Falcons set to battle Sharks
November 4, 2006 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Springfield Falcons News Release
A competitive intra-state rivalry is reborn tonight at the MassMutual Center as the Springfield Falcons and Worcester Sharks meet for the first time in franchise history. The Falcons and Sharks will meet 10 times this season (five home and five away), including three times during the month of November. Following tonight's game, the Falcons and Sharks meet again Thanksgiving Weekend for a home-and-home series, including a rematch in Springfield on November 25.
The Falcons head into tonight's game having dropped a 5-4 decision last night to the Rochester Americans on home ice. For the second straight week, Springfield battled back from a three-goal deficit to pull even in the third period. Rochester built a 3-0 lead in the first period Friday night, but the Falcons responded with a pair of goals in the second period as Blair Jones and Darren Reid both tallied for Springfield. Trailing 4-2 in the third period, Eric Healey scored his sixth goal of the season, followed by rookie Justin Keller's first pro goal evening the score at 4-4. Springfield continues a busy weekend tonight against Worcester, before heading to Lowell for a rematch against the Devils on Sunday.
Worcester visits Springfield for the first time this season having not played since last Saturday, October 28 when they defeated the Manchester Monarchs 5-4. The Sharks received goals from Garrett Stafford, Tom Cavanagh, Mathieu Darche and Grant Stevenson in the victory. Worcester is currently on a two-game winning streak and overall has won four of their last five games played. Tonight will be the only game on the weekend for the Sharks as they will return home to host a pair of games next weekend when San Antonio and Providence visit Worcester. The Sharks are currently in second place in the Atlantic Division with a record of 5-2-0-2 good for 12 points. In five road games this year, Worcester is 3-1-0-1.
FIRST AS A PRO: Falcons rookie forward Justin Keller scored his first career pro goal last night for the Falcons, while also adding on three assists and earning the game's second star of the night. In nine games played this season, Keller has one goal and five assists for six points. Prior to this year, Keller spent the previous three seasons with the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League where he recorded a career high 51 goals, 37 assists and 88 points in 72 games during the 2005-06 campaign. Keller's 51 goals last season led the entire WHL.
The 5-foot-11, 185-pound native of Summerland, British Columbia scored the game-winning goal that won the 2004 Memorial Cup for Kelowna. Keller was Tampa Bay's eighth choice (245th overall) in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.
MOVING ON UP: Springfield rookie Blair Jones extended his scoring streak to five games last night when he scored his fourth goal of the season. Jones now has four goals in his last three games played, and the first-year pro also has a three game goal scoring streak.
Jones has registered four goals and five assists for nine points in his last five games. Jones is tied for second on the team in scoring with four goals and eight assists for 12 points in nine games. Jones is currently tied for third in the AHL in rookie scoring.
EXTENDING HIS STREAK: Veteran forward Eric Healey has collected points in five straight games registering four goals and six assists for 10 points in that span. Healey scored his team leading sixth marker of the season last night in the third period.
FALCONS FODDER (CONT)..................
FOUR IN AND ONE OUT: The Springfield Falcons recalled four players from the Johnstown Chiefs on Thursday as goaltender Jonathan Boutin, defenseman Geoff Waugh, left wing Radek Smolenak, and left wing Jean Desrochers all joined the Falcons.
Boutin made his 2006-07 Falcons debut last night stopping 21 of the 23 shots he faced in relief of the starter Karri Ramo. Boutin and Waugh both started the season with Springfield and played in two games with the Chiefs after joining Johnstown last Saturday. Smolenak was leading the Chiefs in goals at the time of his recall after collecting four goals and two assists for six points in six games played. Smolenak started the season in Falcons training camp after registering 42 goals in 65 games last year with Kingston of the Ontario Hockey League.
Desrochers also attended Falcons training camp and led the Chiefs in scoring with four goals and three assists for seven points in six games at the time of his recall. Desrochers recorded a hat trick in the first period of Johnstown's opening game this season. The Falcons reassigned forward David Spina to Johnstown.
TOP AHL ROOKIE: Worcester rookie Joe Pavelski enters tonight's game as the AHL's top rookie scorer with three goals and 11 assists for 14 points in nine games played. On November 1, Pavelski was named the AHL's RBK Hockey/Rookie of the Month for October. In his pro debut on October 6, Pavelski netted his first pro goal and added one assist in helping Worcester to a 4-3 shootout win in Portland. Pavelski registered his first multi-point game on October 15 collecting one goal and adding two assists in a 6-2 win at Lowell. The 22-year-old native of Plover, Wisconsin was drafted by the San Jose Sharks in 2003 and played two seasons at the University of Wisconsin leading the Badgers to the 2006 NCAA championship. Pavelski has collected at least a point in six straight contests collecting two goals and eight assists for 10 points in that span.
TOP GOAL SCORER/TOP SCORING D-MAN: Worcester enters tonight's game with the AHL's top goal scorer on their roster as left wing Mathieu Darche has registered 11 goals in nine games to the start the season. Darche has earned at least a point in eight of the nine games this year. Sharks defenseman Mathieu Biron currently leads all AHL blueliners in points with 12 in nine games played. Biron spent parts of two seasons with the Falcons from 2000-2002.
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American Hockey League Stories from November 4, 2006
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