Sens vs. Falcons 2/22/04 Articles: Streaking Falcons win
February 23, 2004

Posted by: Bob Howard
Credit: Fran Sypek of The Republican

Streaking Falcons win

02/23/2004

By FRAN SYPEK Staff writer
fsypek@repub.com

SPRINGFIELD - The unbeaten streak has reached five games and the Springfield Falcons truly believe they can inch their way back into the playoff race.

But apparently everything is not well with the Falcons, even after yesterday's 5-3 American Hockey League victory over the Binghamton Senators before 3,891 fans at the Springfield Civic Center.

With a little over two minutes remaining in the second period, coach Marty McSorley tugged co-captain Peter Ferraro's jersey sleeve and ordered him off the bench and to the dressing room. Ferraro did not come out for the third period, for reasons that seemed unclear.

"Peter's really an emotional kid and when he asked me for more ice time, I told him we were going to do what was good for the team," McSorley said. "But he's fine and it's my job to get him focused and back playing."

The Falcons are 3-0-2 in their last five games and suddenly, the possibility of playing beyond the regular season doesn't seem as far fetched as it did a week ago.

"You've got to play playoff-type hockey in order to convince yourself you're going to be a playoff team," McSorley said. "We have the commitment we need to be a playoff team."

Goalie David LeNeveu proved he can carry the workload, playing the last eight games. He's 4-2-2 during that stretch.

"As a team, we're really pushing each other," said Jason Jaspers, who had a goal and an assist. "It's nice to get the ball rolling."

Goran Bezina spoiled the Senators' hope for a comeback when he received a pass from Kiel McLeod and beat Billy Thompson from the slot to restore the Falcons' two-goal lead. The Falcons had a chance to put the Senators away earlier in the period when they went on a 5-on-3 power play. They failed to score and Mike Brown drove a 20-foot slap shot past LeNeveu with 8:51 remaining to cut the Falcons' lead to 4-3.

"The one thing we talked about was not letting them carry the momentum for more than one shift," McSorley said. "You tend to get a lot more breaks when you're playing in the other team's end."

Following a scoreless first period, the teams combined for six second period goals, including four by the Falcons. The Falcons vaulted to a 3-0 lead, saw the Senators shave it to one before Springfield went up by a pair on a power-play goal by Bryan Helmer.

Helmer scored 66 seconds after veteran Rob Ray's power-play goal made it a 3-2 game. Helmer sailed a shot from the right point past Thompson to give the Falcons a 4-2 edge.

"Having Bryan back there gives us so much confidence," McSorley said.

After LeNeveu rejected close-range bids by Arpad Mihaly and Peter Smrek, Ray banged in a rebound at 14:41. The Senators' first goal came on a 35-foot slap shot by Charlie Stephens at 11:29, 53 seconds after Frantisek Lukes scored on a breakaway after a nice set-up by Chris Ferraro to give the Falcons a 3-0 advantage.

Jaspers scored a power-play goal at 8:49 to give the Falcons a 2-0 lead. Nick Lent opened the scoring 3:16 into the period.

Lent's shot appeared to hit the back of the net and bounce out. The Senators claimed the puck never went win, but referee Dave Hansen conferred with goal judge Rick Casey and the goal, Lent's first in the AHL, stood.

ICE CHIPS: Krys Kolanos was recalled by the Phoenix Coyotes before the game. He had 10 goals, 11 assists for 21 points in 32 games. Erik Westrum was recalled after the game ... Nathan Gillies, the brother of Falcon forward Trevor Gillies, was brought up by Binghamton from the Elmira Jackles of the United Hockey League ... Greenfield mayor Christine Forgey dropped the ceremonial first puck ... Zac Bierk is back with the team and he expects to be activated next weekend ... It was Peter Ferraro's 499th career AHL game ... Matthew Spiller missed his second straight game after suffering an injury Friday night in Portland; Mike Wilson did not play for the ninth straight game because of a hip flexor; and Chris Dyment was absent for the eighth straight game due to an ankle injury ... Trevor Gillies and Brown engaged in a fight three seconds into the game ... Binghamton defenseman Steve Bancroft has played for 20 teams since turning pro in 1991 ... The Falcons are idle until Friday when they play host to the Hartford Wolf Pack.