Jackals Net Third Consecutive Win In Dramatic Fashion

FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The Elmira Jackals wiped out a 3-0 deficit on the road against the Fort Wayne Komets on Friday night at Memorial Coliseum and picked up a 4-3 overtime win. Dane Walters scored his first OT winner with 1:16 left in the extra session to improve Elmira's record to 15-22-4 on the season.

Click here for tonight's box score.

A big part of Elmira's game plan was to get out to a fast start against the Komets and they appeared to be well on their way. The Jackals launched four shots on Komets goalie Ben Meisner over the first two minutes of play and then earned the games first power play 2:08. The advantage afforded the Jackals two more shots, both quality scoring chances, but Meisner continued to turn them away. The netminder's strong work early allowed Fort Wayne's offense to find its bearings and net a pair in the opening frame. Defenseman Jace Coyle picked up both with the first on the power play at 7:22 and the second at even strength at 11:30.

The Jackals were in hot water to start the second period because of a late first-period tripping minor to Patch Alber, but they killed off the remaining time and got the game back to five skaters each. Not long after the Jackals' first power play chance of the second went by the wayside the Komets scored off the rush to stretch their lead to three. After taking a drop pass from Brandon Mario, Jason Dale cut to the right and shot back against the great to beat Neil Conway for his second goal of the season. In need of a momentum shift, Elmira got just what it was looking for thanks to a scrap from Corey Bellamy who challenged Fort Wayne captain Kaleigh Schrock. Just over three minutes after the tilt Mike Vaskivuo slammed home his 12th of the year with assists to Artem Demkov and Jakub Culek. Just 1:52 later it was Demkov returning the favor by punching home a centering feed from Vaskivuo to pull the Jackals within one heading into the third.

Culek, who saw each of his linemates score in the second-period rally, didn't want to be left out of the mix in the third. He made a nifty move as he carried the puck down the right wing and beat a defender to the goal. Culek then chipped a shot over Meisner's shoulder for the tying score at 7:34. Demkov and Vaskivuo assisted. Elmira was under siege for most of the rest of the third as the Komets built up a 12-5 shot advantage. Conway was at his best when his team needed him the most and preserved the tie score to force overtime.

In the extra session the Jackals were more persistent and outshot the Komets 4-2. The final one, from Walters, proved to be the final nail in Fort Wayne's coffin. Jordan Pietrus chased down a Troy Rutkowski dump in and sizzled a pass to Walters in front who hit paydirt for his fourth goal of the year.

Vaskivuo (1 goal, 2 assists) ended the night with his third straight three-point game for the Jackals while Demkov (1 goal, 2 assists) and Culek (1 goal, 1 assist) earned multi-point games for the second straight night.

Conway's 37-save effort netted him his third win in a row for the Jackals. Elmira ended the night 0-for-5 on the power play and 5-for-6 on the penalty kill.

Mark your calendars! The Jackals return to home ice on Wednesday, February 12 to take on the Reading Royals. It's a Willowcreek Wednesday where some lucky fans will compete at first intermission to win free golf from Willowcreek Golf Club. Don't forget that groups of 10 or more who book in advance receive discounts off the box office price and preferred seating based on availability. Call 607-734-7825 to get your group outing booked.

Road To The Show Presented by Liberty Travel

By Jared Abbott for JackalsHockey.com

ELMIRA, N.Y. - As the ECHL affiliate of the NHL's Ottawa Senators and New Jersey Devils, and the AHL's Binghamton Senators and Albany Devils, the Jackals are tasked with developing prospects throughout the organizations. The Road To The Show presented by Liberty Travel provides details on how those prospects are progressing.

