Olivier Roy Makes Pro Debut In Overtime Loss / A Game Recap

FALCONS EARN A POINT IN PROVIDENCE

April 9, 2010 - The Springfield Falcons earned a point on the road on Friday night losing to the Providence Bruins 3-2 in overtime at the Dunkin Donuts Center. Providence's Kirk MacDonald scored in the extra session giving Providence the win. Falcons rookie goaltender Olivier Roy stopped 30 of 33 shots in his AHL/pro debut.

LIVE BOX SCORE

"I thought Olivier (Roy) was good tonight in his debut," said Falcons head coach Rob Daum. "He made some key stops and overall it was a nice first pro game for him."

The Falcons held a 2-1 lead entering the third period before Providence's Jeff LoVecchio tied the score at 2-2 with his 14th goal of the year at 11:43 of the final frame.

The Falcons looked like a team battling for a playoff spot instead of the Bruins in the first period as Chris Minard gave Springfield a 1-0 lead with his 19th goal of the year at 11:46 of the opening frame. Springfield outshot Providence 18-5 in the first period, including 12-2 midway through the stanza.

In the second period, Providence tied the score at 1-1 when Steve Kampfer scored on the power play at 3:11 of the middle frame. The Falcons regained their lead at 2-1 when Ryan O'Marra scored his 11th marker of the campaign at 15:52 of the second period.

For the second straight game, Springfield's Colin McDonald dropped the gloves, this time with Providence's Doug Nolan.

Along with Roy, Chris Vande Velde and Ryan Donald also made their pro/AHL debuts.

FALCONS LINEUP

Jesse Gimblett - Rob Hisey - Colton Fretter
Slava Trukhno - Chris Vande Velde - Liam Reddox
Blair Riley - Ryan O'Marra - Colin McDonald
Chris Minard - Chad Wiseman - Jordan Eberle

Chris Armstrong - Johan Motin
Ryan Donald - Jake Taylor
Eddie Del Grosso - Jeff Petry

Olivier Roy
Bryan Pitton

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

PRE-GAME NOTES

The most recent roster additions for the Falcons are forward Chris Vande Velde and defenseman Ryan Donald. Donald recently concluded his four-year college career at Yale University and Vande Velde also recently concluded his senior season after spending the previous four years at the University of North Dakota. Donald was not drafted and joins the Falcons on an Amateur Tryout Agreement. Vande Velde also signed an ATO, but was drafted by Edmonton in the fourth round of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.

Vande Velde and Donald join Olivier Roy, Blair Riley, Jesse Gimblett, Jeff Petry, Eddie Del Grosso, Matt Beca, and Jordan Eberle as rookies who have joined the Falcons down the stretch after their respective college or junior hockey seasons came to an end.

Providence still continues to have an outside chance of earning the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, although they do need many things to go their way. The Bruins have 76 points, six points behind both Bridgeport and Norfolk for the final playoff spot, with three games remaining in the regular season. Providence needs to have Bridgeport, Norfolk and Hartford to lose their games this weekend, while Providence goes a perfect 3-0 to have a chance, but stranger things have occured.

The Falcons are winless in their last six games going 0-4-1-1 in that span with their last win happening back on March 20 at Hartford.

The Falcons will enter tonight's game with 15 AHL rookies on their roster. Springfield has had 60 different players added to their roster this year, the AHL record is 70 set by Providence 10 years ago.

Written by the Springfield Falcons

*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)*

Vande Velde Signs ATO With Falcons (AHL)

VANDE VELDE SIGNS ATO WITH THE FALCONS

--Falcons re-assign Jordan Bendfeld To Stockton--

April 5, 2010 – The Springfield Falcons, proud members of the American Hockey League, announced today they have signed forward Chris Vande Velde to an Amateur Tryout Agreement. The Falcons also announced that defenseman Jordan Bendfeld has been re-assigned to their ECHL affiliate, the Stockton Thunder.

Vande Velde recently concluded his senior season at the University of North Dakota where he set a career high in scoring with 16 goals and 25 assists for 41 points in 42 games played. The 6-foot-2, 204-pound native of Moorhead, Minnesota collected 52 goals and 65 assists for 117 points in 166 games at North Dakota.

Bendfeld played in 10 games with Springfield posting one assist and seven penalty minutes.

Written by the Springfield Falcons

*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)*

Jordan Eberle, So Far In Springfield

Now that Jordan Eberle has played more than a handful of games with Springfield, I figured we would look and see how he's doing.

After 8 games played, Eberle has himself 9 points. He's scored 4 goals and has 5 assists in those 8 games. Basically one goal every other game. Not bad, but not great either. I just figure if he's a goal scorer, wouldn't/shouldn't he be scoring more than that?

To answer my own question, no. If you look at the long range of what he is doing, -- and he keeps this pace up -- he would score 41 goals in 82 games. That's pretty good when you look at it that way. Very good.

Out of those 4 goals, only one was scored on the PP. I'm not sure how to feel about that.

In those 8 games he's played, Eberle has taken 17 shots for an average of 2.125 shots per game. If you look at the higher end goal scorer types, they shoot more than 2 shots a game. 2.125 shots per game is not very good.

However his shot percentage is very good at 23.5%. If you look at every other player that has been with the Falcons or the Oilers this year, Jordan is above and beyond the rest and that gives me relief as a fan.

