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-

CLICK HERE FOR THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE

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

GAME RECAP: Stockton 7 - Victoria 2 (ECHL)

GAME RECAP: Stockton 7 - Victoria 2
03/17/2010 9:40 PM


03/17/2010 9:40 PM -
O'BROTHER!
Thunder routs Victoria on St. Patrick's Day to open seven-game homestand,
Hemingways, Hunts chip in

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Colin Hemingway continued his assault on Victoria's backchecking scheme with a goal and two assists, totaling 24 points in 15 games this year against the Salmon Kings. (photo by George Steckler)

STOCKTON, Calif. - All-Star center Chris D'Alvise (2g-1a) was one of five players to record multi-point games and help lead the Stockton Thunder (29-24-9, 67 points) to a 7-2 rout of the Victoria Salmon Kings before 4,072 fans at Stockton Arena on Wednesday.

In opening a seven-game homestand which includes eight of the last 11 games of the season at Stockton Arena, the Thunder, who led wire-to-wire in the game, improved to 12-2-4 at home since Dec. 4 and moved to a fourth place tie in the National Conference with Las Vegas, one point behind Victoria for third place.

Colin Hemingway and brother Brett were paired on the same line with Oren Eizenman and the brotherly duo combined for five points (3g-2a), while Eizenman had one assist. Defenseman Trevor Hunt, making his pro debut and brother Garet each recorded an assist as well.

On the first shift of the game, Eizenman batted a loose puck out of mid air at the doorstep to lift the Thunder to a 1-0 lead just 44 seconds in, after Brett Hemingway hit the post on a snap shot at the right wing and Colin Hemingway was stopped on a rebound from tight range.

Brett broke a nine-game goal-scoring drought to push the lead to 2-0, finishing a rebound at the right goal line after Daryl Marcoux was stopped on a wrist shot from between the circles.

Jimmy Sharrow converted a backdoor feed by Randall Gelech from the left corner just 42 seconds into the second period to slice the deficit to 2-1, but just 11 seconds later, a Daryl Marcoux long bomb pass found D'Alvise on a breakaway, who beat Matt Keetley inside the right goal post for his 27th goal of the year to restore the Thunder two-goal margin at 3-1.

Victoria got back into the game again on Chad Painchaud's 28th marker of the year with 14 minutes left in the period, taking a rebound below the left circle and sneaking it through Andrew Perugini's five hole for a 3-2 score.

Yet, a four-goal attack by Stockton put the game out of reach in the third period, beginning with Matt Robinson's career-high 25th goal of the year to boost the lead to 4-2 just 1:04 into the period off a rebound at the left post.

Just 45 seconds later, Igor Gongalsky caught a piece of Garet Hunt's spin-around shot from between the circles with a screen at the goal mouth and increased the bulge to 5-2 with his 13th goal of the season.

A blast by Colin Hemingway, his 23rd goal, hiked the Thunder lead to 6-2 when he teed up a loose puck at the right circle and beat Keetley past the glove.

D'Alvise's second goal of the game put on the finishing touches with 33.1 seconds left, burying a one-timer from inside of the left circle on a feed by James Bates from behind the net. Trevor Hunt completed his debut and +2 effort with an assist on the play, feeding the puck to Bates from the left point.

Perugini earned his 19th win of the season (19-12-4) by making 22 saves.

NOTES: The Thunder scratched J.F. Caudron (injured reserve), Riley Emmerson (healthy), Matt O'Dette (healthy) and Craig Valette (injured reserve) ... the Thunder outshot Victoria 37-24 and raced out to a 9-1 advantage in the opening minutes of the game ... Eizenman's pair of points boosted his scoring streak to seven straight games ... Marcoux earned the third star honors with a +4 rating and career-high three asssits ... Colin Hemingway's three-point effort gave him 24 points in 15 games against Victoria this season.

The Thunder continues the seven-game homestand on Friday at 7:30 p.m., hosting the Utah Grizzlies at Stockton Arena. 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. STK - 10 Chris D'Alvise
2. STK - 20 Colin Hemingway
3. STK - 27 Daryl Marcoux

CLICK HERE FOR THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE AT STOCKTONTHUNDER.COM

*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) *

Andrew Perugini, Stockton Thunder's All Time Shutout Leader

‘GINI IN A BOTTLE

Goaltender Andrew Perugini, who is tied for second in ECHL save percentage (.915) and is tied for fourth in the ECHL in goals-against-average (2.79), became the Thunder career shutout leader (4) on Feb. 12 and posted his most recent blanking on a week later at Bakersfield, a career-high 45-save effort in a 2-0 Thunder win. Perugini was named Reebok Hockey ECHL Goaltender of the Week in February for the second time in his career.