Ottawa Senators (NHL) – Ottawa is poised to make a playoff push after a strong month of January. With one game remaining the Senators have earned at least one point in nine of 11 games this month. They still sit sixth in the Atlantic Division with a 23-20-10 record but are within striking distance of the final automatic playoff spot. Ottawa is just six points behind Toronto for third place in the tight Atlantic Division race. Craig Anderson continued his stellar career on Tuesday with a 34-save victory in Columbus. The win moved Anderson past Ron Tugnutt into second-place on the Senators’ all-time wins list with 73, leaving only Patrick Lalime ahead of him. Anderson improved his season record to 17-10-7 and now sports a 3.02 goals-against-average and a .907 save percentage. Robin Lehner earned his first start since January 14 this past Saturday at Carolina. Lehner allowed five goals on 22 shots and was eventually pulled after the second period. The 22-year-old now holds a 6-10-3 record with a 2.71 goals-against-average and a .921 save percentage. Erik Karlsson leads all NHL defensemen with 50 points in 53 games. Stephane Da Costa scored twice in Ottawa’s win on Tuesday. Those were Da Costa’s first points of the season in eight games with Ottawa. Rookie Mark Stone is on injured reserve with an arm injury and Chris Phillips is questionable with an undisclosed injury. Patrick Wiercioch replaced Phillips in the lineup on Tuesday. The 23-year-old defenseman has 15 points in 33 games with the Senators this season.

Binghamton Senators (AHL) – All Binghamton does is score goals. The Senators have scored 31 goals in the last six games. Not coincidentally Binghamton has won five of its last six games and seven out of its last ten. The East Division leaders have scored 164 goals this season, which leads the AHL. On top of the pack is former Jackal Mike Hoffman. The 24-year-old is second among all AHL scoring leaders with 53 points in 42 games. Last night Hoffman had a career game with four goals and five points in the Senators’ 6-3 win at Worcester. Jean-Gabriel Pageau recorded four assists for the second time this season and now has 24 points in 21 games with Binghamton. Goaltender Nathan Lawson returned from injury and made 26 saves for his 15th win last night. Defenseman Chris Wideman leads all AHL defensemen with 17 power-play assists and ranks second with 22 power-play points. Hoffman and Wideman rank second and third among all AHL skaters in power-play assists. Scott Greenham earned his first AHL victory on Sunday stopping 33 of 36 shots against Albany. Greenham was returned on loan to Elmira on Tuesday when Nathan Lawson returned from injury. Greenham is 6-11-2 with a 3.08 goals-against-average and a .908 save percentage in Elmira. Danny New has been a steady presence on Binghamton’s blueline in 19 games this season. The former Providence College standout has one goal and six points this season. Danny Hobbs earned his first AHL call-up on Tuesday but did not play in last night’s game. Hobbs recorded 11 goals and 22 points in 38 games with the Jackals this season.

New Jersey Devils (NHL) – New Jersey had the opportunity to participate in the Coors Light NHL Subway Series at Yankee Stadium Sunday afternoon against the New York Rangers. The experience was one to be remembered but the result was one to be forgotten. Sure-fire Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur allowed six goals on 21 shots in two periods of work. Cory Schneider stopped four of five shots in the third period. The Devils’ brightest highlight came early on when Jaromir Jagr past his former teammate Mario Lemieux for sole possession of 10^th place on the NHL all-time assist list. Jagr now has 1,035 career assists and leads the Devils with 16 goals and 44 points in 53 games this season. The Devils traveled to St. Louis on Tuesday and fell to the Blues 3-0 a week after routing them 7-1 at home. Schneider started and stopped 22 of 24 shots in the losing effort. New Jersey dropped to 5-3-2 in its last ten games and 22-21-11 overall. The Devils are the only team in the NHL without a shootout victory. They are 0-8 in games that went to the skills competition. New Jersey currently sits seventh in the Metropolitan Division but is only three points behind Philadelphia for the all-important third spot in the division. Peter Harrold is the only Devil who remains on the injured reserve list as the team continues to improve its health. Joe Whitney was reassigned to Albany on January 25 after a two-day stint with New Jersey in his first NHL call-up.

