FALCONS BEAT PIRATES 6-2
February 26, 2012 - The Springfield Falcons concluded a perfect weekend on Sunday with a 6-2 win over the Portland Pirates at the Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland, Maine. The Falcons won all three games on the weekend picking up six points in the standings and they improved their record to 27-25-2-2 on the season. The Falcons have moved to within two points of the 8th and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Falcons forward Alexandre Giroux celebrated his 800th professional game with his 19th and 20th goals of the year tying him with Jim Bartlett for 8th on the AHL's All-Time Goals list with 360 career markers. Giroux was named the game's second star and he is now only four goals shy of tying Mitch Lamoureux for 7th on the league's All-Time Goals list.
Giroux opened the scoring for the Falcons at 10:41 of the first period giving the Falcons a 1-0 lead. Less than three minutes later, Maksim Mayorov tallied a shorthanded goal at 13:21 of the opening frame giving Springfield a 2-0 advantage. Portland's Nick Ross cut the Falcons' lead to 2-1 at 15:50 of the opening frame sending Springfield into the first intermission with a one goal edge.
In the second period, Giroux helped regain the Falcons' two goal lead when he converted on the power play at 5:48 of the middle frame, but Spencer Bennett tallied just 29 seconds later pulling Portland to within one at 3-2.
At 14:23 of the middle period, Mayorov used the power play to put the Falcons back up by two as he wristed his second goal of the game past Marc Cheverie building a 4-2 lead for the Falcons. Adam Mair scored his second goal of the weekend just two minutes later building a three goal lead for the Falcons heading into the third period.
In the final period, Wade MacLeod added one more insurance goal for the Birds concluding a 6-2 Falcons' win. Paul Dainton won his third straight start of the weekend stopping 26 of 28 shots improving his record to 9-4 on the season. Dainton won all three starts this weekend and he turned aside 82 of 85 shots on the weekend.
This marks the fifth time this season the Falcons have won three straight contests. The Falcons penalty killers were outstanding again tonight as they held the Pirates to 0-9 on the man advantage.
SUNDAY'S LINEUP
Alexandre Giroux - Martin St. Pierre - Wade MacLeod
Matt Calvert - Adam Mair - Maksim Mayorov
Dane Byers - Andrew Joudrey - Tomas Kubalik
Chris D'Alvise - Ryan Garlock - Aaron Bogosian
Patrick Cullity - David Savard
Cody Goloubef - Greg Amadio
Brent Regner- Dalton Prout
Paul Dainton
Mike Spillane
Not dressed: Manny Legace (Injured), Anton Blomqvist, Nick Holden (Injured), Mark Dekanich (Injured), Nick Drazenovic (Injured), Cody Bass (AHL Suspension), Theo Ruth, Tim Spencer
Springfield Falcons 6 at Portland Pirates 2 - Status: Final
Sunday, February 26, 2012 - Cumberland County Civic Center
Springfield 2 3 1 - 6
Portland 1 1 0 - 2
1st Period-1, Springfield, Giroux 19 10:41. 2, Springfield, Mayorov 7 (Prout), 13:21 (SH). 3, Portland, Ross 1 (Watkins, Oystrick), 15:50. Penalties-Amadio Spr (cross-checking, roughing), 4:25; Kubalik Spr (high-sticking), 11:41; Goloubef Spr (holding), 18:18; Mair Spr (slashing), 20:00.
2nd Period-4, Springfield, Giroux 20 (St. Pierre, Savard), 5:48 (PP). 5, Portland, Bennett 2 (MacLean, Pouliot), 6:17. 6, Springfield, Mayorov 8 (Byers, Regner), 14:23 (PP). 7, Springfield, Mair 2 (Mayorov, Calvert), 16:23. Penalties-Amadio Spr (boarding), 0:19; Werek Por (hooking), 4:52; Miele Por (holding), 8:18; Syvret Por (hooking), 12:52; Cullity Spr (tripping), 19:44.
3rd Period-8, Springfield, MacLeod 5 (Byers, St. Pierre), 7:47. Penalties-Byers Spr (cross-checking), 2:00; Mair Spr (kneeing), 14:43; Syvret Por (kneeing), 17:38.
Shots on Goal-Springfield 7-10-5-22. Portland 13-8-7-28.
Power Play Opportunities-Springfield 2 / 4; Portland 0 / 9.
Goalies-Springfield, Dainton 9-4-0 (28 shots-26 saves). Portland, Pogge 11-12-3 (4 shots-2 saves); Cheverie 4-3-0 (18 shots-14 saves).
A-4,426
Referees-Ryan Hersey (46), Dave Lewis (16).
Linesmen-Jeremy Lovett (78), Landon Bathe (80).
PREGAME NOTES
The Falcons start a five-game road trip in Portland today, a stretch of games that will not see the Falcons play at home again until March 10. After today, Springfield will head to Norfolk, Virginia on Friday and Saturday, Hershey on Sunday before concluding the voyage in Manchester, NH on March 9.
The Falcons will be looking for their fifth three-game winning streak of the season. Springfield is 2-1 in Portland this year.
Dane Byers has goals in four of his last five games.
The Falcons are 4-1-0-1 against the Pirates this season.
Martin St. Pierre leads the Falcons in scoring against the Pirates this year with two goals and four assists for six points in six games. Patrick O'Sullivan leads Portland in scoring against the Falcons with two goals and four assists in four games.
Mike Spillane will back up Paul Dainton on Sunday after Spillane signed a PTO contract before Saturday's contest. Manny Legace will miss his second straight game due to injury.
