A man up or a man down, the Falcons rank among the AHL's elite.
The Falcons' Tim Erixon, right, has been a star for Springfield in more ways than one.
SPRINGFIELD – So far, special teams have had a special effect on the Springfield Falcons.
That certainly was the case Sunday, when the Falcons scored three power-play goals and killed five penalties. It all added up to a 5-0 victory over the Norfolk Admirals, giving Springfield an American Hockey League -leading record of 8-1-0-2.
As the Falcons head to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for the start of a four-game road slate, they rank third in the AHL in power-play scoring percentage (22.4) and fifth in penalty-kill efficiency (89.6). They have scored 13 power-play goals while allowing only five.
The Falcons play at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Wednesday night, then at Norfolk Friday and Saturday. Next week, they visit Portland Nov. 23 before returning to the MassMutual Center the following night vs. Manchester.
“We’re coming into one of the real tough stretches for us – four road games. Wilkes-Barre has been playing well, Norfolk is a good team and so is Portland,” Falcons coach Brad Larsen said. “But I like the way we’ve been playing, and I like the way we play on the road.”
A solid corps of defensemen has a lot to do with Springfield’s early success.
“We have good size back there – I think we average something like 6-foot-2 and 200-plus pounds – and those defensemen are very mobile. Every one of them can skate and move the puck, and they’re all ready to dig in and block shots,” Larsen said.
One of the shining stars there is Tim Erixon, a 22-year-old whose father Jan played 10 years as an NHL defenseman. Tim went in the first round of the 2009 NHL draft, taken by Calgary.
He came to Springfield’s parent club, the Columbus Blue Jackets, from the New York Rangers as part of an offseason trade for Rick Nash.
“Tim has the hockey bloodlines, all right, and with us, he’s gotten better and better since he overcame an injury back in training camp. He’s a very smart player, poised with the puck and the kind of guy who plays better when the pressure’s on,” Larsen said.
Erixon scored both goals Friday as the Falcons beat the Connecticut Whale 2-0. Sunday, his puck-moving ability had a lot to do with Springfield’s power-play success.
“He makes it look effortless, the way he plays (at the blue line). He’s deceptive, and that makes him all the more dangerous. He makes good passes, and gives a lot of life to our power play. And when he shoots, he gets the puck on the net. He rarely gets one blocked,” Larsen said.
The coach also pointed out the value of having players like big forwards Ryan Craig and Tomas Kubalik. They storm the net on power plays, and take a lot of punishment as they do so.
“You need guys like that,” Larsen said.
ICE CHIPS: The Falcons are so dominant, they have the AHL’s top four in plus-minus ratings. Jonathan Audy-Marchessault ranks first at plus-12, followed by Ryan Johansen, Kubalik and John Moore at plus-11 each ... Springfield goaltender Curtis McElhinney leads the league with an 8-1-1 record and 1.29 goals-against average ... Danny Taylor, a former Falcons goaltender now with Abbotsford, ranks second to McElhinney with a 1.69 GAA ... The Falcons left for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton by bus early Tuesday afternoon. They had a team dinner Tuesday night, and will have a morning skate Wednesday.
Garry Brown can be reached at geeman1918@yahoo.com