Albany Devils (AHL) – Albany is in the midst of a minor swoon with losses in four straight games. The Devils still sit fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 23-14-6 record but are losing ground quickly. Leading scorer Joe Whitney returned on Saturday but was held off the scoresheet against Adirondack. Whitney earned his team-leading 21^st assist on Sunday but the Devils lost to Binghamton for the second time in three days. Whitney has 37 points in 42 games with Albany this year. Rookie Reid Boucher extended his point streak to seven games on Saturday but saw it come to an end on Sunday. Boucher’s streak dates back to November 20 before his call-up to New Jersey. Stefan Matteau’s goal just 1:09 into Friday’s contest was his first since December 4 against Springfield. Artem Demkov scored his first career AHL goal on December 4 and recorded six goals and 11 points in 22 AHL games prior his loan back to Elmira yesterday. Demkov scored a power-play goal and added a power-play assist last night in his first game back with the Jackals. The Minsk, Belarus native has 11 goals and 14 points in 18 games with Elmira this season. Fellow countryman Raman Hrabarenka has been held off the scoresheet since December 29 but still has three goals and 15 points in 29 games with Albany this season. Riley Boychuk and Harry Young earned their first points as Jackals this past weekend after being reassigned by New Jersey from Albany on January 18.

Jackals Game Preview

FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The Elmira Jackals embark on a 10-day, five-game road trip tonight with their final visit of the season to Memorial Coliseum to take on the Fort Wayne Komets. The Jackals are bidding for their fifth win in seven tries against Fort Wayne. 

  

WHO: Elmira Jackals - Ottawa and New Jersey/NHL & Binghamton and Albany/AHL (14-22-4) at Fort Wayne Komets - Independent (18-14-8)

WHAT: Jackals Away Game #22. Away game watch party at SplitRock Brewing Company inside First Arena. Broadcast begins at 7:50 with the Snap Fitness Pregame Show. Click here to listen live online.

WHEN: 8:05 p.m

WHERE: Allen County War Memorial Coliseum - 4000 Parnell Ave., Fort Wayne, Ind. 46805

  

The Jackals are facing the Komets tonight for the seventh of seven meetings this season, and second of two at Memorial Coliseum. The Jackals are 4-2-0 against the Komets this season (1-0-0 on the road) after claiming a 4-1 win on January 26. The Jackals and Komets are each playing solid hockey entering tonight's contest. Elmira has won its last two games by a combined 8-2 score while Fort Wayne has won three of its last four. Komets goalie Ben Meisner has had the hot hand with wins in each of his last three starts while Neil Conway has nearly been as hot for Elmira. Conway has earned the win in his last two starts and hasn't allowed more than one goal in any of his three appearances. A good start tonight will be important to both clubs because the team that has scored first has won five of six in the season series.

Mike Vaskivuo took some time adjusting to his new surroundings after the January 6 trade that brought him to Elmira from Fort Wayne. He had one point, an assist, in his first three games for the Jackals but since January 16 opponents have had extreme difficulty slowing him down. Vaskivuo has registered six multi-point games in the Jackals' last seven contests (including three three-point outings) and now has 16 points (6 goals, 10 assists) in just 10 games with the Jackals. Elmira has scored 26 goals in the 10 games since Vaskivuo has arrived and he has figured in on 61% of them.

  

Click here for tonight's media kit.

Click here for Elmira's game notes.

Click here for Fort Wayne's game notes.

Mark your calendars! The Jackals return to home ice on Wednesday, February 12 to take on the Reading Royals. It's a Willowcreek Wednesday where some lucky fans will compete at first intermission to win free golf from Willowcreek Golf Club. Don't forget that groups of 10 or more who book in advance receive discounts off the box office price and preferred seating based on availability. Call 607-734-7825 to get your group outing booked.

  

Jackals Net Second Win In A Row By Shooting Down Wings

ELMIRA, N.Y. - Four different Jackals posted multi-point games and Neil Conway stopped 28 shots to lead the Jackals to a 4-1 win over the Kalamazoo Wings on Wednesday night at First Arena. The win was Elmira's second in a row and improved its record to 14-22-4 on the season.

Click here for tonight's box score.

Click here for tonight's postgame comments.

Artem Demkov returned to the Jackals' lineup for the first time since early December after Albany loaned him to Elmira earlier today. He was plugged into a line with Jakub Culek and Mike Vaskivuo, and those three found some instant chemistry. Just before the midway point of the first period Culek and Demkov set up a power play goal by Vaskivuo to lift the Jackals to a 1-0 lead. With Vaskivuo camped out in front, Demkov sent a pass to the doorstep that banked off of Vaskivuo's skate behind Kalamazoo goalie Jordan Binnington. The Wings answered with a power play goal of their own, 4:10 later, off the stick of Matt Caria to knot the score.

