7a, 9pts) are the Providence active leading scorers against Springfield this campaign with nine points each. Karsums also leads the Bruins in goals against the Falcons, while Boychuck is the leader in assists against Springfield. Goaltender Tuukka Rask is a perfect 4-0 against the Falcons this year with a 1.00 goals against average, .959 save percentage and two shutouts.
The Falcons enter Saturday's action coming off a 3-2 shootout victory over the Manchester Monarchs on Friday evening. Guillaume Lefebvre and Ryan Potulny scored in regulation before the contest went into a nine-round shootout. Derek Bekar converted on the Falcons' fifth and final shot of the shootout sending it to extra frames. Springfield used goals on their final shot four times extending the shootout before Bryan Lerg finally won the contest after Falcons goaltender Jeff Deslauriers stopped Manchester's David Meckler in the ninth round. Lerg scored twice in the shootout, as well as Potulny. With the victory, Springfield moved within one point of sixth place Lowell, and inched within six points of both Manchester and Worcester.
The Bruins also were victorious on Friday night having defeated the Hershey Bears 7-2 at the Dunkin Donuts Center. Providence built a 5-0 lead and never looked back improving their record to 20-14-1-1 on the season, good for 42 points and first place in the Atlantic Division. Martins Karsums and Brad Marchand led the offense with one goal and two assists each. Zach Hamill, Peter Schaefer, Jeremy Reich, Wacey Rabbit, and Matt Marquardt also tallied for the Bruins. Goaltender Tuukka Rask stopped 28 of 30 shots in the victory. Providence hosts the Houston Aeros on Sunday to conclude their weekend.
LEADING THE OFFENSE: Falcons center Ryan Potulny scored his team-leading 17th goal of the season and added two more markers in the shootout earning the game's top star on Friday night against Manchester. Potulny has registered at least a point in three of his last four games collecting two goals and one assist in that span.
BACK IN THE LINEUP: Falcons defenseman Mike Gabinet returned to Springfield's lineup on December 31 after missing 30 games due to injury. Teammate Bryan Young has appeared in the last three games for the Falcons having collected his first point of the season last night against Manchester. Young returned to Springfield's lineup on December 28 after missing 17 games due to injury.
BRUINS PLAYER NOTES:
- Jeff Penner has recorded at least a point in three of his last four games collecting three assists in that span.
- Martins Karsums has collected at least a point in four of his last six games posting three goals and four assists for seven points in that span.
- Jeremy Reich has scored a goal in two of his last three games.
- Goaltender Tuukka Rask has appeared in nine straight games for the Bruins. The last Providence game Rask did not play was back on December 13.
American Hockey League Stories from January 3, 2009
- Admirals Top Peoria, Tie Franchise Mark for Consecutive Home Wins - Milwaukee Admirals
- McKenna Holds Off Pirates - Norfolk Admirals
- Tying Goal Disallowed as Milwaukee Wins 2-0 - Peoria Rivermen
- Hogs edge Wolves 6-4 - Rockford IceHogs
- Moose drop shootout to Americans, 3-2 - Manitoba Moose
- Ryan's Hat-Trick Gives Albany Their Third Straight Win - Albany River Rats
- Rampage snap Flames' win streak - Abbotsford Heat
- Falcons Fall To Bruins 5-2 - Springfield Falcons
- Crunch Fall to Monsters in Overtime - Syracuse Crunch
- Griffins Cast Spell On Manchester - Manchester Monarchs
- Aeros downed by Penguins in shootout 3-2 - Houston Aeros
- Ryan's Hat-Trick Gives Albany Third Straight Win - Albany River Rats
- Bears defeat Wolf Pack - Connecticut Whale
- Sharks Stop Devils, 3-2 - Worcester Sharks
- Chops chomp 'Dogs 3-2 - Hamilton Bulldogs
- Ryan's third goal in overtime gives Albany a 3-2 overtime win - Bridgeport Islanders
- Devils Stopped By Sharks, 3-2 - Albany Devils
- Griffins win 2-1 on Ritola's last minute goal - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Power play lifts Chops past Bulldogs, 3-2 - Iowa Chops
- Admirals Beat Pirates 3-2 - Portland Pirates
- P-Bruins Defeat Falcons 5-2 - Providence Bruins
- Max Taylor's Hat Trick Powers Marlies To 6-1 Win Over Phantoms - Adirondack Phantoms
- Atlanta Returns Lehman To Chicago - Chicago Wolves
- Worcester Sharks Host Birthday Party For Kenda The Polar Bear - Worcester Sharks
- Third Overall Pick Bogosian Assigned To Wolves - Chicago Wolves
- Admirals Sign Defenseman Mitch Ganzak to PTO - Norfolk Admirals
- Hurricanes Recall Dwyer From Albany - Albany River Rats
- Columbus Recalls Right Wing Maksim Mayorov - Syracuse Crunch
- Lightning Recall D Ty Wishart from Admirals - Norfolk Admirals
- Falcons Host The Bruins Tonight - Springfield Falcons
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