Falcons Weekly Notes

Published on November 12, 2012 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Springfield Falcons News Release


Springfield, Mass. - The red-hot Springfield Falcons (8-1-0-2) take the AHL's best record into the sixth week of the 2012-2013 regular season after recording shutouts in their victories over the Connecticut Whale on Friday and the Norfolk Admirals on Sunday. Goaltender Curtis McElhinney was flawless in his two starts, stopping all 55 shots he faced on his way to being named the CCM/AHL Player of the Week. The Falcons, who lead the Eastern Conference with 18 points, ended their season-opening stretch of nine home outings in 11 contests with a 6-1-0-2 record at the MassMutual Center and now embark on a four-game road stretch, including three away contests this week at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Norfolk.

The Falcons return home for "Movember Night presented by Baystate Health" on Saturday, Nov. 24 against the Manchester Monarchs at 7:00 p.m. The first 1,000 fans into the building that night will receive mustaches as part of an effort to generate awareness of prostate cancer and other male illnesses.

Single-game tickets to see the Falcons in 2012-2013 can be purchased at the MassMutual Center Box Office from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. through game time on Saturday home dates, and starting four hours prior to Sunday home contests. Fans can also purchase tickets by logging onto Ticketmaster.com. For information about discounted group packages to Falcons home games, call (413) 739-GOAL (4625).

WEEK IN REVIEW

Springfield 2, Connecticut 0

Friday, Nov. 9

MassMutual Center

After a scoreless opening 40 minutes, Tim Erixon struck once more against his former team, driving in a puck from the blue line 63 seconds into the final frame to put the Falcons in front, 1-0, with the first of the team's five power-play goals on the weekend. Erixon, who posted four points (1g-3a) and was +6 in his first game against the Whale, his 2011-2012 club, on Nov. 4, added another man-advantage tally later in the period for a 2-0 lead. McElhinney stopped 20 shots for his seventh win and third shutout of the season as Springfield improved to 2-0-0-0 versus its primary rival in 2012-2013.

Springfield 5, Norfolk 0

Sunday, Nov. 11

MassMutual Center

Nick Drazenovic tipped in a rebound on the power play just 41 seconds into the game, giving Springfield an early and permanent lead. The sixth-year pro scored again at 9:25, cleaning up a loose puck from an Atkinson shot to extend the advantage to 2-0 and to take the club lead with six goals. Matt Calvert snapped in a centering feed from Ryan Craig for another man-advantage strike at 18:06, while Jonathan Audy-Marchessault's goal just 48 seconds later gave Springfield a 4-0 lead after one period. Calvert banked a puck in off of Admirals netminder Frederik Andersen at 19:03 of the second to make it 5-0. McElhinney was up to the task again in net, refusing all 35 Admirals attempts to win his eighth game and capture his fourth shutout of 2012-2013.

WEEK AHEAD

Wednesday, Nov. 14 - 7:05 p.m., Springfield at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza

Friday, Nov. 16 - 7:30 p.m., Springfield at Norfolk, Norfolk Scope

Saturday, Nov. 17 - 7:15 p.m., Springfield at Norfolk, Norfolk Scope

The Falcons, the only AHL team with a perfect road record (2-0-0-0) this season, put their unblemished away mark to the test when they take on the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Norfolk Admirals this week.

DEFENSE, GOALTENDING HIGHLIGHTS EARLY SUCCESS

Springfield notched consecutive shutouts for the first time this past weekend since its blanked three-straight opponents from Jan. 21 to 26, 1996 and has allowed just 17 goals through 11 games in 2012-2013, including only 15 in regulation. Curtis McElhinney's eight wins place him atop the AHL, while his four shutouts in 10 starts also lead the league and are the most by a Falcons goaltender since Manny Legace notched a club-record five in 1995-1996. The Falcons' team goals-against average of 1.55 is the lowest in the league. Springfield has reached four shutouts in 11 games, 32 contests quicker than its previous fastest-to-four-shutouts mark of 43 outings in 1995-1996. Only one opponent has scored more than two goals against the Falcons in regulation and overtime this season, as Providence handed Springfield its only 60-minute loss this season with a 3-1 victory at the MassMutual Center on Oct. 20.

