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Falcons setting historic pace as wins, points keep piling up

Date: 1/8/2014

SPRINGFIELD – The Springfield Falcons maintain first place in the AHL’s Northeast Division with a 25-5-1-3 record, having earned 54 of a possible 68 points. Springfield’s 54 points and .794 points percentage lead the entire American Hockey League and have the team on pace for the best record in AHL history. The 1992-93 Binghamton Rangers posted 124 points and a .775 points percentage, not exceeded in 78 years of AHL hockey.

The Falcons started this week off on the right foot, beating the Albany Devils 3-2 on Jan. 8 after earning all six possible points last week in defeating the St. John’s IceCaps 4-2 on Dec. 31, 2013, and rounding out the weekend with wins over the Albany Devils Jan. 3 and the Providence Bruins Jan. 4.

Three first-period goals lifted the Falcons over the Devils on Jan. 8 at the Times Union Center, matching a franchise-best eight-game road point streak.

In his return to the Springfield lineup after missing the team’s last six games, forward Michael Chaput scored twice in the contest.

Last week, The Falcons defeated the IceCaps in the first meeting this season between the two teams, coming back to tie the score twice in the first two periods before Jean-Francois Jacques and Andrew Joudrey each scored in the final frame to seal the victory.

For Jacques, the goal was his third of the season and second game-winner. Lukas Sedlak and Jonathan Marchessault scored the first two Springfield goals. Goaltender Jeremy Smith made 31 saves on 33 shots, earning his 15th victory of the season.

The Falcons came back to win again at Albany, this time from a 3-1 deficit in the third period. After Kelly Zajac and Jacques traded first-period goals, Harri Pesonen and Rod Pelley scored within a 1:08 span to put the Devils ahead by two with 7:53 remaining in regulation.

Jake Hansen answered just 30 seconds later with his eighth goal of the season to cut the deficit in half, and Austin Madaisky fired a slap shot from the right-wing circle to even the score at 13:38.

Overtime lasted 3:13 before Springfield’s Darryl Boyce weaved his way through the offensive zone and beat Albany netminder Keith Kinkaid to end the contest and give the Falcons their second consecutive win.

Springfield won its third straight game with a 2-1 victory over the Bruins on a night kicked off by Boston Bruins legend Rene Rancourt, who sang the National Anthem.

After Nick Johnson gave Providence a 1-0 lead at 10:13 of the second period, Springfield’s Spencer Machacek answered right back with a blast from the right-wing circle that beat Niklas Svedberg.

Machacek also scored the game-winning goal, wrapping around the net and burying the puck on the far post to help the Falcons edge out the Bruins. For Machacek, it was his second multi-goal effort of the season, and the scores were his fifth and sixth of the 2013-14 campaign.

Goaltender Mike McKenna made his return to the lineup after a month-long stint with the Columbus Blue Jackets, making 26 saves on 27 shots and earned his seventh victory of the season.

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The Falcons also recently announced appearances by New England sports figures at upcoming games. New England Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo will appear at the team’s 7 p.m home game on Feb. 7 versus the Syracuse Crunch, and Boston Bruins forward and Stanley Cup champion Gregory Campbell will be at the team’s 3 p.m. home game on Feb. 23 versus the Norfolk Admirals. Mayo will sign autographs on the concourse from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Campbell will sign autographs on the concourse from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.