ALL-TIME THUNDER SHUTOUT LEADERBOARD

GOALTENDER SHUTOUTS
1. Andrew Perugini (2008-present) 5
2. Tim Boron (2007-08)                 3
3. Devan Dubnyk (2006-07)          2
    Glenn Fisher (2007-08)              2
    Jake Moreland (2005-06)          2

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CLICK HERE TO SEE ORIGINAL ARTICLE AT STOCKTONTHUNDER.COM

*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) *

The Stockton Thunder Rocks The Arena

Have you ever wondered what other hockey teams are using for their music?  Today we will look at the Stockton Thunder's game music experience. Here is what StocktonThunder.com says.

-----------------------------------

What's the name of the Thunder goal song and other music played at games?
Below is a sample of the familiar music you hear at a Thunder game each night at Stockton Arena!

Pre-game warmups:
Beastie Boys - Sabotage
Bush - Machine Head
Disturbed - Land of Confusion
Foo Fighters - Monkey Wrench
Green Day - Basket Case
Linkin Park - Bleed It Out
Metallica - Fuel
Metallica - Master of Puppets
Methods of Mayhem - Crash
Motley Crue - Kickstart My Heart
Nickelback - Animals
Incubus - Megalomaniac
P.O.D. - Rock The Party
Pearl Jam - Even Flow
Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - Face Down
Rob Zombie - Dragula
Rob Zombie - Feel So Numb
Trapt - Headstrong

Countdown:
U2 - Where the Streets Have No Name
Lake & Palmer Emerson - Karn Evil 9 Impression 1

Thunder takes the ice (pre-game):
AC/DC - Thunderstruck

Thunder takes the ice (second and third period):
Bush - Machine Head
OK Go - Here It Goes
Methods of Mayhem - Crash
Motley Crue - Kickstart My Heart
Rob Zombie - Dragula

Fights/penalties:
2Unlimited - Workaholic
Beastie Boys - Fight For Your Right (To Party)
Carl Douglas - Kung Fu Fighting
Drowning Pool - Bodies
Offspring - Come Out and Play
Marilyn Manson - Beautiful People
Metallica - Fuel
Twisted Sister - We're Not Gonna Take It

Thunder goal:
Kernkraft 400 - Zombie Nation

Thunder wins:
AC/DC - Thunderstruck
Aerosmith - Sweet Emotion

---------------------------------------------

Original Post about the songs from StocktonThunder.com

*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) *

The Paralympic Games - Go Canada Go!

For the past few days, the 2010 Paralympics have been on and thanks to Sportsnet we have been able to watch some of the games. I've enjoyed what I have watched so far, so thanks CTV and Sportsnet, you guys have done a great job.

Let me tell you when I say this, SLEDGE HOCKEY IS CRAZY!  Those guys are rough and mean. It seems like a really tough sport. Let's hope Canada can get the gold and sweep the hockey medals.

Here's another crazy sport. You want skilled curling? Watch these teams curl. These people are making great shots and they don't even have a sweeper(s) to help them out. That makes the sport that much more challenging. I challenged my Dad to a game like that. He's still thinking about it...

All the events have challenges and hurdles that they all must conquer. I think that's why I really respect all of those that participate in these games. It takes guts and courage to do what these people are doing and yet the fanfare isn't the same as it was weeks ago for the actual Olympic games?

Why is that? What makes these people not the same? In fact, why are these athletes not included in the Olympics games anyways? What makes them any different than you and I?  NOTHING!

I'll be honest, I never really gave much thought to it until the last Olympics rolled around in Torino. Why are these people declared different?

They shouldn't be any different because they're not. My grandfather lost his hand and part of his forearm jumping off a train when he was a teenager. Does that accident make him any different? No, it didn't. The only difference was he was right handed before the accident. Now he's left handed.

I wish the Olympic decision makers would get a grip and look at what stupidity they are showing the entire world. This is not right. Not right at all.

I hope this can change someday...

But regardless of how I feel, I do want to say that we here at Oilers Jambalaya, support the Paralympic games and we wish all the athletes well. GOCANADA!

AS OF THIS POST, CANADA IS 2ND IN THE MEDAL COUNT WITH 7 MEDALS. 

2 Gold / 3 Silver / 2 Bronze