With one last stat to look at, this one doesn't tell us all we need to know about the player. So I really don't know what to think here. After 8 games played, Eberle is a -1. Is that good? Is it bad? I don't know.

So at a quick glance, Jordan Eberle is looking very good for a sad sack organization don't you think?

I do have a few concerns about Eberle. All his points have came in bunches. Will he have the consistency it takes to be a pro? Can he keep his high shooting percentage? Shouldn't he shoot more?

And I guess the big question, will he be with the Oilers next season? Or more like should he be?

I hope so, what about you?

-Smokin' Ray-

Jordan Eberle Scores The Lone Falcons Goal / A Game Recap

FALCONS FALL 6-1 TO THE WOLF PACK

By: Mike Hopey

April 3, 2010- Jordan Eberle scored for the Falcons, but Hartford took an early lead and never looked back as they beat Springfield 6-1 at the MassMutual Center in front of 5,699 on Saturday night.

LIVE BOX SCORE

“We had a lot of opportunities,” said head coach Rob Daum. “We didn’t finish well. The chances in the game were even and maybe we had a little advantage, as far as opportunities are concerned, but you have to capitalize on those opportunities and we didn’t.”

Eberle has been talked about quite extensively since his performance in the World Juniors and his arrival in Springfield, scoring three goals in his first three games. His fourth goal, a power-play goal at 6:52 of the second period, was his first in four games since that impressive debut weekend.

“I was getting chances,” said Eberle. “I found myself passing a lot when I had shooting opportunities. But, I found a way to somehow put that one in the net. It gives you a lot of confidence when you see the puck go in the net.”

After the Eberle goal cut the Pack lead to 2-1, Hartford answered with a breakaway goal from Dale Weise, who also had an assist, at the 10:21 mark of the second period to make it 3-1. Weise’s goal was a wrist shot that went five-hole on Bryan Pitton, who made 25 saves in the game.

Hartford had taken the lead early as, for the second night in a row, the Falcons gave up a goal in the first minute of the game. The crowd wasn’t even settled when Lee Baldwin took a shot from the point that Brodie Dupont tipped five-hole through Pitton’s legs.

Dupont’s goal was his 17th of the season and his first of the game. With the recent call-ups of Corey Locke and Pierre Parenteau to the New York Rangers, Dupont’s five points against the Falcons entering tonight’s game was tied for the team lead.

Dupont picked up his second marker late in the third period. The sixth and final goal of the night for Hartford was an unassisted short-handed goal that Dupont directed off Pitton and into the net.

Baldwin picked up his first point of the season on Dupont’s first period goal in just his third game with the Wolf Pack. Baldwin had joined Hartford after playing this past season for the University of Alaska-Anchorage. Lee scored a goal and picked up nine assists in 32 games.

Justin Soryal found the back of the net for the Wolf Pack’s second goal of the night and the eventual game winner at 2:57 of the opening frame. The goal was just Soryal’s fifth of the season and came from Derek Couture.

The Falcons’ fans were kept in the game by Eberle’s goal and a pair of fights won by the home team. Colin McDonald scored a take down on Ilkka Heikkinen. Minutes later, Jake Taylor dropped the gloves with Weise after Taylor took exception to a hit by Weise on Liam Reddox.

Andres Ambuhl added another insurance goal for Hartford when his sixth goal of the season found it’s way to the back of the net. Ambuhl scored a goal of for his only point of against the Falcons this season before scoring at the 1:58 mark of the third period.

Three Stars of the Game

1. HFD Brodie Dupont (2 goals)
2. HFD Dale Weise (1 goal, +3 rating)
3. HFD Andres Ambuhl (1 goal, 1 assist)

Springfield Falcons Lineup

Chris Minard (14) - Chad Wiseman (15) - Jordan Eberle (17)
Jesse Gimblett (39) - Ryan O'Marra (22) - Colin McDonald (18)
Blair Riley (37) - Rob Hisey (13) - Colton Fretter (19)
Bryan Lerg(16) - Liam Reddox (9) - Matt Beca (38)

Chris Armstrong (32) - Jeff Petry (20)
J.F. David (3) - Johan Motin (8)
Eddie Del Grosso (28) - Jake Taylor (25)

Bryan Pitton (35)
Olivier Roy (30)

Falcons Scratches - Matt Nickerson, Ryan MacMurchy, Geoff Paukovich, Slava Trukhno, Alex Plante, Kip Brennan, Tony DeHart


Game Setup: The Falcons have taken 3 of the last 4 against their rivals from Hartford. Springfield won the last match-up between the teams on March 20 by a score of 4-3 at the XL Center in Hartford. The Falcons have also taken a pair of 2-1 overtime victories from the Wolf Pack recently. Overall, the Falcons are 4-3-1-0 against the Pack this season. The Falcons will look for a close game as all four wins over Hartford this season have been by a single goal. The Pack will be busy before their trip to Springfield, on Wednesday they hosted the division-leading Worcester Sharks and on Friday the Lowell Devils made their way through Hartford.

Falcons Player Notes:

• Chris Minard scored his only goal against Hartford this season in the 2-1 overtime victory on January 23 in Springfield. Minard’s goal was the winner that completed a Falcons’ come-back win.
• Rob Hisey has two of his goals this season against the Wolf Pack including the winner in OT on February 26 in Hartford.
• Ryan O’Marra has three goals against the Pack this season.
• Jordan Eberle picked up a goal and two assists in the 4-3 win over Hartford on March 20.

