Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Oilers Sign And Recall Charles Linglet And Falcons Sign Blair Riley


OILERS SIGN AND RECALL LINGLET FROM THE FALCONS
--Falcons Sign Blair Riley To ATO Contract--

March 31, 2010 – The Springfield Falcons, proud members of the American Hockey League, announced today that forward Charles Linglet has been signed to a one-year contract and recalled by their National Hockey League affiliate, the Edmonton Oilers. The Falcons also announced they signed forward Blair Riley to an Amateur Tryout Agreement.

Linglet continues to lead the Falcons in scoring this year with 19 goals and 55 assists for 74 points in 75 games. The 6-foot-2, 212-pound native of Montreal, Quebec is currently ranked fifth in the AHL in scoring and he is also third in the league in assists.

Linglet represented Springfield at the 2010 AHL All-Star Classic in Portland, Maine this season and he is the lone Falcons player to have played in all 75 games this year. He is a veteran of 331 career AHL games having collected 96 goals and 150 assists for 246 career points.

Blair Riley is starting his pro career after recently completing his senior season at Ferris State University. The 6-foot, 220-pound native of Kamloops, British Columbia set career highs in all offensive categories this year collecting 18 goals, 20 assists and 38 points in 40 games.

*Reprinted by Oilers Jambalaya with permission by the Springfield Falcons AHL Hockey Club. The Springfield Falcons are a proud affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers (NHL)*

Edmonton Oilers A Game Recap / First 1/2 Sucked, Second 1/2 Decent

This is brief game recap of the Edmonton Oilers vs the Detroit Red Wings game on Sportsnet West.

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I just want to thank everybody for the kind words and warm wishes yesterday for the birth of my second daughter. My family and I really appreciate it and all four of us are home now.

I would also like to thank my wife for being cool about watching the Oilers game after such a long couple of days. She's tired of watching this crap Oilers team and I don't blame her. I am too. But... I'm hardcore and I don't miss many games.

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PRE GAME RECORDS

Edmonton Oilers (24-44-7) at Detroit Red Wings (39-23-13)

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FINAL SCORE

Edmonton Oilers - 4

Detroit Red Wings - 5

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TONIGHT'S STARTING LINES

Penner Cogliano Comrie
O'Sullivan Potulny Brule
Moreau Horcoff Pisani
Nilsson Pouliot Stortini

Whitney Gilbert
Chorney Strudwick
Johnson Arsene

Deslauriers
Dubnyk

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VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS



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THE MEAT AND POTATOES

The Good:

- With the Wings up 4-0, it was nice to see the Oilers once again make a last half of the game charge. While the Wings manged to win this game, the Oilers at least tried for a little bit.

- With the loss, the Edmonton Oilers have clinched 30th place in the NHL standings. At worst, the Oilers will get the #2 overall pick at the upcoming 2010 rookie draft.

- Jeff Deslauriers played a pretty decent game. Make sure you watch the highlights, he makes some HUGE saves.

- Mike Comrie was moved to the first line and really had himself a good game. Even after Penner was hurt, Comrie kept up the good playing. He had a goal and an assist.

- Andrew Cogliano is not only getting more ice time, he's making the most of it. He had 2 assists and was a +1. He also led the Oilers with 4 hits. I'm guessing the Oilers are really trying to make him look good to other teams so we can trade him in the summer.

- I really liked how Tom Gilbert played as well. He picks up his first ever NHL multi goal game and lead this team in the 3rd period.  It's just too bad the Oilers didn't win because Gilbert did his part.

- Gilbert Brule did better than his stats suggest. He plays an effective game, but if he's paired with people that make errors, it reflects on Brule.

- Aaron Johnson picks up another point by notching an assist on the Mike Comrie goal. If the Oilers don't re-sign Johnson, I'd be shocked.

- Strudwick and Chorney had some great chances for the Oilers when they were on the ice. WTF?!? They both finished the game +1 and +2 respectively.

The Not So Good:

- Losing a game to a high stick goal is horse crap. Whoever made that call was wrong. Very wrong.

- Getting out shot  44-26 is not very good. Not good at all.

- Not showing up till the half way point sucks even more. Judging by the way the Oilers made plays and scored, this could have been another win for the Oilers over the Wings if they would just play a 60 minute game.

- Johnson, Brule, O'Sullivan and Potulny were each -3. Ouch!

- Dustin Penner took a puck to the eye (he left the game) early in the game but he should be OK to play the next game on Friday.

The Side Dish:

- Only the Stockton Thunder played last night. They won their game and clinched a playoff spot. Good for those guys. Read the Game Recap here.
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POST GAME VIDEO



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EVENT SUMMARY
GAME SUMMARY

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NEXT GAME

Edmonton Oilers vs Dallas Stars
Friday 02/04/2010
6:30 pm MDT
PPV

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-Written by Smokin' Ray-

The Stockton Thunder Clinches Playoff Birth / A Game Recap

03/30/2010 11:21 PM

FIT TO BE TIED
Thunder tied for first place, clinch playoff berth for fourth consecutive season
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FINAL STATS: BOX SCORE
AUDIO: Game highlights

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - Kelly Czuy scored a pair of goals while James Bates (1g-2a) and Matt Robinson (1g-2a) each had three-point efforts to help steer the Stockton Thunder (33-27-9, 75 points) to a first place tie in the Pacific Division in a 6-4 win over the host Bakersfield Condors, before 4,491 fans at Rabobank Arena on Tuesday.

The Thunder, who have clinched their fourth consecutive Kelly Cup Playoff berth by owning a series of tie-breakers over Ontario (five points back in the conference) and Las Vegas (three points back), received goal-scoring support from James Bates, J.F. Caudron, Jason Pitton and Matt Robinson, who won for the third time in four games.
Launching into typical late-season form, Kelly Czuy had his first multi-goal game of the season.
(photo by George Steckler)

Andrew Perugini picked up the win in net, making 21 stops.

The Condors' Dan Kissel opened the scoring just 1:49 in with a snap shot goal from between the circles, but the Thunder retaliated with three unanswered goals for a 3-1 lead after one period.

Bates knotted the score off a turnover, drilling a slapshot through Timo Pielmeier's five-hole at 7:57 for his 27th goal of the season, and D'Alvise followed with a power-play goal for a 2-1 Thunder lead with 5:21 left on a drive from the high slot.

Another Condor turnover produced a loose puck for J.F. Caudron in the right corner, who found Czuy all alone at the front of the net. Czuy deked Pielmeier to the backhand and lifted a shot under the crossbar with 3:14 left in the period for a two-goal cushion.

Stephane Goulet's 28th goal of the season cut the deficit to 3-2 when his one-timer at the right circle found the back of the net with 5:11 gone in the second period, but the Thunder responded with a pair of goals to take their biggest lead of the game after two periods, 5-2.

Following two physical shifts spent in the Bakersfield zone, Robinson wired a wrist shot from off the rush at the left circle to hit the 30-goal plateau, hiking the lead to 4-2 with 8:57 left.