Kalamazoo came out swinging for the fences at the start of the second and launched six shots on Conway over the first six minutes. Three of those were high-quality scoring chances but Conway kept the Wings at bay and set the stage for a dramatic end to the second. Dane Walters took a pass on the left wing wall from Jake Trask with less than a minute left to play in the second, and made a spin move away from a defender to give himself a look at the net. With traffic in front Walters sent a wrist shot on that deflected off of a body, bounced up off the ice and over Binnington's shoulder to the back of the net. The was Walters' third of the year and came with just 32 seconds left to play in the second.

Spurred on by the momentum of Walters' late goal the Jackals tacked on two more in the third. Kyle Bushee got open in the high slot and snapped a pass from Culek under the cross bar for his sixth of the year with 6:08 gone by. Demkov polished off his two-point night with a power play goal at 12:11 to cap the scoring. Conway turned away each of the 11 shots Kalamazoo sent his way in the third to ensure the Wings didn't swing any momentum back in their favor.

Vaskivuo (1 goal, 2 assists) led the way with three points while Demkov (1 goal, 1 assist), Walters (1 goal, 1 assist), and Culek (2 assists) each chipped in two.

Conway's 28-save effort netted him his second win in a row for the Jackals. Elmira ended the night 2-for-4 on the power play and 3-for-4 on the penalty kill.

Mark your calendars! The Jackals return to home ice on Wednesday, February 12 to take on the Reading Royals. It's a Willowcreek Wednesday where some lucky fans will compete at first intermission to win free golf from Willowcreek Golf Club. Don't forget that groups of 10 or more who book in advance receive discounts off the box office price and preferred seating based on availability. Call 607-734-7825 to get your group outing booked.

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UPCOMING FIRST ARENA EVENTS:   

 

Friday, January 31: Wine on Ice, 6:00 p.m. Click here for tickets.

 

Saturday, February 1: Wine on Ice, 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. sessions. Click here for tickets.

Wednesday, February 12: Elmira Jackals vs. Reading, 7:05 p.m. Willowcreek Wednesday. You could be the lucky fan to play for free golf at intermission!Click here for tickets.  

Friday, February 14: Elmira Jackals vs. Evansville, 7:05 p.m. Valentine's Day Party. Click here for tickets. 

Four Jackals Found Firsts Last Weekend

By Jared Abbott for JackalsHockey.com

As the Jackals returned home last weekend to face the Fort Wayne Komets the focus was on familiar foes. Ex-Jackals Matt Carter, Christian Ouellet and Jordon Southorn visited First Arena for the final time this season as members of Fort Wayne, while former Komets Mike Vaskivuo and Nik Pokulok took the ice as Jackals. But by the end of the weekend the spotlight shined on fresh faces.

The firsts began on Friday as Riley Boychuk donned the Jackals home white jersey for the first time since October 25 (the home opener). The Abbotsford, BC native opened the third period with a rush up the right wing side and found Jakub Culek streaming down the middle for his first assist and point as a Jackal.

“It’s always nice to get on the scoresheet, but at the same time my role is not exactly to score goals,” said Boychuk. “But if I can chip in offensively and help the team out that’s great.”

Boychuk, who recorded two points in 18 games with the Albany Devils in the AHL this season, isn’t a prolific scorer but adds an important dimension as a tough forward.

“My role is kind of a hardworking player,” said Boychuk. “I go out there and be a power forward and crash and bang and take pucks to the net. The main thing is to finish my checks, so I have a power forward type of mentality.”

The 6-4 225lb winger was reassigned by New Jersey from Albany on January 18 along with 6-4 215lb defenseman Harry Young. Young, who had been held scoreless in ten games with the Devils this season, earned his first assist and point as a Jackal on Sunday.

“It felt great,” said Young. “I do play more of a defensive game but I have been getting a lot of chances lately so it was nice to get on the scoresheet, but more than that it was good to get a win under our belt and see the boys play a real solid game.”

The Windsor, Ont. native has developed some versatility in his game after moving to wing last season as a member of the Trenton Titans and Kalamazoo Wings.