Wolf Pack Player Notes:

• Corey Locke and Pierre Parenteau have 12 and 10 points against the Falcons this season respectively but both are currently enjoying a stay with the Pack’s NHL affiliate, the New York Rangers.
• Brodie Dupont has 4 of his 16 goals this season against the Falcons. Dupont has also recorded an assist in the season series.
• Dale Weiss is second on the Wolf Pack with 45 points but has only a goal and three assists in seven games against the Falcons.
• Dane Byers has five of his 44 points on the year in the season series between the Falcons and the Wolf Pack. Byers has two goals and three assists while playing in all eight previous match-ups between the teams.

Written by the Springfield Falcons

*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)*

Eberle With Zero Points As Falcons Lose To The Pirates / A Game Recap

PIRATES TAKE 6-3 GAME FROM FALCONS

By: Mike Hopey

April 2, 2010- On the strength of four third period goals the Pirates came from behind to beat the Falcons on Friday night at the MassMutual Center in front of 2,885 fans. Rob Hisey, Colton Fretter and Chris Minard all scored for the Falcons in the losing effort. Bryan Pitton made 13 saves in the loss and also picked up a penalty for delay of game in the third period.

LIVE BOX SCORE

“They threw a couple pucks at the net in the third period and that was the difference,” said head coach Rob Daum. “They [the third period goals] weren’t real breakdowns. They were just pucks that went in.”

Portland’s four goals in the third came on only six shots for the period. The Pirates picked up the all important tying goal 3:19 into the third period. Cody McCormick lit the lamp for the 14th time on the season with his howling shot from the right point that Pitton never got a chance to see. Travis Turnbull put the Pirates on top 4-3 and Brad Larsen scored 1:15 later to give the Pirates an insurance goal with his second of the night. T.J. Brennan then added an empty net goal with 14 seconds left to close out the scoring in the game.

McCormick made his presence known to Springfield early when he dropped the gloves with the Falcons’ Jake Taylor 45 seconds into the game. McCormick was later called for tripping and unsportsmanlike conduct giving the falcons a four minute power-play. McCormick was also assessed a 10-minute misconduct penalty, effectively ending his night with the goal as his only point and 19 penalty minutes.

Minard had put the Falcons back on top at the 6:40 mark of the second period when he took a Chad Wiseman pass and snapped it past Lamoureux. Larsens’ 11th goal of the season, first against the Falcons, had tied the game just 55 seconds into the middle frame. The Falcons took this 3-2 lead into the third period.

The Pirates captain, Larsen, was also whistled for boarding, in addition to his two goals, when he put the Falcons’ Jeff Petry into the boards behind the Falcons goal at 11:04 of the second period. The Larsen penalty was one of two power-play chances for the Falcons that they could not convert on to increase the new 3-2 lead.

Portland put themselves on top first with a goal on their second shot of the game. Philip Gogulla deposited the puck in the top corner over the out-stretched pad of Pitton. The opportunity for the Pirates started with a turnover in the neutral zone that sprang Gogulla on a breakaway giving him his 14th goal of the season.

The Falcons wasted no time in responding with a goal less than a minute later. Fretter, who also had an assist int he game, picked up his 24th goal when he put puck past J.P. Lamorureux at 10:22 of the first. Moments after the goal, Portland’s Mike Weber was called for tripping giving the Falcons their second power-play of the game.

Rob Hisey was the one who converted on the power-play for the Falcons, giving them the 2-1 lead. Hisey’s 11th goal was a redirect of a Chris Armstrong shot that hit the twine in the back of the net with eight seconds left on the power-play. In total, the Falcons went 1-for-7 with the man advantage in the game. Hisey also picked up an assist in the first period.

The Falcons out shot the Pirates 13-4 in the opening frame leading to their early success and went onto out shoot the Pirates 29-19 for the game.

Blair Riley also saw action in his first career AHL game. Riley played four seasons off NCAA Division-1 hockey for Ferris State University in Michigan. In his career, Riley scored a total of 87 points, with his best season coming the past year when he scored 18 goals and notched 20 assists in 40 games. Jesse Gimblett also made his debut tonight for the Falcons after playing four seasons for the University of Alberta.

Three Stars of the Game

1. POR Brad Larsen (2 goals)
2. SPR Rob Hisey (1 goal, 1 assist)
3. POR Travis Turnbull (1 goal)

Springfield Falcons Lineup

Chris Minard (14) - Chad Wiseman (15) - Jordan Eberle (17)
Jesse Gimblett (39) - Ryan O'Marra (22) - Colin McDonald (18)
Blair Riley (37) - Rob Hisey (13) - Colton Fretter (19)
Slava Trukhno (11) - Liam Reddox (9) - Matt Beca (38)

Chris Armstrong (32) - Jeff Petry (20)
J.F. David (3) - Johan Motin (8)
Eddie Del Grosso (28) - Jake Taylor (25)

Bryan Pitton (35)
Olivier Roy (30)

Game Night Notes....

Game Setup: This will be the 8th and final meeting between the Pirates and the Falcons. In the previous 7 match-ups, Springfield has gone 3-4-0-0 against Portland, including a close 2-1 loss on March 27 in Portland. The Pirates enter the game with a record of 42-22-6-4 for 94 points. Portland has locked up a playoff spot and they have a large gap between them and the 3rd place Manchester Monarchs. Portland concluded last weekend with a 3-2 win over Hartford and have won 4 straight games and are 7-1-1-1 in their last 10. The Falcons are on a 4 game winless streak and are 4-3-2-1 in their last ten games.