Then, Pitton's ninth goal of the season boosted Stockton's edge to 5-2 on a 2-on-1 break, when his snap shot at the right circle beat Pielmeier to the glove side with 3:20 left.

Eric Regan took a cross-ice pass from Stephane Goulet and netted his 16th of the year on a wrist shot at the right circle, cutting the gap to 5-3 with 8:50 gone in the third period.

A defensive turnover by the Thunder resulted in an Adam Naglich goal just 3:07 later, cutting the deficit down to a goal.

Yet, the Thunder were undeterred and put the game away on Czuy's second of the game with 3:24 left in regulation, capitalizing on a cross-ice pass by Pitton with a one-timer at the right goal post.

Pielmeier took the loss making 45 saves.

NOTES: Before the game, Mark Pavli was released ... the Thunder scratched Brett Hemingway (healthy), Matt O'Dette (injured reserve), Trevor Hunt (injured reserve), Garet Hunt (injured reserve), Riley Emmerson (injured reserve) and Craig Valette (injured reserve) ... Stockton outshot Bakersfield, 51-25 (a season-high for shots) and had 23 shots on goal in the second period ... Pitton had a goal and an assist in his first game back from the American Hockey League ... the Thunder improved to 6-3-2 in the head-to-head series ... Bakersfield had sole possession of first place for 55 straight games until the Thunder victory on Tuesday night ... Robinson's 30th goal gave the Thunder their first pair of 30-goal scorers (joining D'Alvise) in team history.

The Thunder returns to play tomorrow with its next game at 7:00 p.m., hosting the Bakersfield Condors at Stockton Arena for the regular season home finale. The game can be heard on and viewed online exclusively at http://www.stocktonthunder.com/ , courtesy of B2 Networks (audio is free of charge).

The Thunder was voted "Best Local Sports Team" by readers of the San Joaquin Magazine, has led the ECHL in attendance for four consecutive seasons and drew 223,854 fans to Stockton Arena in 2008-09. Season Tickets for 2009-10 are on sale now. For more information about tickets, merchandise, or other inquiries contact the Stockton Thunder offices at (209) 373-1500 or visit http://www.stocktonthunder.com/ .


THREE STARS:
1. STK - 34 Kelly Czuy
2. STK - 17 Jason Pitton
3. BAK - 29 Eric Regan


*Reprinted by Oilers Jambalaya with permission from Stockton Thunder Professional Hockey Club, ECHL. The Stockton Thunder are a proud 'AA' affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers (NHL) and Springfield Falcons (AHL) *

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

LIVE From The Maternity Ward / Edmonton Oilers (24-44-7) at Detroit Red Wings (39-23-13)

GAME DAY!!!

Welcome everyone to another fine TweetCast by Oilers Jambalaya. Today is a little different as I am in the hospital with my wife and our newborn child. This is my second daughter and I feel very lucky to have two beautiful little girls.

So from the local hospital's maternity ward, enjoy this tweetcast by Smokin' Ray.

Tonight you will see the tweets/comments of Paq Twinn, Smokin' Ray, Nick Walker, Scarlett, OilFieldHockey, Dan Tencer, The official Edmonton Oilers and the official Detroit Red Wings tweets as well as the tweets from the Springfield Falcons and the Stockton Thunder.

Feel free to comment by typing in the box below. It's easy and no signup required. Once you comment, we will unmoderate you and you can then speak freely. Be patient if we don't see you right away. You will get on.

We hope you enjoy the TweetCast and we are glad you stopped by. GOILERSBUTNOTTOOMUCH!!!

Edmonton Oilers (24-44-7) at Detroit Red Wings (39-23-13)

Monday, March 29, 2010

Is Pat Quinn Off His Rocker? & The Battle Of The #1 Draft Picks

It appears the lines for the Oilers have changed again. This is what the Oilers official Twitter account is saying today;

18-10-34 / 27-13-91 / 28-16-67 / 12-78-46 (19).

I am officially going to say now that Pat Quinn is all but off his silver rocker. I've been good all year about giving the guy the benefit of the doubt, but enough is enough.

It appears that Patrick O'Sullivan is going to be the guy that sits out next game. What?!? I'm confused?

O'Sullivan was arguably one of the better Oilers last game and he's the one to sit? Really?

What about the shoddy play by the Captain Ethan Moreau? What about the non-existence of Fernando "2006" Pisani? What about Marc "The Waste Of A Draft Pick" Pouliot? What has he done? What about Stortini?

So while Quinn sits Mike Comrie and O'Sullivan on rotation, those wastes of roster spots keep playing. I just don't get it.

*shakes head and shrugs shoulders*

What else is bugging me today?

Is the Horcoff line really thought of as the #1 line? Really? Really?!?

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To make things a little easier for the Edmonton Oilers hockey club, the Windsor Spitfires are going to be playing the Plymouth Whalers in the 2nd round of the OHL playoffs.

That's right folks, Taylor Hall & Cam Fowler vs Tyler Seguin.

All three of the top draft picks playing in one great hockey series.

Action begins Thursday at 5 pm MT in Windsor.

Thurs., April 1 at Windsor 7:05pm EST
Sat., April 3 at Plymouth 7:05pm EST
Mon., April 5 at Windsor 7:05pm EST
Wed., April 7 at Plymouth 7:05pm EST
Thurs., April 8 at Windsor 7:05pm EST
Sat., April 10 at Plymouth 7:05pm EST
Mon., April 12 at Windsor 7:05pm EST


Taylor Hall Video


Tyler Seguin Video


-Written by Smokin' Ray-

Linus Omark Coming North America? Should I be Excited?


Reports out of Russia this morning are reporting that Oilers' prospect Linus Omark has left Dynamo Moscow of the KHL. He exercised an option in his contract not to return next season to Dynamo Moscow.



This could be a blessing for the Oilers, if they can convince Omark to come to North America to play. If Omark does decide to come play, it's safe to say that he might get that one way contract. This would open up the door to Jordan Eberle to continue his development in the AHL next season.

Omark was drafted by the Oilers in 97th overall pick in 2007.


SMOKIN' RAY: I don't know a whole lot about Linus Omark. From the reports that I have read, he's a real good player. Also from what I have been told, he's far more advanced than Eberle, MPS and Lander. I guess we will have to wait to training camp to see more about Omark and see if he makes the team or not.

I'm really not getting my hopes up.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

The Fall For Hall Continues, Edmonton Oilers Style - A Game Recap


This is brief game recap of the Edmonton Oilers vs the St. Louis Blues game on Sportsnet West.

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PRE GAME RECORDS

Edmonton Oilers (24-43-7) at St. Louis Blues (35-30-9)

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FINAL SCORE

Edmonton Oilers - 1

St. Louis Blues - 2

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TONIGHT'S STARTING LINES

Penner Cogliano Brule
Moreau Horcoff Pisani
Nilsson Potulny O'Sullivan
Comrie Pouliot Stortini

Whitney Gilbert
Chorney Strudwick
Johnson Arsene

Dubnyk
Deslauriers

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VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS



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THE MEAT AND POTATOES

The Good:

- Devan Dubnyk was back between the pipes and he played pretty good. He wasn't knock em' dead, but he played pretty solid. I was glad to see him back. It's too bad the team in front of his sucks.