“I feel a lot more confortable on defense, but I don’t mind playing a little bit of forward,” said Young. “It was a good experience for me and I think it helped develop some of my skills that I was lacking.”

Saskatoon, Sask. native Jake Trask joined the party on Sunday, scoring his first career ECHL goal.

“I was pretty excited,” said Trask. “I was waiting for it and I’ve been getting some pretty good opportunities lately so it was nice to get that one out of the way, especially against a former teammate in [Andrey] Makarov.”

Trask and Makarov were teammates last season with the Saskatoon Blades of the Western Hockey League. In his final two seasons in the WHL the 6-0 175lb forward notched 120 points in 123 games with the Blades. Trask was signed by Elmira on January 9 after racking up 25 points (11 goals, 14 assists) in 29 games with the Louisiana IceGators of the Southern Professional Hockey League.

The star of the weekend for the Jackals was goaltender Neil Conway. The Concord, Oh. native started the season with the Nottingham Panthers of the Elite Ice Hockey League in the United Kingdom where he posted a 13-11-0 record with a 3.17 goals-against-average and a .894 save percentage in 25 games. An injury to Maxime Clermont and an AHL call-up for Scott Greenham left the Jackals searching for goaltending help, which opened the door for Conway.

Although he never played in an ECHL game prior to signing with the Jackals, Conway adjusted easily to his new squad.

“I just wanted to give our team a chance to win,” said Conway. “You don’t want to venture too far outside that too much. You want to make sure you’re good early on to keep us in the game `cause you don’t want to give up the first one.”

Conway was spectacular on Sunday, stopping 35 of 36 shots for his first ECHL victory. He also appeared in Saturday’s contest and made 17 saves in two periods of relief duty for Brad Phillips who was pulled at the first intermission. In two games with the Jackals Conway sports a 1-0-0 record with a 1.20 goals-against-average and a sparkling .963 save percentage.

The Jackals will look to build on Sunday’s momentum this week at home against the Kalamazoo Wings before opening a five game road trip.

Jackals Game Preview

ELMIRA, NY - The Elmira Jackals conclude their four-game home stand tonight against the Kalamazoo Wings. It is the final meeting between Elmira and Kalamazoo at First Arena this season. 

  

WHO: Elmira Jackals - Ottawa and New Jersey/NHL & Binghamton and Albany/AHL (13-22-4) vs. Kalamazoo Wings - Vancouver and St. Louis/NHL & Utica and Chicago/AHL (22-15-3)

WHAT: Jackals Home Game #19. If you have a ticket stub from the game on Saturday, January 25 you can redeem it at the First Arena Box Office for a free ticket to tonight's game. Click here for tickets. If you can't make the game catch the broadcast starting at 6:50 with the Snap Fitness Pregame Show. Click here to listen live online.

WHEN: 7:05 p.m

WHERE: First Arena - 155 North Main St., Elmira, NY 14901

  

The Jackals are facing the Wings tonight for the fourth of five meetings this season, and fourth of four at First Arena. The Jackals are 1-1-1 against the Wings this season (1-1-1 at home) after claiming a 2-1 win on November 24. The Wings come into tonight's game winners of six of their last ten contests and the 7th-ranked team in the Eastern Conference. Elmira has played the Wings tough this year with two of the three prior games decided by one goal and the winning team boasts only a 1.33 winning margin in the season series. Dating back to the 2012-13 season the Jackals and Wings have been treating fans to nailbiting contests consistently. Four of the last seven games between the teams have featured a tying or go-ahead goal in the final five minutes of play, and three of those have been within the final 60 seconds.

Mike Vaskivuo took some time adjusting to his new surroundings after the January 6 trade that brought him to Elmira from Fort Wayne. He had one point, an assist, in his first three games for the Jackals but since January 16 opponents have had extreme difficulty slowing him down. Vaskivuo has registered five multi-point games in the Jackals' last six contests (including two three-point outings) and now has 13 points (5 goals, 8 assists) in just nine games with the Jackals. Elmira has scored 22 goals in the nine games since Vaskivuo has arrived and he has figured in on 59% of them 

  

Click here for tonight's media kit.

Click here for Elmira's game notes.

Click here for Fort Wayne's game notes.