Falcons Player Notes:

• Liam Reddox has notched a pair of goals and three assists against the Pirates this season, which leads the Falcons in the season series.
• Charles Linglet has a goal and four assists in the previous seven games against Portland.
• Rob Hisey has only played in two games against the Pirates this season, but has notched two goals. Both of Hisey’s goals came in the 5-4 shootout win on March 14 in Portland.
• Colton Fretter leads the Falcons with 23 goals on the season.

Pirates Player Notes:

• Kyle Rank has 18 points on the season, but he has done a third of his scoring against the Falcons scoring three goals and notching three assists.
• Team points leader Mark Mancari has 68 points on the season, but has a goal and an assist in six games against the Falcons this season.
• Marc-Andre Gragnani is 4th on the Pirates with 38 points and has scored 2 of his 10 goals against the Falcons this season.
• Rookie Tyler Ennis is second on the team with 65 points, but was called up to Buffalo in the NHL last week. This week Ennis was named to the AHL All-Rookie Team.

Falcons Player Movement Recap:

On Wednesday, the Falcons signed winger Jesse Gimblett to an Amateur Tryout Contract and released Jason Pitton from his PTO. Gimblett joins the Falcons after playing four seasons at the University of Alberta. Before playing for the U. Of Alberta, Gimblett played five seasons in the OHL with the Owen Sound Attack and the Saginaw Spirit. His best season in the OHL came in 2005-06 when he scored 21 goals and picked up 26 assists. Pitton played in 25 games for the Falcons this season picking up a goal and an assist with 22 penalty minutes. Pitton will rejoin the ECHL affiliate of the Falcons, the Stockton Thunder, where he started the season with 8 goals and 12 assists in 34 games.

The Falcons also saw goalie J.P. Levasseur recalled by the Anaheim Ducks of the NHL. Levasseur was loaned to the Falcons by the Ducks on December 14, 2009 and went 8-16-1 with a 3.59 goals against average for Springfield. Levasseur recorded one shutout with the Falcons, a 49-save effort on Valentine’s Day in Bridgeport.

Lastly on Wednesday, team points leader Charles Linglet was called up by the Edmonton Oilers. Linglet is in his 7th pro season has scored 19 times and recorded 55 assists for the Falcons. Linglet’s 74 points place him 5th in the AHL this season.

Pirates Player Movement Recap:

On Sunday, March 28, Nathan Gerbe was recalled by Portland’s NHL affiliate, the Buffalo Sabers. Gerbe had 11 goals and 27 assists in 44 games for the Pirates this season.

On Wednesday, points leader Mark Mancari was returned by the Sabers to Portland. Mancari has 26 goals and 42 assists this season for the Pirates in 69 games. Mancari has a goal and an assist in five games for the Sabres this season.

Tonight's Goaltender Match-up:

Springfield
Bryan Pitton - Will make his sixth start of the season. Pitton is 2-3 with a 3.61 goals against average and .898 save percentage.

Oilvier Roy - Roy is making his Falcons debut as the backup tonight. Roy was a 5th round selection by the Oilers in last years draft. The 18 year-old Roy is coming off a season with the Cape Brenton Screaming Eagles of the QMJHL.

Portland
J.P. Lamoureux - is 12-9-2 this season with a 2.90 GAA and .896 save percentage. Lamoureux is 1-1-1 in four games against the Falcons this season.

Todd Ford - Ford is 6-5-1 in 14 games this season while splitting time between the Texas Stars and Portland.

Game Night Notebook ...

Atlantic Division Round-up:

Only Worcester and Portland have wrapped up play-off berths in the Atlantic Division. The Manchester Monarchs have put a little more space between them and the fourth place Lowell Devils with a 4-3 win on Wednesday night in Lowell. The Monarchs are now seven points ahead of the Devils and Sound Tigers, who are tied with the Devils for fourth but are statistically ahead of them.

The Monarchs can punch their ticket to the playoffs with a either win tonight against the Sound Tigers, Norfolk loss in regulation at Albany, or an overtime/shootout loss against the Tigers and a Norfolk overtime/shootout loss at Albany.

The Devils will look to get back into the Atlantic playoff picture with a win tonight in Hartford. However, the Devils have a better record than the fourth place team in the East Division, the Norfolk Admirals, and therefore would qualify for the post-season in the division.

In other action tonight, the first-place Sharks will visit Rhode Island to take on the Providence Bruins at The Dunk in 7:05 EST match-up.

Around the League:

The Hershey Bears can clinch the best record in the entire AHL with a win tonight over the Rochester Americans. The second and third place teams, Albany and W-B/Scranton, are both playing above-.500 hockey down the stretch while the once red-hot Norfolk Admirals are fading from the Calder Cup Playoff picture. The Admirals are now five points back of the third-place Penguins and four points behind the Lowell Devils who would take the fourth spot in the East Division.

Out west, Hamilton has locked up the top spot in North Division and the Rochester Americans have punched their ticket to the post-season. Abbotsford is holding the third position down with 81 points and can clinch a berth with a win tonight against Grand Rapids and a loss by Lake Erie in Rockford. The Manitoba Moose are keeping it close with the Heat, trailing by only three points and the already mentioned Lake Erie Monsters are still alive, just four points behind Manitoba.