- The Nilsson/Potulny/O'Sullivan line was the best Oiler line. While Nilsson really didn't so much, the other two were great. They created the Oilers first goal and kept the pressure on the Blues all game.

- I like Dean Arsene, but he really needs to learn to fight.

- Anytime one of the guys drops the gloves I give him props. Pouliot is one of those guys tonight. He laid some good punches to Colaiacovo's helmet. I'm willing to bet his hand hurts after that.

- Gilbert and Whitney both played over 25 minutes again this game. They are leading the Oilers down the stretch in ice time.

- Andrew Cogliano had 4 hits. Too bad he wasn't a big guy to make those hits hurt.

- Potulny and Brule were the best on the Oilers squad for faceoffs with 65% and 67% respectively. Potulny also blocked 5 shots.

- Jason Strudwick played his game with 3 hits and 4 blocked shots.

- O'Sullivan had a team high, 6 shots on net.  He also had 4 missed shots. That's ten in total. Wow!

The Not So Good:

- What's to complain about? 30th place is almost a lock. Now if only the gods don't screw the team with the 2nd overall pick.

The Side Dish:

- The Springfield Falcons lost in a ass kicking to the River Rats 5-1. Jordan Eberle had one assist in the loss. Read the recap here.

- The Stockton Thunder on the other hand had a barn burner of a game. They won a thrilling 6-5 game. The recap is here.
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POST GAME VIDEO



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EVENT SUMMARY
GAME SUMMARY

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NEXT GAME

Edmonton Oilers vs Detroit Red Wings
Tue 30/03/2010
5:30 PM MDT
Sportsnet West

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-Written by Smokin' Ray-

Stockton Thunder Wins Thrilling Barn Burner 6-5 (ECHL)


03/28/2010 7:02 PM

ROCKIN' ROBIN(SON)
6,845 fans enjoy wild Thunder come-from-behind win, Robinson's hat trick

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FINAL STATS: BOX SCORE
VIDEO: Highlights and postgame locker room reaction
AUDIO (Coming soon): Game highlights

STOCKTON, Calif. - Left winger Matt Robinson completed a hat trick on a dramatic, game-winning goal with 59.5 seconds left in regulation, helping the Stockton Thunder overcome two separate three-goal deficits in a thrilling 6-5 come-from-behind win over the Las Vegas Wranglers before a crowd of 6,845 at Stockton Arena on Sunday afternoon.

The Thunder, whose magic number was reduced to three to clinch a Kelly Cup Playoff berth, moved to within two points of the idle Bakersfield Condors for first place in the Pacific Division, scored three goals in the final period and five of the last six goals in the game.
Matt Robinson celebrates his second goal of the game in the third period, giving the Thunder their first lead of the game, 5-4. (photo by George Steckler)

Chris D'Alvise (1g-2a) and J.F. Caudron (1g-1a) chipped in with multi-point games while Bryan Young added a first period goal for the Thunder, helping backup goaltender Kurtis Mucha earn the first win of his pro career.

The Wranglers raced out to a 3-1 lead by scoring on their first shot and first three out of ten. Chris Neiszner fired a bullet from of the rush past Andrew Perugini just 1:18 into the game for a 1-0 Las Vegas edge, and Alex Bourret followed with a rebound at the doorstep into an open net for a 2-0 lead and a Las Vegas power-play goal just 1:48 later.

After Greg Collins converted a turnover with a snapshot at the left circle to put the Thunder in a 3-0 hole with 8:28 remaining, Perugini was lifted for Mucha, who made his Thunder debut.

The move sparked an early Thunder rally when Young's one-timer beat Jimmy Spratt from between the circles with 4:13 left in the period, cutting the deficit to 3-1 when Young converted on Kelly Czuy's pass from behind the net.

Barry Goers' first goal of his pro career stunted the Thunder comeback early in the second period with a slapshot at the right point that glanced off Mucha's glove for a 4-1 Las Vegas lead, coming 21 seconds into the period.

Back-to-back goals by Robinson and Caudron sliced the deficit to one goal before the end of the period, beginning on a Robinson rebound for his 27th goal with 6:55 left to cut the Las Vegas lead to 4-2.

Caudron beat Spratt on a breakaway, converting off Oren Eizenman's outlet pass with 1:29 left in the period, closing the gap to 4-3 on his 17th goal of the season and putting the Thunder back in the game.

Following a series of near-misses in front of Spratt to being the third period, D'Alvise's 31st goal of the year leveled the score at 4-4 on the power-play with 7:05 left when he rifled Justin DaCosta's cross-ice pass with a one-timer past Spratt's glove from the right circle.

Just 27 seconds later, Ryan Constant's drive from the left point caromed off a Robinson screen to the back of the net, sending Stockton Arena into delirium with the Thunder's first lead of the game at 5-4.

Yet, the Wranglers regrouped and tied the score with three minutes remaining at 5-5 on Adam Miller's 32nd goal of the season, the beneficiary of a Craig Switzer centering feed at the goal mouth that caromed through Mucha's five-hole.

The stage was set for Robinson's heroics and his 29th goal of the year and hat trick restored pandemonium in Stockton Arena with the eventual game-winner with 59.5 seconds left when he picked up a loose puck at the neutral zone on a counter-attack and drilled a slap shot past Spratt's blocker side from the left wing.

After Las Vegas pulled Spratt for an extra skater, Las Vegas worked the puck deep but failed to register a shot on net, preserving Stockton's comeback win.

NOTES: The Thunder scratched Brett Hemingway (healthy), Mark Pavli (injured reserve), Matt O'Dette (injured reserve), Trevor Hunt (healthy), Riley Emmerson (injured reserve) and Craig Valette (injured reserve) ... the Thunder finished the seven-game homestand at 4-3-0 ... Stockton registered its second comeback win when trailing after two periods ... the Thunder outshot Las Vegas, 32-27 and went 1-for-4 on the power-play ... eclipsing the 200,000 fan mark in attendance for the fifth straight season, the Thunder drew 20,615 fans during the weekend.

The Thunder returns to play Tuesday with its next game at 7:00 p.m., visiting the Bakersfield Condors at Rabobank Arena. The game can be heard on radio at 1280 KWSX and viewed online exclusively at www.stocktonthunder.com, courtesy of B2 Networks (audio is free of charge).

The Thunder was voted "Best Local Sports Team" by readers of the San Joaquin Magazine, has led the ECHL in attendance for four consecutive seasons and drew 223,854 fans to Stockton Arena in 2008-09. Season Tickets for 2009-10 are on sale now. For more information about tickets, merchandise, or other inquiries contact the Stockton Thunder offices at (209) 373-1500 or visit http://www.stocktonthunder.com/ .

