NHL 09: One

[EagleFan]

Not The Great One, not The Next One, not even one in the crowd, just One. One solitary player looking to make his way into the NHL and if he is lucky make a career out of it and maybe even make a name for himself. They say one is a lonely number but it is the number everyone wants to be.

Dave Conley has come from a small town background. He was born in New Jersey but his family moved to Maine when he was a child. It was his time in Maine where he learned to skate and began to love the game of hockey.

Now as he turns 19 he finds himself in a position to live out his wildest dreams. He has been drafted by the Edmonton Oilers and will be starting his career in thei minor league system.

Throughout his time playing youth hockey it has always bee said that he makes his team-mates better. He has a knack for finding the open player and setting the table for the goal scorers. While he does have a good shot himself his strenght has always been seeing the ice and being able to make the right pass at the right moment.

He is definitely not a physical, or defensive, threat on the ice but is someone that the opposition needs to always keep an eye on.

[EagleFan]

Dave begins his career playing for the Springfield Falcons, the Oilers farm team within the AHL. He will start his career centering the third line and will open the the season on the road against the Quad City Flames.


10/6 at Quad City Flames (0-0-0 0)

In a back and forth game which went to overtime tied 3-3 the home team would eventually win on a break away in overtime 4-3. Dave would get his first assist on a goal which gave them a 2-1 lead in the 2nd period. On the play he centered the puck to his winger Potulny who beat the goallie with a wrist shot for his second goal of the game.

4-3 loss (OT)
0 G, 1 A, +1


10/7 at Peoria Rivermen (1-0-0 2)

The game was a stark contrast to the Quad City game. Scoring chances were few and far between and when there were chances everyone came up empty. The game ended 0-0 and was scoreless through overtime to lead to a shootout.

Though Dave would be stopped in his attempt the Falcons would win the shootout 2-0 for their first win of the season.

0-0 (2-0 SO W)
0 G, 0 A, 0


10/8 at Bridgeport Sound Tigers (0-0-2 2)

Three road game in three days makes for a tired team to start the season. They will have several off days fllowing the game and are looking forward to the break. They would like to get out of this without yet another overtime game.

The team looks dog tired after midway through the first and are just hanging on for much of the game. Bridgeport takes advantage of this by tightening up the defense and making the Falcons work for eery inch of ice. In the end Bridgeport delights their home fans with a 2-0 win.

Dave played okay but could not find the open space that he wanted to try to create some offense. He made a few nice setups but the defense marked his wingers woo tightly.

2-0 loss

0 g, 0 A, -1



Stats for the week:

3 GP, 0 G, 1 A, 1 P, 0

Season:

3 GP, 0 G, 1 A, 1 P, 0


Springfield
1-1-1 3, tied for 11th in the Eastern Conference

[EagleFan]

10/13 San Antonio Rampage (2-2-0 4)

Dave got off to a fast start as he went in on a 2 on 1 with tic tac toe passing which led to him lifting te puck over the goalies left shoulder for his first goal. Two shifts later he made a clean pass across to an open team-mate who fired a shot off the goalie's pads but Dave jumped on the rebound and poked it into the net for his second goal of the game.

The Falcons would go on to an impressive 4-1 victory in their home opener.

4-1 win
2 G, 0 A, 2 P, + 1


10/14 Grand Rapids Griffins (2-3-0 4)

After a scoreless 1st period in which the teams seemed to be only feeling each other out the 2nd started with an offensive barrage. First Dave takes the puck down the right boards in his first shift of the 2nd, fakes his way past a defenseman, cuts towards the goal and then feathers a perfect pass to his open winger for the slam dunk goal and the 1-0 lead.

The period would see the teams going back and forth and would be 2-2 after the 2nd. Each team would score a goal in the third to see regulation end 3-3 and heading into overtime. After having some good chances early in OT the Falons find themselves killing off a penalty to end overtime and prepare for the shootout.

Dave would miss his shot in the shootout as the Falcons lose 2-1 in the shootout.

3-3 (2-1 SO L)
0 G, 1 A, 1 P, -1


10/15 Binghamton Senators (3-2-0 6)

Prior to the game Dave would receive word that he is beibng promoted to the second line. The game would be a struggle for Dave but a tightly fought 3-0 win for Springfield. He ha a couple nice setup cances but the puck was not bouncing right for him. He also picked up his first penalty minutes of the game with a cross checking minor in the third which led to an empty net short handed goal for the 3-0 final.

3-0 Win
0 G, 0 A, 0 P, 2 PM, 0



Stats for the week:
3 GP, 2 G, 1 A, 3 P, 2 PM, 0

Stats for the Season:
6 GP, 2 G, 2 A, 4 P, 2 PM, 0


Springfield 3-1-2 8 tied for 6th in Eastern Conference

[EagleFan]

10/20 at Lowell Devils (1-2-2 4)

The Falcons would take a 2-0 lead after one period but the Devils would tie it up early in the secon. The remainder of the second would be a tightly checked affair and would end tied. Midway through the third a Devils give away would lead to the eventual game winner as the Falcons win 2-1. Dave was unfortunately on the ice for the Devils goal.

2-1 Win
0 G, 0 A, 0 P, -1


10/21 at Providence Bruins (3-2-1 7)

The Falcons would jump out to a 3-0 lead after 2 periods but the game would see the Bruins score twice within a couple minutes in teh 3rd to make it 3-2. Midway through the 3rd Dave would receive a pass and place a writs shot int he upper corner of the net for a 4-2 lead which would be the final.