In the West Division, no one has clinched the division yet but the Chicago Wolves and the Texas Stars will both be playing more hockey after April 11. The Stars are streaking, 8-2 in their last 10 games and currently on a four game winning streak. Rockford is sitting in third, four points ahead of the Milwaukee Admirals, and can clinch a post-season berth tonight with a win against Lake Erie, or an overtime/shootout loss and Peoria loss against Milwaukee. Milwaukee is four points up on the Rivermen for the fourth spot in the West going into tonight's game but the Admirals also have a game in hand on the Rivermen, with one more game to play in the season than Peoria.

Up the Pipeline: Edmonton Oilers

The biggest news of the week was Falcons' leading-scorer Charles Linglet being signed by the Oilers and then called up. The seven year pro was in his second season and first full season with the Falcons. After having his worst statistical season in 2008-09 splitting time between the Peoria Rivermen and the Falcons, Linglet bounced back by setting a career high in assists, with 55, and points, with 74.

The Montreal native played junior hockey for the Baie-Comeau Drakkar of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. In his best season, 2001-2002, Linglet scored 52 goals and notched 71 assists. His 123 points in that season was more than double the out-put of his second best season. After juniors, Linglet went undrafted and joined the St. Louis Blues organization where he played in until he was traded to the Falcons last season.

Linglet will make his National Hockey League debut tonight when the Edmonton Oilers visit the Dallas Stars

Written By Springfield Falcons

*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)*

TweetCast of Edmonton Oilers (24-45-7) at Dallas Stars (34-29-14) PPV Game

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 Dallas Stars 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.

Edmonton Oilers (24-45-7)

at

Dallas Stars (34-29-14)

Puck Drops at 6:38pm MST

Charles Linglet Named Second Team AHL All-Star

LINGLET NAMED SECOND TEAM AHL ALL-STAR

April 1, 2010 – The Springfield Falcons, proud members of the American Hockey League, announced today that left wing Charles Linglet has been named an AHL Second Team All-Star for the 2009-10 season. Linglet becomes the first Falcons player since Jean-Guy Trudel (2001-02) to be named a first or second team AHL All-Star.

Written by the Springfield Falcons

*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)*

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.

Written By OilFieldHockey.com

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.

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

FALCONS FALL TO RIVER RATS 5-1

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

Written by the Springfield Falcons

*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)*

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

Written by the Springfield Falcons

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

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.

Written By The Springield Falcons

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

Is Jeff Petry Really Signing With The Edmonton Oilers?

I have now seen several reports stating that Edmonton Oilers prospect Jeff Petry will not be continuing his College education and will instead turn Professional at hockey.


Here are the reports I've read;

Thursday, March 25, 2010
Petry Deal Could Be Done Today

Posted by Dean Millard

The Pipeline Show has learned that a deal between Jeff Petry and the Oilers is almost done and could be completed today or tomorrow morning at the latest. As Guy Flaming reported on our show Tuesday night, Petry is expected to forgo his senior season at Michigan State University and turn pro in time to play some games this year.

However it now appears that Petry will start in the AHL with Springfield and possibly get a call up sometime in the next 9 games, as apposed to coming straight to the Oilers.

Petry had a career year with the Spartans this season scoring 4 times and adding 24 assists in 38 games. He's 6.03 and about 200 pounds with a booming shot from the point and skates very well. It should be interesting to see what kind of adjustment period Petry has while trying to get used to the pro game.

@ 12:17 PM

And the other report;

Jeff Petry leaving MSU?

By oilfieldhockey on Wednesday, March 24, 2010 5:55 AM

According to WILX.com's Tim Staudts' Blog Defenceman Jeff Petry has decided to skip his senior year of college at Michigan State University in order to jump into the pro ranks of the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers. If he doesn't make the Oilers next season, it's not hard to assume that he will be assigned to their AHL affiliate in Oklahoma City.

Here is a quote from the blog post. "Rick Comley seems resigned to the fact that his stellar junior defenseman, Jeff Petry, will give up his senior season and sign with the NHL's Edmonton Oilers"

I personally have no opinion on Petry, I've never really seen him play. I'm excited and curious just like the rest of you. What are you thoughts on this kid?

Is skipping out on College that smart? Is a crappy Oilers team an incentive to go pro?

-Smokin' Ray-

Young and Marquardt Sent Down To The Stockton Thunder

NHL Seasoned Young, LW Marquardt Coming

03/23/2010 1:15 PM - Springfield sends NHL experienced defenseman, AHL experienced forward

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, announced Springfield has reassigned defenseman Bryan Young and Edmonton has reassigned left wing Matt Marquardt (MAR-kwart) from Springfield to the Thunder.

Both Young, 23, and Marquardt, 22, are expected to be in uniform for the Thunder's next game on Friday, Mar. 26 against the Las Vegas Wranglers, at Stockton Arena beginning at 7:30 p.m. (StocktonThunder.com/B2 Networks).

Young was originally assigned to the Thunder from Springfield on Oct. 7 and is playing under an AHL contract to Springfield. He has appeared in 176 career games in four seasons (2006-10) in the AHL with Springfield, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Milwaukee, scoring 18 points (3g-15a) while collecting 145 penalty minutes.

The 6-foot-1, 191-pound defenseman was originally selected by the Oilers in the fifth round (146th overall) of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft and has skated in 38 games with the Thunder this season, scoring eight points (2g-6a) and posting 43 penalty minutes. Additionally, Young has added seven games and 11 penalty minutes this year with the Falcons.