THREE STARS:
1. STK - 71 Matt Robinson
2. STK - 10 Chris D'Alvise
3. STK - 12 J.F. Caudron

*Reprinted by Oilers Jambalaya with permission from Stockton Thunder Professional Hockey Club, ECHL. The Stockton Thunder are a proud 'AA' affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers (NHL) and Springfield Falcons (AHL) *

Falcons Fall To River Rats 5-1 (AHL) / Eberle Has One Assist


By: Mike Hopey

Chris Minard scored for the Falcons but three third period goals from Jacob Micfliker, Zac Dalpe and Mike Angelidis put Albany over the top 5-1 in a Sunday matinee match-up in front of 5,705 at the MassMutual Center.

“I don’t think it was a 5-1 game,” said head coach Rob Daum. “Based on the territory and the scoring chances. We did didn’t give a lot of chances but when we did they were major and it cost us.”

Chris Terry gave the Rats the lead for good in the second period while trying to set a teammate up on a 2-on-1 rush. Terry tried to saucer a pass over a Falcons stick but the puck hit J.P. Levasseur, who made 29 saves in the loss, and found its way over the goal line. Terry’s 17th goal of the season would be all the River Rats needed to get past the Falcons.

The Falcons had opportunities but Albany goalie Justin Peters was there and made 27 saves in the game. The Falcons power-play which is 16th in the league at 17.3 percent entering the game but were 0-for-4 in the game. The River Rats were 1-for-3 with the lone power-play goal coming late in the third period.

It was Jiri Tlusty who put the River Rats on top with the games first goal at 6:26 of the period after a scoreless first period. Christ Terry found Tlusty parked in front of the net and pushed the puck past a sprawling J.P. Levasseur. The goal was Tlusty's 14th goal of the season.

Crashing the net paid off for Springfield when Minard tied the game up for the Falcons with his 17th goal of the season at 13:59 on a pass from Chad Wiseman and Jordan Eberle. The Falcons had had opportunities earlier with chances from Liam Reddox and Colin McDonald but the Falcons’ chances were all tipped wide or whizzed through the crease.

The River Rats upped the lead to two goals when Jacob Micflikier took a cross-ice pass that he sent off the post and into the net. Micflikier’s goal at 1:48 into the third was his 17th goal of the season. Dalpe added another goal and Angelidis scored the only power-play goal in the third for the River Rats.

3 Stars of the Game

1. ALB Chris Terry
2. SPR Chris Minard
3. ALB Jerome Samson

Springfield Falcons Lineup

Charles Linglet (7) - Rob Hisey (13) - Colton Fretter (19)
Chris Minard (14) - Chad Wiseman (15) - Jordan Eberle (17)
Geoff Paukovich (12) - Ryan O'Marra (22) - Colin McDonald (18)
Slava Trukhno (11) - Liam Reddox (9) - Matt Beca (38)

Chris Armstrong (32) - Jeff Petry (20)
J.F. David (3) - Jordan Bendfeld (33)
Eddie Del Grosso (28) - Jake Taylor (25)

J.P. Levasseur (31)
Bryan Pitton (35)

Game Night Notes...

Game Setup: This will be the fourth and final meeting of the season between the River Rats and the Falcons. Springfield is 2-0-1-0 agaisnt Albany this season. The Falcons won in a shootout, 4-3, in the first meeting on October 30 and rolled over the Rats on November 15 by a score of 6-2. In the latest meeting the Falcons managed to take a point in a wild 7-6 overtime loss. Liam Reddox scored two third period goals, including one with four seconds left on the clock, to tie the game. Drayson Bowman ended up scoring the game winner for the River Rats. The Falcons and River Rats typically play each other evenly, the Falcons are 9-9-1-0 against Albany over the past five seasons.

Falcons Player Notes:

• Team points leader, Charles Linglet, has five points in the season series against Albany. Linglet has two goals and three assists. He scored a goal and notched an assist in the last meeting on February 6.
• Bryan Lerg has three goals against the River Rats this season. Lerg had a goal on February 6 and lit the lamp twice in the Falcons 6-2 win on November 15.
• Slava Trukhno has three of his 12 goals this season versus Albany. Trukhno has notched a goal in each of the three games this season.
• The Falcons’ leading goal scorer, Colton Fretter, has one tally against the River Rats this season. His goal was the first Falcons’ tally in the 7-6 overtime loss on February 6.
• Devan Dubnyk is the only Falcons goalie to face the River Rats this season. Dubnyk went 2-1 with a 3.87 goals against average.
• Jordan Eberle scored three goals in his first three games last weekend after joining the Falcons from Regina in the Western Hockey League.

River Rats Player Notes:

• Jerome Samson has two goals against the Falcons this season. His two goals came 14 seconds apart in the first minute of the River Rats overtime win on February 6.
• Drayson Bowman scored the overtime winner on February 6 for Albany and has 17 goals on the season.
• Jacob Micflikier has a pair of goals this season against the Falcons. He scored both goals in the second period of the 7-6 overtime win.
• Mike Murphy was the goalie of record for that February 6 win. Justin Peters picked up the loss in the first two games that the Falcons won.

Game Day Notebook...

Atlantic Division Roundup

The Worcester Sharks and the Portland Pirates have both clinched playoff berths. The Sharks were idle on Friday and shutout the Norfolk Admirals 2-0 last night in Norfolk and will meet the W-B/Scranton Penguins today. The Pirates earned a 2-0 shutout of their own on Friday against Providence and beat the Falcons 2-1 last night to lock up the playoff berth. The Pirates will host the Hartford Wolf Pack today.

Manchester, Lowell and Bridgeport are only separated by 5 points in the battle for the last two playoff spots in the division. Manchester beat the Devils earlier in the week and currently sit in third. Lowell beat the Falcons in a shootout on Friday and are only 2 points ahead of the Sound Tigers who are 7-2-1-0 in their last 10 games. However is the playoffs started today the 5th place team in the Atlantic Division would earn the 4th spot in the East Division because of a better record than the 4th place team in that division.

Around the League

In the East Division, the Hershey Bears have locked up the best record in the Eastern Conference. Albany, who is in Springfield today, have a seven point lead for second place. The once scorching Norfolk Admirals have faltered of late, losing 3 straight, and falling out of the playoff picture in the division. Three points ahead of the Admirals are the Penguins who are holding onto third with 81 points.

In the North Division, Lake Erie is only 4 points out of a playoff spot with 7 games left on their schedule but the Manitoba Moose have one more game left in the season and the Monsters have only gone 2-5-1-2 in their last ten games. Hamilton locked up the division crown a couple weeks ago and kept up their strong play with a pair of wins over division foe Abbotsford. The Heat are three points back of Rochester for the second spot in the division.

Out in the West Division, the Chicago Wolves have clinched a playoff berth, but not the division title yet. The Wolves have an 8 point lead of the Texas Stars with 7 games left on each of their schedules. The Stars have used an 8-2-0-0 run to leap frog over the Rockford Ice Hogs for second place in the division. Milwaukee is holding onto the last playoff spot by 5 points over the Peoria Rivermen.

