Jackals Lose Early Lead; Fall to Wheeling

ELMIRA, N.Y. - The Elmira Jackals opened Friday night's home game against Wheeling with four consecutive goals but couldn't maintain the lead and fell 6-4 at First Arena. The loss dipped Elmira's record to 20-27-6 on the season. 

Click here for tonight's box score.

Click here for tonight's postgame comments.

Elmira opened the game with one of its strongest first periods of the season. The Jackals pressured Wheeling into multiple turnovers and cashed in three goals off of those opportunities. Jean Bourbeau started the festivities by tipping a pass from Jakub Culek past goalie Eric Hartzell for a 1-0 Elmira lead at 6:29. Patch Alber followed up with his fifth of the year off of assists from Dane Walters and Danny Hobbs just 1:40 after Bourbeau's strike, and Mike Vaskivuo capped the barrage at 12:18 after stealing an outlet pass and scoring his 16th of the year. Elmira held a 14-9 shot advantage and starting goalie stopped all nine of Wheeling's shots to send the Jackals into the second leading 3-0.

Hobbs got the second period off on the right foot with his 15th goal of the year just 1:20 into the stanza. Kyle Bushee set him up in front with a feed from the left wing and Hobbs potted a goal with Elmira's first shot of the period. That was the best it got for the Jackals before things came unraveled. Anton Zlobin, Dustin Stevenson, Zach Torquato, Cody Sylvester, and Peter Merth scored five unanswered goals over the span of 14:58 to wipe out Elmira's lead and send the Nailers into the third with their first lead of the night. 

Neil Conway came on for the start of the third in relief of Greenham and stopped each of the six shots he faced to give Elmira a chance at the tying goal. The Jackals emptied their tanks and tested Hartzell with 11 shots but none of them hit paydirt. After Conway was pulled for the extra attacker Sylvester hit the empty net with a 120-foot shot to provide Wheeling with a measure of insurance. 

Greenham took his 14th loss of the season with 21 saves on 26 shots. Conway was 6-for-6 in his second relief appearance this year. Elmira ended the night 0-for-1 on the power play and 3-for-3 on the penalty kill.

Mark your calendars! The Jackals return to home ice on Saturday, March 1 to take on the South Carolina Stingrays at 7:05 p.m. Texas Roadhouse is sponsoring a cowboy hat giveaway so be sure to get here early. 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 Game Preview

ELMIRA, N.Y. - Tonight the Elmira Jackals open their longest home stand of the season (seven games) by welcoming the Wheeling Nailers to First Arena. It is the fifth time in Elmira's last six games that the Jackals have locked horns with the Nailers. 

  

WHO: Elmira Jackals - Ottawa and New Jersey/NHL & Binghamton and Albany/AHL (20-26-6) vs. Wheeling Nailers - Pittsburgh and Montreal/NHL & Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Hamilton/AHL (27-21-6) 

  

WHAT: Jackals Home Game #25.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, N.Y. 14901

  

The Jackals are facing the Nailers tonight for the 13th of 15 meetings this season and the seventh of eight at First Arena. Elmira is 3-7-2 against Wheeling this season, which includes a 2-4-0 record on home ice. Elmira has won two of four at home against Wheeling after dropping the first two this season by a combined 8-2 score. After last Sunday Elmira is 3-2-2 in its last seven against Wheeling after the Nailers won five in a row to start the season series. Even though Wheeling has won nine of the first 12 meetings, the season series has been quite close. Six of the first 12 games have been decided by one goal, and two others have been decided by two. Two of Elmira's three wins, though, have been by identical 5-2 scores (Feb. 21 and Dec. 12 in Wheeling).

On January 16 Danny Hobbs matched his goal total from his rookie season last year as part of a two-point night (1G, 1A) in a win at Cincinnati. That night sparked a stretch of red-hot play for the winger from Shawville, Quebec. After a three-point weekend (1G, 2A) last weekend vs. Wheeling, Hobbs has 13 points (6G, 7A) in his last 13 games with Elmira. He also averaged a point per game in his first career AHL stint with a goal and an assist in two games with Binghamton from Feb. 1 to Feb. 5. Hobbs needs just four points to surpass the 31 he posted as a rookie with Greenville last year.

Click here for tonight's media kit.

Click here for Elmira's game notes.

Click here for Wheeling's game notes.

Mark your calendars! The Jackals return to home ice on Saturday, March 1 to take on the South Carolina Stingrays. Texas Roadhouse is sponsoring a cowboy hat giveaway so get here early to claim yours! 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) – If the Olympic break taught us anything it was that Erik Karlsson is the most lethal offensive defenseman on the planet. The Swedish star was tied with Phil Kessel for the tournament lead with eight points and was named the tournament’s best defenseman. Karlsson led the Swedish squad to a silver medal in his first Olympic appearance. The Ottawa blueliner returns to the NHL as the defensive league-leader with 55 points. His point total is ten more than the next-highest Senator, Jason Spezza. Team USA snub, Bobby Ryan, still leads Ottawa with 21 goals but will need to take his game to the next level for a squad searching for more scoring. Milan Michalek was held scoreless as a member of the Czech Republic team in Sochi. His 25 points ranks sixth on the Senators but his -22 rating is second worst on the team next to linemate Jason Spezza. Ottawa recalled Binghamton’s leading scorer Mike Hoffman on Sunday. The 24-year-old has earned his second NHL call up this season after posting 30 goals and 67 points in 51 AHL games. Ottawa also recalled goaltender Andrew Hammond on an emergency basis as Craig Anderson is away due to the birth of his second child. Chris Phillips is listed as questionable with a lower body injury and Clarke MacArthur is questionable with a foot injury. Ottawa returns to action as the sixth-place team in the Atlantic Division with a 26-22-11 record.