In 2006-07, Young became the first player in Thunder history to make his NHL debut and in his four-year (2006-10) career, he has suited up in 17 career NHL games with the Edmonton Oilers, posting 10 penalty minutes.

During that season, Young skated in 17 games for the Thunder and tallied four assists and 17 penalty minutes.

Marquardt was selected in the seventh round (194th overall) by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft and acquired by Edmonton on Mar. 2, 2010 in exchange for defenseman Cody Wild. In two AHL seasons (2008-10) he has appeared in 117 combined games with the Providence Bruins and Springfield, scoring 32 points (10g-22a) while posting 70 penalty minutes.

The 6-foot-3, 229-pound forward also suited up in nine games this season for the Reading Royals, notching a goal, two assists and 14 penalty minutes. In 46 combined AHL games this season with Providence and Springfield, he has scored 10 points (1g-9a) and added 25 penalty minutes.

The North Bay, Ontario native spent three years (2005-08) of his junior career with Moncton and Baie-Comeau of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, suiting up in 203 career games while posting 164 points (100g-64a), 100 goals and 208 penalty minutes. He scored a career-high 70 points (41g-29a) and 41 goals in 2006-07 with Moncton, leading the team in scoring and goals.

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/ .

Written by the Stockton Thunder

*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) *

Jordan Eberle and the Springfield Falcons; No Games Till Friday

The Springfield Falcons do not play until Friday and until then, I'm going to be waiting...

Here is the schedule for the Falcons this weekend.

Mar 26 Fri 07:00PM @ Lowell

Mar 27 Sat 07:00PM @ Portland

Mar 28 Sun 03:00PM Albany

Stay tuned to Oilers Jambalaya for all the updates on the Springfield Falcons.

The New Oklahoma City AHL Team - The List Of Names *UPDATED*

Well our friend over at OilField Hockey has found some more names for the new Oklahoma City AHL team.

The New Names:

OKC Crude
OKC Raptors
OKC Outlaws
OKC Bulls

Add Those To These:

OKC Oilers
OKC Oil Kings
OKC Oil Barons
OKC Roadrunners
OKC Hawks
OKC Roughnecks
OKC Wildcatters
OKC Twisters
OKC Tornados
OKC Bison
OKC 89ers (since pulled)

If you ask me, the more I think about the name the Crude, the more I'm liking it.

Stay tuned for more names to be found.

Thanks to OilFieldHockey.com for the information.

-Written by Smokin' Ray-

Jordan Eberle Scores Another Clutch Goal- GAME RECAP: Falcons vs Tigers (AHL)

FALCONS EARN POINT IN BRIDGEPORT

March 21, 2010 - For the sixth straight road game, the Springfield Falcons earned a point in the standings losing to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers 2-1 in overtime. Jordan Eberle scored Springfield's lone goal giving him three goals in three straight games and six points in the three games this weekend. The Falcons will be off from game action now until they head to Lowell on Friday night.

LIVE BOX SCORE

In the overtime, Bridgeport ended up on a power play at 1:42 when Chris Armstrong was called for a tripping penalty, and on the following power play, Mike Radja slid the game-winner past J.P. Levasseur. Levasseur was very steady in goal for the Falcons and finished the afternoon with 28 saves.

Trailing 1-0 heading into the third period, the Falcons rallied to even the score and send the contest to the extra session. Eberle scored his third goal of the weekend at 4:42 of the third period tying the score at 1-1. Chris Minard collected the assist on the play and Minard, Eberle and Chad Wiseman generated quality scoring chances throughout the afternoon. The Falcons ended up on a four-minute power play shortly after pulling even when Bridgeport's Brett Motherwell was whistled for a double-minor penalty when he high-sticked Charles Linglet. Springfield generated some scoring chances, but failed to convert on the man advantage.

In the first period, Bridgeport took advantage of their first power play chance of the game when Matt Martin one-timed a rebound off the back boards past Levasseur.

Midway through the opening frame, Springfield's Bryan Young and Bridgeport's Jesse Joensuu collected roughing minors after Young executed a clean body check on Martin.

GAME NOTES

The Falcons played in their 23rd overtime game this year and they are 5-11 in games decided in overtime and 4-3 in games ending in a shootout.

Chris Minard returned to the Falcons lineup on Sunday after playing in five games for the Edmonton Oilers.

The Falcons are 4-0-2-0 in their last six road games.

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 - Ryan MacMurchy

Chris Armstrong - Johan Motin
Bryan Young - Dean Arsene
J.F. David - Jordan Bendfeld

J.P. Levasseur
Bryon Pitton

FALCONS SCRATCHES - Jake Taylor (Injured), Bryan Lerg (Healthy), Geoff Paukovich (Healthy), Matt Marquardt (Healthy), Alex Plante (Injured), Kip Brennan (Injured), Matt Nickerson (Healthy)

THREE STARS
1. BRI - 25 Mike Radja
2. BRI - 33 Scott Munroe
3. SPR - 17 Jordan Eberle

Written By The Springfield Falcons

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

Jordan Eberle Makes A Splash / GAME RECAP Falcons vs Penguins (AHL)

SPRINGFIELD FALCONS - 4

vs

WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON PENGUINS - 5 OT

PENGUINS RALLY PAST FALCONS IN WILKES-BARRE

March 19, 2010 - The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are battling for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and they used a relentless third period attack on the Springfield Falcons Friday night to earn a must needed two ponts. The Falcons saw their 4-1 lead disappear in the final period and Deryk Engelland scored in the overtime for Wilkes-Barre giving the Penguins a 5-4 overtime victory at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza. The Falcons will next head to Hartford to battle the Wolf Pack on Saturday night.