Dave earned every bit of that point as he played a gae in which it looked like something was going to happen. He had several times where he setup a team-mate with a precision pass but either a bad shot or great save kept the puck out of the net. He began to cycle the puck wuite well in this game, something which has encouraged coaches.

4-2 Win
1 G, 0 A, 1 P, 2 PM, 0


10/22 Houston Aeros (4-2-2 10)

With the Falcons up 1-0 after the first Dave would put on an offensive clinic in the first half of the second period and score two goals on rebounds. Each goal came about after adominating performances of cycling the puck and finding the open man for the shot. In each case he went to the net after giving the puck up and was in position for the rebound goal.

After the Aeros scored one late in the second they would make it 3-2 with 10 minutes left in the game but that would close out the scoring as the Falcons would win their 4th straight by a 3-2 score.

3-2 Win
2 G, 0 A, 2 P +2


Stats for the week:
3 GP, 3 G, 0 A, 3 P, 2 PM, + 1

Stats for the season:
9 GP, 5 G (tied for 10th in the AHL), 2 A, 7 P, 4 PM, +1


Springfield
6-1-2 14, tied for 1st in the Eastern Conference

[EagleFan]

10/27 at Philadelphia Phantoms (6-3-0 12)

The game would start with the Falcons getiting some good chances but not able to break the coreless tie until about 5 minutes left int he 1st as Dave took the pass down behind the net and then found his righ winger heading to the net with a fine pass who put it home. The lead would not make it to the intermission as the Phantoms would score 2 goals in the final minute of the period to take a 2-1 lead after 1.

After a good scoring chance for Dave and the Falcons turned to a quick rsh and goal for the Phantoms early in the second the game began to look like it could get ugly as the Phantoms controlled play for most of the second. The Falcons turned the momentum a bit with less than a minute to go in the 2nd when a turnover led to a goal and they narrowed gthe gap to 3-2 through 2.

With a littl ove 8 minutes left in the game Dave would take a lead pass into the offensive zone, cut past the defender to the left wing side and center the puck for a one time goal to tie the game. A couple of other good chances would not produce a goal but reguation would end 3-3.

The Phantoms would score early in overtime to give the Falcons a 4-3 overtime loss.

4-3 OT Loss
0 G, 2 A, 2 P -1


10/28 at Worcester Sharks (2-6-2 6)

Prior to the game Dave would receive news that he is going to play on the top line. The game would be a tightly contested affair which would go into overtime tied at 2. Dave would pick up an assist on both of the team's goals. The Sharks would get the better of the chances in overtime and wn the game 3-2 on a goal midway through the overtime period.

3-2 OT Loss
0 G, 2 A, 2 P, 2 PiM, 0


10/29 at Rockford Icehogs (5-4-1 11)

The Falcons would play their worst game of the season and be dominated in a 5-2 loss. Dave would have a forgettable -4 performance.

5-2 Loss
0 G, 0 A, 0 P, -4



Stats for the week:
3 GP, 0 G, 4 A, 4 P, 2 PiM, -5

Stats for the season:
12 GP, 5 G, 6 A, 11 P, 6 PiM, -4

Springfield
6-2-4 16, tied for 4th in the Eastern Conference

[EagleFan]

11/2 Hershey Bears (6-4-2 14)

Midway through the 1st Dave got the scoring started with a power play goal. That would be all they needed as they would go on to score one goal wach period for a 3-0 win. They would go 2 for 2 on the power play, their first multi-power play goal game of the season.


3-0 Win
1 G, 0 A, 1 P, +1


11/3 @ Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Penguins (8-4-2 18)

A late 1st period goal by the Penguins would be the only tally of the game n a 1-0 loss on the road. Dave would have several good chances but a hot goallie would keep any of them from ending up with a goal or asist for him.


1-0 Loss
0 G, 0 A, 0 P, 0


11/8 @ Milwaukee Admirals (6-6-2 14)

A solid offensive performance by the team would give them a 4-1 win. Dave would pick up a goal after making a great pass to setup his winger but the shot went wide. Dave cut to the net and his other winger dug he puck out from the corner and found him in front for the redirection and the goal.


4-1 Win
1 G, 0 A, 1 P, 0



Stats for the week:
3 GP, 2 G, 0 A, 2 P, +1

Stats for the season:
15 GP, 7 G, 6 A, 13 P, 6 PiM, -3

Springfield:
8-3-4 20, tied for 2nd in the Eastern Conference

[EagleFan]

11/10 at Norfolk Admirals (7-4-3 17)

Dave would play a game that he would want to forget as they lose 4-2. He would not be on the ice for either of Springfield's goals and would be on the ice for 3 of Norfolk's goals (the last one being an empty netter).


4-2 L
0 G, 0 A, 0 P, -3



11/11 at Lake Erie Monsters (6-7-2 14)

Dave would play a much better game but still have nothign to show for it as both goalies "stood on their heads" as the game remained scoreless through overtime. In the shootout Dave would try to slide the puck 5 hole but be denied.


0-0 (4-3 ShO W)
0 G, 0 A,0 P, 0



Stats for the week:
2 GP, 0 G, 0 A, -3

Stats for the season:
17 GP, 7 G, 6 A, 13 P, 6 PiM, -6


Springfield:
9-4-4 22, tied for 4th in the Eastern Conference