Blue and Cooper Hockey: Edmonton Oilers

Last weekend the Oilers went on a 3-game winning streak. The Streak included a win over the Detroit, division leader Vancouver, and the San Jose Sharks. The wins over Detroit and San Jose were the first two NHL wins for former Falcon Devan Dubnyk. Dubnyk began his NHL career 0-8-2 for the Oilers this season. Dubnyk made 31 saves against the Red Wings and stopped 27 of 28 shots against the Sharks.

The streak game to an end on Friday night at Rexall Place when the Anaheim Ducks outlasted the Oilers for a 3-2 win. Corey Perry netted two power-play goals in the third period to give the Ducks a 3-1 lead. Marc Pouliot's power-play goal late in the period proved to not be enough to spark a miraculous come-from-behind victory for the Oilers.

Edmonton will be in action today when they meet the St. Louis Blues in St. Louis at 6 p.m. Eastern


*Reprinted by Oilers Jambalaya with permission by the Springfield Falcons AHL Hockey Club. The Springfield Falcons are a proud affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers (NHL)*

Edmonton Oilers (24-43-7) at St. Louis Blues (35-30-9) **LIVE BLOG at 4:00pm MST**

GAME DAY!!!

Welcome everyone to another fine TweetCast by Oilers Jambalaya.

Tonight you will see the tweets/comments of Paq Twinn, Smokin' Ray, Nick Walker, Scarlett, OilFieldHockey, Dan Tencer, The official Edmonton Oilers and the official St. Louis Blues tweets as well as the tweets from the Springfield Falcons and the Stockton Thunder.

Feel free to comment by typing in the box below. It's easy and no signup required. Once you comment, we will unmoderate you and you can then speak freely. Be patient if we don't see you right away. You will get on.

We hope you enjoy the TweetCast and we are glad you stopped by. GOILERSBUTNOTTOOMUCH!!!

Edmonton Oilers (24-43-7) at St. Louis Blues (35-30-9)



Thunder Lose In A Close Game / A Game Recap


03/27/2010 9:58 PM

BOURRET LASSOS IN THUNDER
Game winner stuns crowd of 8,053 with late goal, Thunder drop 3-2 loss
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FINAL STATS: BOX SCORE
VIDEO: Highlights and postgame locker room reaction
AUDIO: Game highlights


STOCKTON, Calif. - Alex Bourret bounced a loose rebound off traffic to the back of the net, snapping a 2-2 tie with 2:55 left in regulation, helping the Las Vegas Wranglers send the Stockton Thunder (31-27-9, 71 points) to a 3-2 loss before 8,053 fans at Stockton Arena on Saturday night.

The loss kept the Thunder's magic number at 5 to clinch a Kelly Cup Playoff berth and received goal-scoring support from Colin Hemingway and Matt Marquardt. Jimmy Spratt earned the win in net with 25 saves while Andrew Perugini took the loss with 26 stops.
Matt Marquardt tied the game with his first goal in a Thunder uniform in the second period.
(photo by George Steckler)

Hemingway finished off a backdoor feed by Steve Vanoosten from the blueline just 2:15 into the game to lift the Thunder to a 1-0 lead, scoring his 24th goal of the season.

Las Vegas countered with back-to-back goals for a 2-1 edge after one period, when Mick Lawrence buried the puck from a scramble at the front of the net with 6:27 left and Josh Prudden followed with 3:42 remaining with his 14th goal of the year on a rebound from the slot.

Following a series of missed chances to half open nets, the Thunder finally tied the score on a power-play goal by Matt Marquardt, his first in a Thunder uniform, with 4:05 left in the second period when he pumped a rebound into an open net at the goal mouth.

Following a series of scoring chances traded between both teams, Las Vegas delivered the stunning go-ahead goal with just 2:55 left courtesy of Bourret, whose wrist shot from the right wing was denied by Perugini, but the rebound rolled off traffic at the front of the crease and ricocheted to the back of the net.

The Thunder misfired on two quality scoring chances in the final seconds with an extra attacker and the Wranglers fell on the puck in the waning seconds to close the game.

NOTES: The Thunder scratched Brett Hemingway (healthy), Mark Pavli (injured reserve), Matt O'Dette (injured reserve), Justin DaCosta (healthy), Riley Emmerson (injured reserve) and Craig Valette (injured reserve) ... Marquardt's power-play goal snapped the Thunder 0-for-11 skid on the power-play ... the Thunder home record fell to 16-11-7 ... Hemingway's goal marked the 10th time in the last 11 home games that Stockton scored the game's first goal.

The Thunder finishes the seven-game homestand with its next game tomorrow at 4:00 p.m., hosting the Las Vegas Wranglers at Stockton Arena in the head-to-head series finale. The game can be heard and viewed online exclusively at www.stocktonthunder.com, courtesy of B2 Networks (audio is free of charge).

The Thunder was voted "Best Local Sports Team" by readers of the San Joaquin Magazine, has led the ECHL in attendance for four consecutive seasons and drew 223,854 fans to Stockton Arena in 2008-09. Season Tickets for 2009-10 are on sale now. For more information about tickets, merchandise, or other inquiries contact the Stockton Thunder offices at (209) 373-1500 or visit http://www.stocktonthunder.com/ .

THREE STARS:
1. LV - 17 Alex Bourret
2. STK - 37 Matt Marquardt
3. STK - 20 Colin Hemingway
*Reprinted by Oilers Jambalaya with permission from Stockton Thunder Professional Hockey Club, ECHL. The Stockton Thunder are a proud 'AA' affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers (NHL) and Springfield Falcons (AHL) *

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Chris VandeVelde and Jeff Petry Update by Dean Millard

Dean Millard was right about the Jeff Petry signing and I'm sure he's right about Chris VandeVelde going to Springfield. Dean Millard is very knowledgeable about College hockey and it's players.  Here is what Millard had to say about VandeVelde, Jeff Petry and the Edmonton Oilers Hockey Club.

Is VandeVelde Off to Springfield?
Posted by Dean Millard

The upsets continue at the NCAA hockey tournament as UND fell to Yale 3-2. Meanwhile, RIT continues it's improbable run with a 6-2 pasting of Northeastern to earn a spot in the final four. Miami will meet Michigan tomorrow after both teams avoided upsets, while Boston College did the same.

The Fighting Sioux loss means that Chris VandeVelde's college career has come to and end, and should be on his way to Springfield to play out the string with the Falcons.

Meanwhile according to the Edmonton Journal's Jim Matheson, Jeff Petry isn't eligible to play in the NHL this season because his NHL contract doesn't start until next year.

The Oilers also signed a couple of college players this week, inking Matt Becca from Clarkson and Eddie Del Grosso out of Omaha Nebraska.


It appears that the Springfield Falcons are going to have a full team now to finish off the season. Stay tuned for more details.

-Smokin' Ray-

Jordan Eberle's Streak Ends With A 2-1 Springfield Loss - A Game Recap

FALCONS FALL TO PIRATES 2-1 IN PORTLAND

March 27, 2010 - The Springfield Falcons lost to the Portland Pirates 2-1 on Saturday night at the Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland. Maine concluding a six-game road trip with a record of 2-1-2-1 as they head home to host the Albany River Rats on Sunday afternoon starting at 3 pm. Geoff Paukovich scored Springfield's lone goal, while goaltender Bryan Pitton stopped 22 of 24 shots on goal.