LIVE BOX SCORE

The Penguins came out fast and furious in the final 20 minutes trying to erase a three-goal deficit. Konstantin Pushkarev started the rally at 3:12 of the third period for the Penguins, followed by Nick Johnson scoring his second goal of the game at 9:09 of the final frame pulling the Penguins to within one at 4-3. Chris Conner evend the score at 4-4 just 31-seconds after Johnson's marker sending the 6,214 into a frenzy.

"I thought we were lucky to have a lead after two periods because we didn't deserve it with how we were playing," said Falcons head coach Rob Daum "They came out and attacked us all period long and we couldn't answer back.".

In the second period, Springfield built a 2-0 lead at 6:19 when Colton Fretter tapped in a Jordan Eberle rebound on the power play. Johnson cut the Falcons' lead to 2-1 just over a minute later when he scored his 14th goal of the year, but the Falcons responded right back with a pair of markers of their own. Liam Reddox tipped in a Dean Arsene shot at 7:57 of the middle period, followed by J.F. David scoring his first AHL goal at 12:31 of the second frame.

Late in the middle period, Jason Pitton and Engelland dropped the gloves for a marathon fight with Pitton holding his own for the Falcons.

Eberle quickly made an impact in the game when he scored his first goal of the year on his first shift of the game. Eberle was set up by Chad Wiseman in front before Eberle made a nice forehand to backhand play to slide a puck past Penguins goaltender Brad Thiessen just one-minute into the first period.

FALCONS LINEUP

Charles Linglet - Chad Wiseman - Jordan Eberle

Liam Reddox - Rob Hisey - Colton Fretter

Ryan MacMurchy - Ryan O'Marra - Colin McDonald

Matt Marquardt - Slava Trukhno - Jason Pitton

Chris Armstrong - Johan Motin

Jake Taylor - Dean Arsene

J.F. David - Tony DeHart

J.P. Levasseur

Bryon Pitton

FALCONS SCRATCHES - Bryan Young (Healthy), Matt Nickerson (Healthy), Geoff Paukovich (Healthy), Bryan Lerg (Healthy), Alex Plante (Injured), Kip Brennan (Injured), Jordan Bendfeld (Healthy)

PRE-GAME NOTES

The Springfield Falcons continue their six-game road trip this weekend as they get set for three games in three days starting on Friday night in Wilkes-Barre, PA at 7:05 pm. The Falcons practiced Thursday morning in Springfield before jumping on the bus to Wilkes-Barre as they get set to meet the Penguins for the second and final time this year. Springfield beat the Penguins on home ice back on January 17 by a score of 6-3. Chad Wiseman led the Falcons offense on that night collecting four goals and two assists in the win. Wiseman tied a Falcons' record in that game for most goals in a game.

The Falcons have not traveled to Wilkes-Barre since the 2007-08 campaign when Springfield dropped a 6-1 decision on April 4, 2008. Springfield has played 13 games against Wilkes-Barre in their franchise history with the Falcons holding a 7-4-2 advantage.

The Falcons continue their road trip having won their last three road games, all one goal games and two that went into overtime. Springfield started their recent hot stretch on the road back on February 26 in Hartford when they rallied in the third period to tie the score and Rob Hisey won the contest in overtime. On February 27 in Syracuse, Chad Wiseman's goal with just seconds remaining in regulation gave the Falcons a 2-1 win, followed by Springfield's most recent road victory this past Sunday when they scored two third period goals to even the score and finally won the contest in a shootout.

Wilkes-Barre has also been playing very well recently as they battle for one of the final playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. The Penguins currently sit in fourth place in the East Division with a record of 34-29-2-3 good for 73 points. The top four teams in both the Atlantic Division and East Division make the Calder Cup Playoffs, unless the fifth place team in the Atlantic has a better record than the fourth place team in the East Division. Currently, the fifth place team in the Atlantic is the Bridgeport Sound Tigers with 73 points, tied with the fourth place Penguins in the East.

FALCONS TIDBITS

•The Springfield Falcons have won five of their last seven games, including three straight road games. The Falcons concluded this past weekend with back-to-back 5-4 shootout victories against the AHL’s leading Hershey Bears on Saturday and at Portland on Sunday.

•The Falcons have played 20 games this year that have gone to overtime and they have nine wins, eight overtime losses and three shootout losses in that span. The Falcons are 5-8 in ot games and 4-3 in shootout games.

•Rob Hisey scored the game-winner in the sixth round of the shootout on Saturday night and followed that up with a “Gordie Howe Hat Trick” on Sunday scoring two goals, collecting one assist and adding a first-period fighting major.

•Goaltender J.P. Levasseur was outstanding in the shootout this weekend stopping all six Hershey shooters on Saturday, followed by turning aside all five Portland shooters on Sunday.

•Chad Wiseman collected two goals and two assists in his last two games including being named the game’s first star on Saturday with two goals and one assist against Hershey.

•Dean Arsene scored his first goal of the year on Saturday against Hershey being named the game’s third star.

