Sports stats



Falons Weekly Notes

January 6, 2014 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Springfield Falcons News Release


Springfield, Mass. - The Springfield Falcons (24-5-1-3) earned all of six possible points last week, defeating the St. John's IceCaps 4-2 Tuesday night, and rounding out the weekend with wins over the Albany Devils Friday and the Providence Bruins Saturday. Springfield maintains the best points percentage (.788) and the highest point total (52) in the American Hockey League. The Manchester Monarchs have also earned 52 points so far this season but have played five more games than the Falcons.

Springfield looks to extend its winning streak and lead in the Northeast Division with four games this week, two on the road and two at home. The Falcons will face Albany twice - Tuesday on the road and Friday at home - before visiting the Hershey Bears Saturday night and hosting the Norfolk Admirals Sunday afternoon at the MassMutual Center.

Single-game tickets throughout the 2013-14 season can be purchased at the MassMutual Center box office from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to game time on Saturday home dates, and four hours prior to any Sunday home contests. Fans can also purchase tickets at Ticketmaster.com. For information about discounted group packages, call a Falcons' sales representative at (413) 739-GOAL (4625).

WEEK IN REVIEW

Springfield 4, St. John's 2

Tuesday, December 31

MassMutual Center

The Falcons defeated the IceCaps in the first meeting this season between the two teams. The Falcons came back to tie the score twice in the first two periods before Jean-Francois Jacques and Andrew Joudrey each scored in the final frame to seal the victory. For Jacques, the goal was his third of the season and second game-winner. Lukas Sedlak and Jonathan Marchessault scored the first two Springfield goals. Goaltender Jeremy Smith made 31 saves on 33 shots, earning his 15th victory of the season.

Springfield 4, Albany 3 (OT)

Friday, January 3

Times Union Center

The Falcons came back to win again Friday at Albany, this time from a 3-1 deficit in the third period. After Kelly Zajac and Jean-Fancois Jacques traded first-period goals, Harri Pesonen and Rod Pelley scored within a 1:08 span to put the Devils ahead by two with 7:53 remaining in regulation. Jake Hansen answered just 30 seconds later with his eighth goal of the season to cut the deficit in half, and Austin Madaisky fired a slap shot from the right-wing circle to even the score at 13:38. Overtime lasted 3:13 before Springfield's Darryl Boyce weaved his way through the offensive zone and beat Albany netminder Keith Kinkaid to end the contest and give the Falcons their second consecutive win.

Springfield 2, Providence 1

Saturday, January 4

MassMutual Center

Springfield won its third straight game with a 2-1 victory over the Providence Bruins Saturday night. After Nick Johnson gave Providence a 1-0 lead at 10:13 of the second period, Springfield's Spencer Machacek answered right back with a blast from the right-wing circle that beat Niklas Svedberg. Machacek also scored the game-winning goal, wrapping around the net and burying the puck on the far post to help the Falcons edge out the Bruins. For Machacek, it was his second multi-goal effort of the season, and the scores were his fifth and sixth of the 2013-14 campaign. Goaltender Mike McKenna made his return to the lineup after a month-long stint with the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Falcons' NHL affiliate. The St. Louis native made 26 saves on 27 shots and earned his seventh victory of the season.

WEEK AHEAD

Tuesday, January 7 - Springfield at. Albany, Times Union Center, 7:00 p.m.

Friday, January 10 - Springfield vs. Albany, MassMutual Center, 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, January 11 - Springfield at Hershey, Giant Center, 7:00 p.m.

Sunday, January 12 - Springfield vs. Norfolk, MassMutual Center, 3:00 p.m.

Ticket Package Holder Redemption Night

ATOP THE AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE

The Falcons maintain first place in the AHL's Northeast Division with a 24-5-1-3 record, having earned 52 of a possible 66 points. Springfield's 52 points and .788 points percentage lead the entire American Hockey League and have the team on pace for the best record in AHL history. The 1992-93 Binghamton Rangers posted 124 points and a .775 points percentage, not exceeded in 78 years of AHL hockey.

RECENT ADDITIONS

Over the weekend, the Columbus Blue Jackets returned forward Jonathan Marchessault, defenseman Tim Erixon and goaltender Mike McKenna to Springfield. Marchessault had only been recalled for one day, but Erixon and McKenna had been with the NHL club since early December. Before his recall December 8, Erixon led the Falcons with 16 points and 13 assists. A fixture on the power play, the 6-foot-3, 199-pound D-man has recorded six multi-point games in 14 total appearances with Springfield this season. McKenna, despite not currently being eligible due to his recall, leads the AHL with a 1.41 goals-against average and .945 save percentage. The veteran goaltender is 7-2-0 with the Falcons this season.