LIVE BOX SCORE

After 40-plus minutes of scoreless hockey, the Falcons took a lead at 10:03 of the third period when Paukovich scored his fifth goal of the year assisted by Slava Trukhno and Jason Pitton.

Portland rallied at 13:57 of the final frame when Travis Turnbull tied the score at 1-1. The Pirates took their first lead of the night at 18:33 of the third period when Nathan Gerbe scored on the power play to give Portland a come-from-behind win.

Midway through the first period, the Falcons ended up on a five-minute power play when Portland's Cody McCormick took a baseball-style swing at Colin McDonald's legs and was whistled for a major slashing penalty and a game misconduct. McDonald did finish the game, but clearly was in some pain after the incident.

FALCONS LINEUP

Chris Minard - Chad Wiseman - Jordan Eberle
Charles Linglet - Rob Hisey - Colton Fretter
Liam Reddox - Ryan O'Marra - Colin McDonald
Slava Trukhno - Geoff Paukovich - Jason Pitton

Chris Armstrong - Jeff Petry
Eddie Del Gresso - Jake Taylor
J.F. David - Johan Motin

Bryan Pitton
J.P. Levasseur

FALCONS SCRATCHES - Jordan Bendfeld, Bryan Lerg, Matt Beca, Ryan MacMurchy, Alex Plante, Kip Brennan, Matt Nickerson, Tony DeHart


*Reprinted with permission by the Springfield Falcons AHL Hockey Club. The Springfield Falcons are a proud affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers (NHL)*

Stockton Thunder Sign Mucha To Tryout Deal

Goaltender Mucha Signs Tryout Deal

03/27/2010 10:52 AM - Mucha is WHL all-time leader in saves, Aaron Sorochan recalled to Springfield

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STOCKTON, Calif. - The Stockton Thunder, a proud affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League and Springfield Falcons of the American Hockey League, has agreed to amateur tryout contract (ATO) terms with goaltender Kurtis Mucha (MOO-kah), Thunder head coach Matt Thomas announced today.

Mucha, 20, is expected to be in uniform for the Thunder tonight, who host the Las Vegas Wranglers beginning at 7:30 p.m. (StocktonThudner.com/B2 Networks) at Stockton Arena.

"Kurtis comes as a highly recommended prospect from various contacts in the National Hockey League," said Thomas. "His size is a commodity that isn't frequently found in an available goaltender at this level and we're excited about the opportunity to evaluate another goaltender from a recruiting standpoint. His addition helps our depth down the stretch."

The 6-foot-2, 184-pound goaltender competed in NHL training camp with Edmonton and recently completed a respectable six-year junior career (2004-10) with the Portland Winter Hawks and Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League, leaving the amateur ranks as the WHL's all-time leader in saves (6,998) and the Canadian Hockey League's all-time goaltending leader in games (245) and minutes (13,708).

Through his junior career, Mucha enjoyed nine shutouts and was 76-135-19 with a 3.66 goals-against-average and .892 save percentage. He split this season between Portland and Kamloops, posting a 23-17-4 record, two shutouts and a .900 save percentage in 48 games.

Mucha made his pro debut last season in the ECHL with the Idaho Steelheads, suiting up on an amateur tryout contract on April 3 and made 25 saves against the Phoenix RoadRunners.

Mucha's ATO agreement is on a five-game tryout basis with Stockton.

Additionally, the Thunder announced goaltender Aaron Sorochan has been recalled to Springfield and subsequently released.

A two-time recipient of the ECHL "Award of Excellence," the Thunder was voted "Best Local Sports Team" by readers of the San Joaquin Magazine, has led the ECHL in attendance for four consecutive seasons and drew 223,854 fans to Stockton Arena in 2008-09. Season tickets for 2009-10 are on sale now. For more information about tickets, merchandise, or other inquiries contact the Stockton Thunder offices at (209) 373-1500 or visit http://www.stocktonthunder.com/ .


*Reprinted by Oilers Jambalaya with permission from Stockton Thunder Professional Hockey Club, ECHL. The Stockton Thunder are a proud 'AA' affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers (NHL) and Springfield Falcons (AHL) *

Secret NHL Players Poll Taken

ESPN the Magazine, which recently conducted an anonymous poll of 50 NHLers have brought us some interesting information.

Here are the highlights;

The 50 players thought that Edmonton was the 4th worst franchise at a 12% vote. Phoenix was voted the worst.

Detroit Red Wings were voted the best NHL franchise.

Roberto Luongo was voted the most overrated player in the NHL.

Alex Ovechkin was voted the best player in the NHL.

Derek Boogaard was voted the toughest guy in the league.

32% of the votes went to the Black Hawks when asked who would win the cup this year.

The Smartest NHL Coach was Mike Babcock with 22% votes.


Last coach they would want to play for in the NHL was John Tortorella.
 
40% of players would like to see a relocated team go to Canada.
 
Pittsburgh has the worst visitors dressing room while the Wild have the best room.
 
52% of the players thought that the NHL would benefit the most from more TV coverage.
 
Former Oiler Chris Pronger was voted the NHL's dirtiest player. No surprise there.
 
The Flyers have the meanest fans and the Canucks have the best fans. What, no Oilers on the list?
 
Do you guys agree with these choices?
 
-Smokin' Ray-

The Stockton Thunder Wins Against Vegas - A Game Recap

GAME RECAP: Stockton 3 - Las Vegas 2 (SO)

03/26/2010 10:54 PM -
THUNDER SHOOTS DOWN LAS VEGAS
Perugini's 19 saves guides Thunder to critical 3-2 SO win vs. Las Vegas
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FINAL STATS: BOX SCORE
VIDEO: Highlights and postgame locker room reaction
AUDIO: Game highlights

STOCKTON, Calif. - Goaltender Andrew Perugini made 19 saves, including all three in a shootout, to help guide the Stockton Thunder (31-26-9, 71 points) to a 3-2 shootout victory over the Pacific Division rival Las Vegas Wranglers, before 5,717 fans at Stockton Arena on Friday.
Andrew Perugini, perfect in the shootout, claimed his 21st win of the year.
(photo by George Steckler)

The Thunder, who claimed their first shootout win since Mar. 1, 2009 (snapping seven straight shootout losses), reduced its magic number to five to clinch a Kelly Cup Playoff berth after Alaska defeated Ontario, 2-1 earlier in the evening.

James Bates and Igor Gongalsky scored for the Thunder while Oren Eizenman put the game away with a shootout winner in the fourth round, firing a snap shot past Jimmy Spratt to the stick side.

In a game that marked the first time both teams were meeting in Stockton since last year's second round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs (Game 4), Bates gave the Thunder a 1-0 lead just 4:15 into the game when he scored his 26th goal of the season of the rush, beating Spratt with a snap shot from the right circle.