Mark your calendars! The Jackals return to home ice on Wednesday, February 12 to take on the Reading Royals. It's a Willowcreek Wednesday where some lucky fans will compete at first intermission to win free golf from Willowcreek Golf Club. Don't forget that groups of 10 or more who book in advance receive discounts off the box office price and preferred seating based on availability. Call 607-734-7825 to get your group outing booked.

  

Jackals Net Second Win In A Row By Shooting Down Wings

ELMIRA, N.Y. -  Four different Jackals posted multi-point games and Neil Conway stopped 28 shots to lead the Jackals to a 4-1 win over the Kalamazoo Wings on Wednesday night at First Arena. The win was Elmira's second in a row and improved its record to 14-22-4 on the season.

Click here for tonight's box score.

Click here for tonight's postgame comments.

Artem Demkov returned to the Jackals' lineup for the first time since early December after Albany loaned him to Elmira earlier today. He was plugged into a line with Jakub Culek and Mike Vaskivuo, and those three found some instant chemistry. Just before the midway point of the first period Culek and Demkov set up a power play goal by Vaskivuo to lift the Jackals to a 1-0 lead. With Vaskivuo camped out in front, Demkov sent a pass to the doorstep that banked off of Vaskivuo's skate behind Kalamazoo goalie Jordan Binnington. The Wings answered with a power play goal of their own, 4:10 later, off the stick of Matt Caria to knot the score.

Kalamazoo came out swinging for the fences at the start of the second and launched six shots on Conway over the first six minutes. Three of those were high-quality scoring chances but Conway kept the Wings at bay and set the stage for a dramatic end to the second. Dane Walters took a pass on the left wing wall from Jake Trask with less than a minute left to play in the second, and made a spin move away from a defender to give himself a look at the net. With traffic in front Walters sent a wrist shot on that deflected off of a body, bounced up off the ice and over Binnington's shoulder to the back of the net. The was Walters' third of the year and came with just 32 seconds left to play in the second.

Spurred on by the momentum of Walters' late goal the Jackals tacked on two more in the third. Kyle Bushee got open in the high slot and snapped a pass from Culek under the cross bar for his sixth of the year with 6:08 gone by. Demkov polished off his two-point night with a power play goal at 12:11 to cap the scoring. Conway turned away each of the 11 shots Kalamazoo sent his way in the third to ensure the Wings didn't swing any momentum back in their favor.

Vaskivuo (1 goal, 2 assists) led the way with three points while Demkov (1 goal, 1 assist), Walters (1 goal, 1 assist), and Culek (2 assists) each chipped in two.

Conway's 28-save effort netted him his second win in a row for the Jackals. Elmira ended the night 2-for-4 on the power play and 3-for-4 on the penalty kill.

Mark your calendars! The Jackals return to home ice on Wednesday, February 12 to take on the Reading Royals. It's a Willowcreek Wednesday where some lucky fans will compete at first intermission to win free golf from Willowcreek Golf Club. Don't forget that groups of 10 or more who book in advance receive discounts off the box office price and preferred seating based on availability. Call 607-734-7825 to get your group outing booked.

# # #

UPCOMING FIRST ARENA EVENTS:   

 

Friday, January 31: Wine on Ice, 6:00 p.m. Click here for tickets.

 

Saturday, February 1: Wine on Ice, 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. sessions. Click here for tickets.

Wednesday, February 12: Elmira Jackals vs. Reading, 7:05 p.m. Willowcreek Wednesday. You could be the lucky fan to play for free golf at intermission!Click here for tickets.  

Friday, February 14: Elmira Jackals vs. Evansville, 7:05 p.m. Valentine's Day Party. Click here for tickets. 

Conway Backstops Jackals To Win In First ECHL Start

ELMIRA, N.Y. - Neil Conway was tested with 36 shots in his first ECHL start and turned away 35 of them to lead the Jackals to a 4-1 win over the Fort Wayne Komets on Sunday evening at First Arena. The win improved Elmira to 13-22-4 on the year.

Click here for tonight's box score.

Click here for tonight's postgame comments.