CLEMENTE, LARKIN RETURNED TO EVANSVILLE

Goaltender Mike Clemente and Thomas Larkin were both sent back to the Evansville IceMen, the team's ECHL affiliate, Sunday morning. Clemente was returned on loan after making two appearances with Springfield and posting a 1-0-1 record with a 2.88 goals-against average and .893 save percentage. Larkin, on an NHL contract, was reassigned by Columbus from Springfield to Evansville after appearing in two games with the Falcons. The Colgate University product recorded two shots and five penalty minutes.

SCORING EARLY

For Springfield, scoring early has been a strong sign of success. The Falcons have scored the first goal of the game 17 times in 33 games so far this season, and in those 17 games, Springfield is 15-1-0-1. Despite not scoring first in any of the team's three games last week, the Falcons were able to win all three. Springfield has also posted a sparkling 13-0-1-0 mark when leading after one period of play.

MARCHESSAULT ON FIRE

Jonathan Marchessault has heated up over the last month, totaling an AHL-best 15 points and eight goals in 12 December contests. Over that span, he notched four multi-point efforts, scored three game-winning goals and was only held without a point in two of the 12 games. Marchessault now leads the team in points (26), goals (12), assists (14), power-play goals (7) and game-winning goals (4). The Falcons went 8-2-0-2 in the month of December.

MILLER ON THE SCORESHEET

After going pointless in his first seven games since being traded to Springfield from the Chicago Wolves, Tim Miller has found his way into the point column of late. The Davisburg, Michigan native has recorded a point in six of the last eight games and in five straight. Over the eight-game span, Miller has accrued seven helpers, assisting the team to a 5-1-1-1 record in those contests.

GREGORY CAMPBELL APPEARANCE

Stanley Cup champion Gregory Campbell will sign autographs at the Falcons home game February 23 versus the Norfolk Admirals, presented by Dunkin' Donuts. Campbell, who won the Stanley Cup with Boston in 2010-11, is a veteran of over 500 NHL games. For tickets to the game, visit the MassMutual Center box office or click here to purchase tickets online. For a discounted group rate, please contact a Falcons sales representative at (413) 739-GOAL (4625).

MEET THE TEAM

The Falcons will hold the 'Meet the Team' event, presented by Webster Bank, at Q Pin 2's in West Springfield Wednesday, January 15 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The entire team will be present to greet and play pool with fans in attendance. The exclusive event is reserved for ticket package holders and corporate partners only. To reserve admission to the event, please call the Falcons front office at (413) 739-GOAL (4625) by Friday, January 10.

FALCONS IN THE COMMUNITY

Two Falcons players will visit a local elementary school in the Greater Springfield area Thursday, January 9 as part of the team's Stick to Reading program, presented by Columbia Gas of Massachusetts. The initiative is aimed at encouraging local children at schools and youth programs to start reading at an early age.

COME TO A FALCONS GAME

For information about available ticket packages or single-game tickets, fans can contact a Falcons' sale representative at (413) 739-GOAL (4625) or visit the team website by clicking here. All the information is also available at Ticket Headquarters, located on the MassMutual Center concourse behind section 31 at all Falcons' home games.

The Falcons offer a number of affordable ticket packages to allow fans to enjoy the family entertainment for a low price. In addition to season-ticket plans, the team also offers flex packages for those who want to choose what games they want to attend and how many people they want to bring to each game. Flex packages are broken down into 44, 20 and 12-voucher plans, and the customer can use any number of those vouchers to any game, based on seat availability.

FALCONS NEST PRO SHOP

Fans can purchase their favorite team gear and apparel at the Falcons Nest Pro Shop, located inside the team office at 45 Falcons Way during normal business hours (9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday - Friday) or online by clicking here. The shop is stocked with brand new merchandise for the 2013-14 season, including limited-edition apparel and novelty items featuring the new 20th anniversary logo. The Falcons Nest Pro Shop moves to the MassMutual Center concourse behind section 27 during all home games.



American Hockey League Stories from January 6, 2014


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent Springfield Falcons Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central