The Falcons have a team shutout streak of 138 minutes and 20 seconds dating back to the 1:40 mark of the third period of Springfield's historic 10-2 win over Connecticut on Nov. 4. McElhinney's streak is seconds shorter at 137 minutes and 46 seconds, as the eighth-year pro played 59 minutes and 26 seconds on Sunday. During this stretch, Springfield has outscored its opponents 11-0 and now has a goals advantage in 2012-2013 of 40-17 for a league-best +23 differential.

HISTORIC START

For just the second time in their 19 years of play, the Falcons have taken points in 10 of their opening 11 contests. Springfield captured points in 11 of its first 12 contests in 1997-1998 (8-1-3) on its way to winning a franchise record 45 games. With a victory on Wednesday night in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., the Falcons would secure their best start through 12 games in franchise history, while an overtime or a shootout loss would equal their 1997-1998 record in the initial dozen outings.

GIVING IT ANOTHER SHOT

On Wednesday, the Falcons will attempt to generate their first four-game winning streak within the same season since they earned four-straight victories from Dec. 23 to 30, 2006. Since that point, Springfield has compiled 10 three-game winning streaks without garnering a fourth-consecutive two-point night. The Falcons won consecutive games at the end of the 2011-2012 season and commenced the 2012-2013 campaign with three victories for a five-game winning streak over two seasons.

PILING UP THE POINTS

The Falcons have earned points in seven-straight games (5-0-0-2) for the first time since Nov. 9 to 21 of 2007 (5-0-1-1). Springfield's club record for the longest points streak is nine games, accomplished most recently from Mar. 6 to 28, 1998 (9-0-0) and also from Oct. 19 to Nov. 16, 1996 (7-0-2). With a win, an overtime loss, or a shootout defeat on Wednesday, the Falcons would have their first eight-game points streak since their nine-game winning streak in March of 1998.

STRIKING EARLY

The Falcons have scored first in each of the last 10 games since allowing St. John's to draw first blood on Oct. 13 in the season opener. Springfield has outscored its opponents 17-3 in the first 20 minutes and has not permitted a first-period tally to an opponent since Hershey's Boyd Kane lit the lamp on Nov. 2.

THE IMPOSSIBLE BECOMES THE NORM

After journeying through the first eight games without a multi-goal scorer, Springfield has had at least one player score twice in each of the last three contests. Nick Drazenovic has done a pair of times in the last three games, while Ryan Johansen, Tim Erixon, and Matt Calvert also have two-goal performances. The next elusive milestone is a hat trick, which no Falcon has achieved in each of the last 111 games. Kyle Wilson was the last Springfield skater to record a three-goal night, notching the trifecta on Feb. 19, 2011 against Worcester.

A SLEW OF POSITIVES

Every Falcon is even or better in the plus-minus category, and Springfield players decorate the top of the league leaderboard in that department. Jonathan Audy-Marchessault paces the AHL at +12, Ryan Johansen is second at +11, while Tomas Kubalik and John Moore are tied for third at +10.

NEAR OR AT THE TOP

Falcon players can be found among the league leaders outside of the plus-minus category. Jonathan Audy-Marchessault is tied for the league lead with 46 shots. Nick Drazenovic is tied for second with three game-winning goals. In addition to setting the AHL standard in 2012-2013 with eight wins and four shutouts, Curtis McElhinney is third with a .955 save percentage and a 1.29 goals-against average.

EXTRA-SPECIAL TEAMS

In scoring five times on the power play this weekend, Springfield jumped to third in the league in that category at 22.4% (13/58). The Falcons' three-goal output on the advantage on Sunday was a 2012-2013 team high. Springfield's penalty kill was 11/11 on the weekend to rise into fifth in the AHL at 89.6% (60/67). The Falcons and Abbotsford Heat are the only two teams with top five power plays and penalty kills.

TROPHY CASE GETTING CROWDED

Curtis McElhinney's CCM/AHL Player of the Week honor for the period ending Nov. 11 was his second league award in 2012-2013. The Denver, Colo. resident was named the CCM/AHL Goaltender of the Month for October.

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American Hockey League Stories from November 12, 2012


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