A meticulous puck possession game yielded only four shots on goal to Las Vegas and Stockton also killed off 40 seconds of a 5-on-3 penalty kill.

Gongalsky's 14th goal of the season elevated the Thunder lead to 2-0 with 4:55 left in the second period, sneaking a wrist shot through Spratt's five-hole from between the circles.

Las Vegas crawled back to within a goal just 21 seconds later, when Greg Collins' sharp-angled pass at the left wing caromed off traffic and into the back of the net.

After the Wranglers endured several penalties to begin the third period, including an altercation between Chris Frank and Ryan Constant, Chris Neiszner capitalized on the reciprocated momentum with his 14th goal of the year to tie the score at 2-2 with 6:25 left in regulation after he fired a wrist shot from the right circle.

After a scoreless overtime, ex-Wrangler Kelly Czuy scored in the second round and newcomer Matt Marquardt followed with a snap shot from between the circles in the third round, giving Stockton a 2-0 shootout lead after two rounds.

Perugini denied Alex Bourret's wrist shot in the third round to set the stage for Eizenman's game winner, firing his forehand bid after swooping in from the right wing.

Spratt took the shootout loss in a 34 save effort.

NOTES: The Thunder scratched Brett Hemingway (healthy), Mark Pavli (injured reserve), Matt O'Dette (injured reserve), Justin DaCosta (healthy), Riley Emmerson (injured reserve) and Craig Valette (injured reserve) ... Stockton outshot Las Vegas, 37-21 and owned a 7-1 edge early in the game ... the Thunder improved its home record to 16-10-7 ... Bates' goal marked the ninth time in the last 10 home games that Stockton scored the game's first goal.

The Thunder continues the seven-game homestand with its next game tomorrow at 7:30 p.m., hosting the Las Vegas Wranglers at Stockton Arena. The game can be heard and viewed online exclusively at http://www.stocktonthunder.com/ , courtesy of B2 Networks (audio is free of charge).

The Thunder was voted "Best Local Sports Team" by readers of the San Joaquin Magazine, has led the ECHL in attendance for four consecutive seasons and drew 223,854 fans to Stockton Arena in 2008-09. Season Tickets for 2009-10 are on sale now. For more information about tickets, merchandise, or other inquiries contact the Stockton Thunder offices at (209) 373-1500 or visit http://www.stocktonthunder.com/.

THREE STARS:
1. STK - 35 Andrew Perugini
2. STK - 28 James Bates
3. LV - 22 Chris Neiszner


*Reprinted with permission from Stockton Thunder Professional Hockey Club, ECHL. The Stockton Thunder are a proud 'AA' affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers (NHL) and Springfield Falcons (AHL) *

Friday, March 26, 2010

Game Recap: Ryan Whitney Takes It To The Ducks In An Oiler Loss

This is brief game recap of the Edmonton Oilers vs the Anaheim Ducks game on Sportsnet West.

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PRE GAME RECORDS

Anaheim Ducks (34-31-8) at Edmonton Oilers (24-42-7)

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FINAL SCORE

Anaheim Ducks - 3

Edmonton Oilers - 2

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TONIGHT'S STARTING LINES

Penner Cogliano Brule
Moreau Horcoff Pisani
Nilsson Potulny O'Sullivan
Comrie Pouliot Stortini

Whitney Gilbert
Chorney Strudwick
Johnson Arsene

Deslauriers
Dubnyk
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VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS



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THE MEAT AND POTATOES

The Good:

- Jeff Deslauriers was good. He made some big saves (37 in total) and gave the Oilers hope when the game was looking bleak. He played hard and the team didn't give him much help once the Ducks got going in the 3rd.

- Gilbert Brule played himself a good game. He was everywhere and tried to make an impact on every shift he was out. He had 5 shots on goal and scored with one of them. He's definitely a bright spot on next years team.

- Ryan Whitney was hungry to show the Ducks what they gave up on. I think with his 2 assists and 27:08 in ice time, he did just that. He even got into it with Troy Bodie (a former Oiler prospect) and showed a lot of piss and vinegar. I am really liking the cut of his jib.

- Instead of hating him, I liked Marc Pouliot tonight.

- I liked the passion from Dean Arsene. His rough treatment on Bobby Ryan and then the mercy fight with Mike Brown (he was killed in that fight), was good to see from an Oiler defenceman.

- I thought Mike Comrie had a good game. He didn't score, but he made some great plays and had 4 shots.

- Tom Gilbert never ceases to amaze me lately. He played 25:17 and didn't make a lot of mistakes. He also picked up an assist.

- Patrick O'Sullivan was back in the lineup. He was pretty solid and it looked like his finger didn't hurt him that much.

The Not So Good:

- I miss Visnovsky.

- I don't know how many times Kevin Quinn said "601" in reference to Teemu Selanne being at 600 goals, but it got old real quick.

- Once again the 2009/10 Edmonton Oilers team blows a game in the 3rd period. Even with endless Power Plays, they were out-skilled and outplayed by the Ducks. The 3rd period started as a 1-1 tie game and it got going at the 10 minute mark, for the Ducks. Then with two minutes left they turn it on and get some real good chances or a goal like tonight. It's this aspect of the Oilers game that I really hope they change for next season. I really do not like it.

- And to top it off, the game was boring for the first 50 minutes.

- TheCaptainEthanMoreau had 3 giveaways and had enough ice time that he should have accomplished more than he did. How is this guy NOT in Springfield with the Falcons? Seriously.

The Side Dish:

- The Springfield Falcons lost to the Lowell Devils 4-3 in the shootout. Jordan Eberle picked up an assist and scored a goal in the shootout during the loss. Eberle has at least one point in every game he's played with the Falcons so far this year.

- The Stockton Thunder also played tonight. Recap soon.

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POST GAME VIDEO



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EVENT SUMMARY
GAME SUMMARY

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NEXT GAME

Edmonton Oilers vs St. Louis Blues


Sunday 28/03/10
4:00 pm MST
Sportsnet West
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-Written by Smokin' Ray-

GAME RECAP: The Springfield Falcons Lose In A Shootout To The Devils


FALCONS EARN ANOTHER POINT ON THE ROAD

March 26, 2010 - The Springfield Falcons once again earned a point on the road losing to the Lowell Devils 4-3 in a shootout at the Paul Tsongas Arena in Lowell, MA Friday night. The Falcons have now taken 11 of a possible 14 points in their last seven road games going 4-0-2-1 in that span. The Falcons conclude their current five-game road trip in Portland, Maine on Saturday night.

LIVE BOX SCORE

With the game deadlocked at 1-1 entering the third period, the two teams exchanged goals throughout the final frame. Chad Wiseman gave the Falcons a 2-1 lead at 11:57 of the third period with a power play goal, but Lowell's Nathan Perkovich tied the score at 2-2 when he converted on the man advantage.

Springfield took their second lead of the third period at 16:06 of the final frame when Chris Minard scored his 16th goal of the year, but once again Lowell evened the score when David McIntyre scored less than a minute later sending the contest to overtime.

