Falcons Set To Host Wolf Pack Tonight

Published on January 9, 2009 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Springfield Falcons News Release


The Springfield Falcons and Hartford Wolf Pack meet for the fifth time this season when they get together on Friday night at the MassMutual Center. This will be Hartford's second visit to Springfield this year with these two divisional rivals last going head-to-head back on December 27 at The Nest with Hartford winning that game in overtime by a score of 4-3. This has been a very tight season series thus far with all four games being decided by one goal and ending in a 4-3 score. The Falcons beat the Wolf Pack in a shootout on December 13, the Pack defeated the Falcons in overtime on November 8 and Springfield beat Hartford in regulation on October 11.

Falcons center Ryan Potulny leads the Falcons in scoring against the Wolf Pack this year with four goals and one assist for five points in four games. Rookie defenseman Taylor Chorney leads all Springfield defensemen in scoring against the Wolf Pack this year with three assists in four games.

The Wolf Pack have a three-way tie for the team lead in scoring against the Falcons this year as Jordan Owens (1g, 3a), Pierre Parenteau (1g, 3a), and Bobby Sanguinetti (0g, 4a) all have four points against Springfield this year.

The Falcons head into Friday's action after having their game originally scheduled for this past Wednesday postponed due to inclement weather. Springfield is looking to snap a two-game losing streak after falling to the Portland Pirates last Sunday by a score of 4-1. Taylor Chorney scored Springfield's lone goal in that contest. The Falcons remain in seventh place in the Atlantic Division with a record of 13-19-4-1 good for 31 points. Springfield is currently five points behind the sixth place Lowell Devils and eight points behind both Worcester and Manchester. Following tonight's contest, Springfield heads to Portland for back-to-back road games against the Pirates this weekend.

The Wolf Pack head into Springfield for their third game of a four-game road trip for Hartford. The Pack played this past Tuesday and Wednesday in Manitoba where they took three of a possible four points beating the Moose on January 6 by a score of 6-3, followed by a 3-2 overtime loss on January 7. Hartford remains in third place in the Atlantic Division with a record of 18-15-2-3 good for 41 points. The Wolf Pack heads to Bridgeport on Saturday to conclude their weekend.

ALL-STAR SEASON: The Falcons announced Wednesday that center Ryan Potulny has been named to the PlanetUSA roster and will represent the Falcons at the 2009 AHL All-Star Game in Worcester, MA presented by Charter Communications. The 2009 AHL All-Star Classic will take place on Monday, January 26 at the DCU Center in Worcester.

Potulny currently leads the Falcons in scoring with 17 goals and 14 assists for 31 points in 34 games this season. The 6-foot, 190-pound native of Grand Forks, North Dakota also leads Springfield in goals and multi-point games with nine.

Potulny is in his first campaign with the Falcons and started the year in style scoring a pair of goals and earning the game's first star in Springfield's 4-3 opening night win at Hartford on October 11, 2008. Potulny was recently named the game's top star when he scored one goal in regulation and two more markers in the shootout on January 2, 2009 in a 3-2 Falcons' victory over the Manchester Monarchs.

Potulny is in his third full professional season and he was named an assistant captain of the Falcons back on October 8, 2008. He started his pro career splitting time between the AHL's Philadelphia Phantoms and NHL's Philadelphia Flyers from 2006-2008. Potulny was originally drafted by the Flyers in the third round (87th overall) in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. Before joining the pro ranks, he spent three seasons with the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers from 2003-2006. General Manager: Jim Schoenfeld

Head Coach: Ken Gernander

Asst. Coach: J.J. Daigneault

Asst. Coach: Pat Boller

Athletic Trainer: Damien Hess

Equipment Manager: Jason Levy

NHL Affiliate: New York Rangers

WELCOME TO SPRINGFIELD: The Falcons announced Monday that they have signed left wing Patrick Bordeleau to a Professional Tryout Agreement (PTO).

Bordeleau is in his second season of professional hockey and the 6-foot-6, 220-pound native of Montreal, Quebec has split the 2008-09 season between the ECHL's Augusta Lynx, Florida Everblades and AHL's Albany River Rats. In 18 games with the Lynx this season, Bordeleau collected four goals and six assists for 10 points and 57 penalty minutes. He made his AHL debut this year with the River Rats registering one assist and 14 penalty minutes in three games before playing in five games with the Everblades where he collected 19 penalty minutes.

Bordeleau was originally drafted by the NHL's Minnesota Wild in the fourth round (114th overall) in the 2004 Entry Draft.

WOLF PACK ALL-STAR REP: Hartford Wolf Pack defenseman Bobby Sanguinetti has been named to the PlanetUSA squad for the 2009 AHL All-Star Classic

A rookie out of the Ontario Hockey League and a first-round selection by the parent New York Rangers in the 2006 NHL Draft (21st overall), Sanguinetti is the leading-scoring defender on the Wolf Pack squad, and ranks third on the team in assists and tied for third in points, with 3-20-23 in 37 games. The Trenton, NJ native also stands tied for third in the AHL in rookie assists, tied for fourth in the league in assists among defensemen and sixth in points among AHL blueliners.

Prior to turning pro this year with the Wolf Pack, the 6-3, 190-pound Sanguinetti spent four seasons in the OHL, registering career totals of 70 goals, 142 assists and 212 points in 263 games with Owen Sound and Brampton.

WOLF PACK PLAYER NOTES:

Pierre Parenteau has recorded at least a point in five of his last six games collecting three goals and seven assists for 10 points in that span. Parenteau now leads the Wolf Pack in scoring with 15 goals and 23 assists for 38 points in 38 games played.

Patrick Rissmiller has scored a goal in two of his last three games bringing his season totals to five goals and 16 assists for 21 points in 23 games.

Artem Anisimov has recorded at least a point in seven of his last eight games posting five goals and six assists in that span.

Mike Ouellette has goals in back-to-back games entering Friday's contest. Overall, he has scored a goal in four of his last five games played.

Jordan Owens has collected at least a point in four of his last five games totaling four assists in that span.

Tommy Pyatt has also collected at least a point in four of his last five games picking up one goal and three assists in that span.

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American Hockey League Stories from January 9, 2009


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