After falling behind the Komets in the first two games of this weekend's three-in-three the Jackals flipped the script. With some open ice ahead of him on the right wing Mike Vaskivuo launched a wrist shot toward the Fort Wayne goal. The shot appeared to change direction and dodged its way past goalie Andrey Makarov 2:35 into the game for a 1-0 Jackals lead. Vaskivuo followed that with a power play goal at 10:50 to double the Jackals' lead. He didn't have to work as hard for his second goal as Kyle Bushee's centering pass banked off of Vaskivuo's skate and in. The goal was his 10th of the year and gave Vaskivuo two two-goal games with the Jackals. Despite Fort Wayne netting a 15-5 shot advantage in the first, Elmira took a 2-0 lead into the dressing room.

After a relatively tame first ten minutes of the second period, the teams opened up the floodgates just past the midway point. Working off of a 2-on-1, Fort Wayne's Chris Auger chipped a shot over Conway's blocker and put his club within one of the Jackals. Elmira wasted little time responding. Vaskivuo netted his third point of the night when he set up Jake Trask's first ECHL goal at 14:14, and then Rob Bellamy swatted home his 12th goal less than a minute later to build Elmira's lead to three. The combined three-goal furry took place in the span of 2:17.

Fort Wayne sent 28 shots on Conway between the first and second periods, but Elmira's defense clamped down and provided calmer waters in the third. The Komets managed just eight shots against Conway and he denied each one to preserve Elmira's advantage. The Jackals had a golden chance to extend the lead early in the third when Matt Carter was tagged with a double minor for high-sticking. Fort Wayne's second-ranked penalty kill held the Jackals without a shot over the four minutes.

Combined with his relief work on Saturday night, Conway allowed two goals in 100 minutes of work this weekend against the Komets. His 35-save effort on Sunday gave him a 1-0-0 record. Elmira ended the night 1-for-3 on the power play and 5-for-5 on the penalty kill.

Mark your calendars! The Jackals return to home ice on Wednesday, January 29 to take on the Kalamazoo Wings. It's a Willowcreek Wednesday where some lucky fans will compete at first intermission to win free golf from Willowcreek Golf Club. Don't forget that groups of 10 or more who book in advance receive discounts off the box office price and preferred seating based on availability. Call 607-734-7825 to get your group outing booked.

# # #

UPCOMING FIRST ARENA EVENTS:   

 

Wednesday, January 29: Elmira Jackals vs. Kalamazoo, 7:05 p.m. Willowcreek Wednesday. You could be the lucky fan to play for free golf at intermission! Click herefor tickets.

Friday, January 31: Wine on Ice, 6:00 p.m. Click here for tickets.

 

Saturday, February 1: Wine on Ice, 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. sessions. Click here for tickets.

Wednesday, February 12: Elmira Jackals vs. Reading, 7:05 p.m. Willowcreek Wednesday. You could be the lucky fan to play for free golf at intermission! Click here for tickets.  

Jackals Game Preview

ELMIRA, NY - This afternoon the Elmira Jackals close out this weekend's three-in-three with the Fort Wayne Komets. A win for the Jackals would secure a win in the seven-game season series between the former UHL rivals. 

  

WHO: Elmira Jackals - Ottawa and New Jersey/NHL & Binghamton and Albany/AHL (12-22-4) vs. Fort Wayne Komets - Independent (17-13-8)

WHAT: Jackals Home Game #18. Postgame Skate With the Jackals. Click here for tickets. If you can't make the game catch the broadcast starting at 6:50 with the Snap Fitness Pregame Show. Click here to listen live online.

WHEN: 4:05 p.m

WHERE: First Arena - 155 North Main St., Elmira, NY 14901

  

The Jackals are facing the Komets tonight for the sixth of seven meetings this season, and fifth of five at First Arena. The Jackals are 3-2-0 against the Komets this season (2-2-0 at home) after last night's 4-0 defeat. Prior to last night, Elmira's biggest weapon in the season series with Fort Wayne has been its offense. Last night was the first time the Jackals have scored fewer than three goals in regulation against their former UHL rivals. Tonight is the seventh game in Elmira between the Jackals and Komets since Fort Wayne joined the ECHL beginning in 2012. Two of the prior five games have been decided in shootouts (both Elmira wins) and two others were 5-2 victories for the Jackals. Today will be the last game in Elmira this season for Matt Carter and Christian Ouellet since the Jan. 6 trade with Fort Wayne.