After a scoreless overtime, it took the teams 11 rounds in the shootout before Lowell's Brad Snetsinger ended the contest with the Devils' 11th shooter. Springfield's Slava Trukhno extended the shootout when he scored on Springfield's fifth and final shot. Wiseman and Jordan Eberle also scored for Springfield in the shootout.

In the second period, Stephen Gionta opened the scoring at 12:21 when he scored his 15th goal of the year, but Springfield tied the score at 1-1 when Liam Reddox scored his 18th marker of the campaign at 17:22 of the middle stanza.

FALCONS LINEUP

Chris Minard - Chad Wiseman - Jordan Eberle
Charles Linglet - Rob Hisey - Colton Fretter
Liam Redoox - Ryan O'Marra - Colin McDonald
Jason Pitton - Slava Trukhno - Matt Beca

Chris Armstrong - Jeff Petry
Eddie Del Gresso - Jake Taylor
J.F. David - Jordan Bendfeld

J.P. Levasseur
Bryon Pitton

•The Falcons had 3 guys make their AHL debuts tonight in Jeff Petry, Eddie Del Grosso and Matt Beca.

FALCONS SCRATCHES - Johan Motin (Healthy), Bryan Lerg (Healthy), Geoff Paukovich (Healthy), Ryan MacMurchy (Healthy), Alex Plante (Injured), Kip Brennan (Injured), Matt Nickerson (Healthy), Tony DeHart (Healthy)

Game Night Notes...

Game Setup: The Falcons and Devils will meet for the final time in the 2009-10 season. In the seven previous meetings the Falcons are 3-2-1-1 against Lowell and are 1-2-0-0 at the the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell, the home of the Devils. Springfield is in the midst of a five-game point streak, going 3-0-2-0, and are 6-2-2-0 in their last 10 games. The Devils are only 3-5-0-2 as they fight for the final Atlantic Division playoff spot with the Manchester Monarchs. Lowell is coming off a 2-1 regulation loss at home against Manchester on Wednesday night. In that game, Michael Swift gave the Devils a first period lead of 1-0 but the Monarchs scored two unanswered goals and Monarchs’ goalie Johnathan Bernier made 33 saves in the win.

The Falcons defeated the Devils in the last meeting between the teams on March 6.

Falcons Player Notes:

• New addition Jordan Eberle, reassigned to the Falcons from the Western Hockey League, scored a goal in each of the three games last weekend. Eberle also notched three assists in those games.
• Charles Linglet has 10 points versus the Devils this season, one goal and nine assists. Linglet is fourth in the AHL with 73 points and is third in assists with 54.
• Colton Fretter has a pair of goals and a six-pack of assists in seven games against the Devils. Fretter leads the Falcons with 23 goals. He scored a goal last weekend breaking a 14-game goal drought that stretched back to February 6 in Albany.
• Chris Minard has six goals against the Devils in only three games this season. Minard scored a hat trick on October 25 in Lowell.
• Chad Wiseman and Colin McDonald have each scored three goals against the Devils this season.

Devils Player Notes:

• Alexander Vasyunov leads the Devils with eight points against the Falcons this season. Vasyunov has five goals and three assists while playing in all seven contests against the Falcons.
• Ben Walter leads Lowell with 50 points on the season but Walter has only notched four assists against Springfield in the seven previous meetings.
• Nick Palmieri has the team lead in goals with 21 and has lit the lamp three times against the Falcons.
• Cory Murphy has 6 of his 34 assists against the Falcons this season.
• Matt Halischuk has three goals in two games against Springfield this season. Halischuk scored a pair of goals on March 6 in the Devils 7-5 loss at the MassMutual Center.

Falcon Player Movement Recap:

During the week two players were reassigned to the Stockton Thunder of the ECHL. Matt Marquardt and Bryan Young. Young played in two games during his latest stint in Springfield, that began on March 14 in Portland, and recorded no points. Marquardt joined the Falcons after being traded from Boston to Edmonton and appeared in four games without any points scored.

Also this week Dean Arsene was recalled by the Edmonton Oilers to patrol the blueline north of the boarder. Arsene has has two goals and nine assists in 56 games with the the Falcons this season. Arsene has served six penalty minutes in four games with the Oilers.

The Falcons also signed a trio of former NCAA student-athletes, who’s seasons concluded recently, to Amateur Tryout Contracts this week. On Tuesday, defenseman Eddie Del Grosso and forward Mat Beca were signed. Beca, a native of Mississauga, Ontario played four years for Clarkson University in the NCAA. Beca just wrapped up his senior season, which concluded with Clarkson not making the field of 16 for the Frozen Four Championship, and set a career high with 20 goals. Del Grosso played this season for the University of Nebraska-Omaha and scored seven goals and 23 assists. Defenseman Jeff Petry was signed earlier today after play three seasons for Michigan State. While a Spartan, Petry scored nine goals and notched 58 assists.

Tonight’s Goaltender Match-up:

Springfield
J.P. Levasseur is 0-1-0 against the Devils this season, allowing six goals on December 15. Levasseur is 8-15-0-1 with a 3.57 goals against average and 0.896 save percentage while splitting time between Springfield and Bakersfield in the ECHL.

Bryan Pitton earned a win against the Devils on March 6 giving up 5 goals and making 37 saves in the Falcons 7-5 win. Pitton is 2-2 with the Falcons after spending most of the season in Stockton.

Lowell
Mike McKenna is 21-14-6-3 this season including a 4-1 mark against the Falcons. McKenna a 2.15 goals against average versus Springfield this season.

Jeff Frazee gave up six goals and only made 21 saves on March 6 in Springfield as the Falcons won a wild game 7-5. Frazee is 13-15-0-1 this season for the Devils with a 2.71 goals against average.

*Reprinted with permission by the Springfield Falcons AHL Hockey Club. The Springfield Falcons are a proud affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers (NHL)*

Oilers, Falcons & Thunder Games / LIVE Blog at 7:00pm MST

GAME DAY!!!

Welcome everyone to another fine TweetCast by Oilers Jambalaya.

Tonight you will see the tweets/comments of Paq Twinn, Smokin' Ray, Nick Walker, Scarlett, OilFieldHockey, Dan Tencer, The official Edmonton Oilers and the official Anaheim Ducks tweets as well as the tweets from the Springfield Falcons and the Stockton Thunder.

Feel free to comment by typing in the box below. It's easy and no signup required. Once you comment, we will unmoderate you and you can then speak freely. Be patient if we don't see you right away. You will get on.

We hope you enjoy the TweetCast and we are glad you stopped by. GOILERSBUTNOTTOOMUCH!!!

Anaheim Ducks (34-31-8) at Edmonton Oilers (24-42-7)
Springield Falcons (24-34-11) at Lowell Devils (35-27-4)
 Las Vegas Wranglers at Stockton Thunder


Two Guys & Hockey Talk NHL News (CLICK PIC FOR LINK)

The Faithful Followers

Oilers Jambalaya is in no way, shape or form associated with the Edmonton Oilers or the Bakersfield Condors. This is a fans blog for fans. We happen to love those teams, so we write about them.