•Chris Armstrong extended his scoring streak to 10 games with a goal on Sunday in Portland. Armstrong has two goals and nine assists in that span.

Written By The Springfield Falcons

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

The New Oklahoma City AHL Team - A List Of The Domains

Today let's look at the list of potential names for Oklahoma City's AHL Team, by looking the domain names that have been reserved by Prodigal Hockey. It looks like the PH wants to make sure that they make sure to choose a name that fits the team.

http://www.okcoilers.com
http://www.okcoilkings.com
http://www.okcoilbarons.com
http://www.okc89ers.com (since has been taken down)
http://www.okcroadrunners.com
http://www.okchawks.com
http://www.okcroughnecks.com
http://www.okcwildcatters.com
http://www.okctwisters.com
http://www.okctornadoes.com
http://www.okcbison.com (should not be used,due TOO much association with the NBA team)

Tell Us at OilFieldHockey.com what you think the name should be, by voting for it on the poll.

READ THE ORIGINAL POST HERE

Springfield Falcons Travel To Wilkes-Barre Thursday

March 18, 2010 - The Springfield Falcons continue their six-game road trip this weekend as they get set for three games in three days starting on Friday night in Wilkes-Barre, PA at 7:05 pm. The Falcons will practice Thursday morning in Springfield before jumping on the bus to Wilkes-Barre as they get set to meet the Penguins for the second and final time this year. Springfield beat the Penguins on home ice back on January 17 by a score of 6-3. Chad Wiseman led the Falcons offense on that night collecting four goals and two assists in the win. Wiseman tied a Falcons' record in that game for most goals in a game.

The Falcons have not traveled to Wilkes-Barre since the 2007-08 campaign when Springfield dropped a 6-1 decision on April 4, 2008. Springfield has played 13 games against Wilkes-Barre in their franchise history with the Falcons holding a 7-4-2 advantage.

The Falcons continue their road trip having won their last three road games, all one goal games and two that went into overtime. Springfield started their recent hot stretch on the road back on February 26 in Hartford when they rallied in the third period to tie the score and Rob Hisey won the contest in overtime. On February 27 in Syracuse, Chad Wiseman's goal with just seconds remaining in regulation gave the Falcons a 2-1 win, followed by Springfield's most recent road victory this past Sunday when they scored two third period goals to even the score and finally won the contest in a shootout.

Wilkes-Barre has also been playing very well recently as they battle for one of the final playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. The Penguins currently sit in fourth place in the East Division with a record of 34-29-2-3 good for 73 points. The top four teams in both the Atlantic Division and East Division make the Calder Cup Playoffs, unless the fifth place team in the Atlantic has a better record than the fourth place team in the East Division. Currently, the fifth place team in the Atlantic is the Bridgeport Sound Tigers with 73 points, tied with the fourth place Penguins in the East.

FALCONS TIDBITS

The Springfield Falcons have won five of their last seven games, including three straight road games. The Falcons concluded this past weekend with back-to-back 5-4 shootout victories against the AHL’s leading Hershey Bears on Saturday and at Portland on Sunday.

The Falcons have played 20 games this year that have gone to overtime and they have nine wins, eight overtime losses and three shootout losses in that span. The Falcons are 5-8 in ot games and 4-3 in shootout games.

Rob Hisey scored the game-winner in the sixth round of the shootout on Saturday night and followed that up with a “Gordie Howe Hat Trick” on Sunday scoring two goals, collecting one assist and adding a first-period fighting major.

Goaltender J.P. Levasseur was outstanding in the shootout this weekend stopping all six Hershey shooters on Saturday, followed by turning aside all five Portland shooters on Sunday.

Chad Wiseman collected two goals and two assists in his last two games including being named the game’s first star on Saturday with two goals and one assist against Hershey.

Dean Arsene scored his first goal of the year on Saturday against Hershey being named the game’s third star.

Chris Armstrong extended his scoring streak to 10 games with a goal on Sunday in Portland. Armstrong has two goals and nine assists in that span.

-Written by The Springfield Falcons-

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

My Take: Doug Sauter by OilField Hockey

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I am going to start off "My Take" on things hockey here. For my 1st edition of "My Take" on the blog. I am going to look if former Oklahoma City Blazers' coach Doug Sauter should be on the coaching staff.

This is a touchy subject for most Oklahoma City Hockey fans. The feelings towards Doug Sauter, is that there are some who love him. But there are those fans who don't think he couldn't coach a side of a barn. There is no doubt Sauter's coaching record seems pretty stellar at first glance. The Blazers only made it to the post season 11 out 14 seasons, during Sauter's tenure in Oklahoma City. So here's the post season breakdown, out of 4 times making to the final round.

The Blazers split the difference by winning two championships in 1995-96 and 2000-01 seasons. Sauter and his team never made it past the 1st round of playoffs four times. Then they never made it passed the 2nd round three times. If you look at his total winning percentage over his 14 years. His record comes out to be with a winning percentage of .556 percent.

Do I think Sauter should part of the coaching staff here in Oklahoma City? No. I think he has a great persona about him, which could make him useful in finding some talent to bring here. If he gets on to the coaching staff, it shouldn't be behind the bench.

He should be someone who sits in the crowd to look at things from a different perspective. No one can mistake him for who he is in Oklahoma City, and what he did here. I believe it's time for the torch to be passed to a new coach, who just maybe can return glory to Oklahoma City hockey history.

Written by OilField Hockey

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