  

In the season series between the Jackals and Komets, no player has shined brighter than Danny Hobbs. He followed a one-goal game (including a shootout goal) on Dec. 6 with his first pro hat trick against Fort Wayne on Dec. 8. On Friday night Hobbs continued his mastery with a two goal performance. The former UMass-Amherst product has eight points (6G, 2A) in five games vs. Fort Wayne.

   

Click here for tonight's media kit.

Click here for Elmira's game notes.

Click here for Fort Wayne's game notes.

Mark your calendars! The Jackals return to home ice on Wednesday, January 29 to take on the Kalamazoo Wings. It's a Willowcreek Wednesday where some lucky fans will compete at first intermission to win free golf from Willowcreek Golf Club. Don't forget that groups of 10 or more who book in advance receive discounts off the box office price and preferred seating based on availability. Call 607-734-7825 to get your group outing booked.

  

Jackals Shut Out By Komets

ELMIRA, N.Y. - Saturday night's game at First Arena was delayed by an hour and 41 minutes due to trouble with the ice surface. When the game began, Fort Wayne got the bead on Elmira and scored three times en route to a 4-0 win. The loss dropped the Jackals' record to 12-22-4 on the year.

Click here for tonight's box score.

Elmira charged out of the gate and registered the first six shots on goal in an attempt to gain the upper hand. Fort Wayne goaltender Ben Meisner withstood the early barrage and steadied the ship until the Komets' offense kicked in. The ECHL's leading scorer, Brandon Marino, started his two-point night with his 17th goal of the year at 6:20 with assists to Jordon Southorn and Simon Danis-Pepin. The momentum ebbed and flowed between the two teams until late in the first when the Komets dialed up a couple of markers. Danis-Pepin slapped home a power play goal at 17:12, and just over two minutes later Kenton Miller banged home a loose puck from close range.

Brad Phillips started his second game in a row for the Jackals, but it proved to be a short night. After giving up three goals on seven shots Phillips was replaced by Neil Conway. Conway was greeted with an early odd-man rush by the Komets and Marino jammed home a rebound for his second of the night at 2:12. The second started off with promise for the Jackals thanks to 1:44 of power play time, but Meisner turned away both of the shots the Jackals sent his way. Seven more stops followed for Meisner in the second and the Komets took their four-goal lead into the third.

As the Jackals continued to be turned away by Meisner frustration started to build and, eventually, boiled over. At 9:27 of the third Rob Bellamy was hit with a double-minor for roughing and a 10-minute misconduct for continuing the altercation. His former college teammate at Maine, Danis-Pepin, also received a misconduct. Minutes later Corey Bellamy, in an attempt to create energy with a physical forecheck, took a major for charging and a game misconduct as well. In total the Jackals were hit with 55 penalty minutes for the game.

Phillips was hit with his second loss in a row with four saves in 20 minutes of work. Conway, meanwhile, stopped 17 of 18 in relief. Elmira ended the night 5-for-6 on the penalty kill and 0-for-4 on the power play.

Mark your calendars! The Jackals return to home ice on Sunday, January 26 to take on the Fort Wayne Komets. Don't forget to bring your skates for the Postgame Skate With the Jackals! Don't forget that groups of 10 or more who book in advance receive discounts off the box office price and preferred seating based on availability. Call 607-734-7825 to get your group outing booked.

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UPCOMING FIRST ARENA EVENTS:   

 

Sunday, January 26: Elmira Jackals vs. Fort Wayne, 4:05 p.m. Postgame Skate With the Jackals. Click here for tickets.  

Wednesday, January 29: Elmira Jackals vs. Kalamazoo, 7:05 p.m. Willowcreek Wednesday. You could be the lucky fan to play for free golf at intermission! Click herefor tickets.

Friday, January 31: Wine on Ice, 6:00 p.m. Click here for tickets.

 

Saturday, February 1: Wine on Ice, 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. sessions. Click here for tickets.

Wednesday, February 12: Elmira Jackals vs. Reading, 7:05 p.m. Willowcreek Wednesday. You could be the lucky fan to play for free golf at intermission! Click here for tickets.