Binghamton Senators (AHL) – The East Division’s top team continues to roll along with a 33-17-4 record. Despite yesterday’s loss at Toronto the Senators possess a four-point lead ahead of Norfolk in their division. Binghamton’s potent offense has propelled the team all season and ranks tied for first in the AHL with 203 goals for. The Senators have 20 more goals for than any other team in the Eastern Conference. But for the time being they will have to move on without top scorer Mike Hoffman. The former Saint John Sea Dog was recalled by Ottawa on Sunday and rightfully so as he led the team with 30 goals and 67 points in 51 games. Stephane Da Costa was reassigned to Binghamton before the Olympic break to continue playing and may stay with the B-Sens as the NHL returns to action. Da Costa is the second-leading scorer on Binghamton with 42 points in 43 games. He had three goals and four points in 12 NHL games this season. Andre Petersson saw his six-game point streak (two goals, eight assists) come to an end this weekend. The Olofstrom, Sweden native has been looking to regain his form from two seasons ago when he posted 23 goals and 44 points. Last season he played only 17 games due to injury, but has returned healthy this year and has 17 goals and 40 points in 45 games. Rookie Matt Puempel scored his 20^th goal yesterday and added an assist to boost his season total to 31 points in 52 games. The former Kitchener Ranger leads all Binghamton rookies with 20 goals and ranks seventh overall on the team in points. Danny New continues to see top pair minutes for the Senators and has 11 assists and 12 points in 29 games this season. The former Providence College captain has already surpassed last season’s AHL point total in fewer games. Troy Rutkowski returned to Binghamton from loan with Elmira yesterday, which was a day after Scott Greenham was returned to Elmira.

New Jersey Devils (NHL) – The Olympic break came at a good time for the Devils. A mundane 4-4-2 stretch leading into the Winter Games left New Jersey seventh in the Metropolitan Division with a 24-22-13 overall record. The race to the finish will be pressure-packed and will require a hot-streak for the Devils. The need for goal scoring is at a premium for New Jersey, which has the second-lowest goals for total in the NHL with 135. New Jersey has just five skaters in double-digits goal scored. The team is lead by 42-year-old Jaromir Jagr, who has 17 goals and 49 points. Jagr added two goals and an assist as a member of the Czech Republic squad in Sochi. The Devils second-leading scorer, Patrik Elias, has 33 points for New Jersey but contributed just one assist in five Olympic games for the Czechs. Their Olympic teammate Marek Zidlicky notched four points, which tied for first on the Czech team. Zidlicky is the top scoring defenseman on the Devils with eight goals and 29 points. The 37-year-old will be relied upon more heavily to contribute offensively for the Devils down the stretch. Damien Brunner was held scoreless for the Swiss team throughout the Olympics. The 27-year-old has just nine goals and 17 points for New Jersey this season. The top scorer under 30 for the Devils is Travis Zajac, who has nine goals and 29 points. The young players on New Jersey will need to produce at a higher rate if they plan on making the playoffs. Eric Gelinas was recalled by New Jersey from Albany on Monday. The rookie defenseman had six goals and 22 points before the Olympic break. Fellow rookie blueliner Jon Merrill was recalled on Feb. 19 and figures to be part of the Devils defensive plans moving forward.

Albany Devils (AHL) – As the playoff picture begins to take shape the Albany Devils are making their case for a spot in the top eight. With wins in their last three games and points in seven of their last ten the Devils are heating up at the right time. This past weekend Albany battled through a three-in-three and came out victorious with six hard-fought points. The successful weekend bumped Albany up to fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 29-17-8 record. The Devils were defensive stalwarts, allowing just four combined goals in the three-game weekend. Lockdown defensive play is not unusual for the Devils, who rank tied for second in the Eastern Conference with just 142 goals against. The offense came courtesy of Mike Sislo, who has scored in three straight games and has four goals over that stretch. His 17 goals rank second on the team and is a new career high for the third-year pro. Sislo’s 30 points also is a career mark and ranks tied for second with rookie Kelly Zajac. The Devils family legacy continues for the Zajac clan and the newest emergence has been the 25-year-old Union College product. Zajac leads Albany’s rookies with 22 assists and 30 points in his first full pro season. He played 14 games for the Devils last season. Fellow rookie Reid Boucher continues to emerge as a bona-fide sniper. The former Sarnia Sting standout scored in back-to-back games Saturday and Sunday, which raised his total to 14 in just 35 games. Boucher’s 26 points rank fifth on the team and his .74 points-per-game average is second behind leading goal-scorer Joe Whitney. Rookie forward Stefan Matteau also scored twice this weekend to bring his total to 11 in his first pro season. The formerBlainville-Boisbriand power forward ranks seventh on the team with 21 points. Maxime Clermont was reassigned by New Jersey to Albany on Sunday and then was promptly reassigned to Orlando in the ECHL.

Jackals' Fast Start Undone By Royals

READING, Pa. - February 26, 2014 - The Elmira Jackals grabbed a first-period lead Wednesday night in Reading but couldn't make it stand up and they fell 4-1 to the Royals at Santander Arena. The loss dipped Elmira's record to 20-26-6 on the season.   

Click here for tonight's box score.

The homestanding Royals had the early leg up in the first period and registered five of the first seven shots on goal. Elmira goaltender Scott Greenham hadn't seen game action since February 12 but was sharp and stopped each of the first five shots he faced. Greenham's fellow Senators prospect Ludwig Karlsson made his early efforts all the more worthwhile with his 11th goal of the season at 8:39 of the first. His high-rising wrist shot from the slot beat Reading's Brandon Anderson to the glove side and gave Elmira the 1-0 lead. Elmira held Reading without a shot for the next seven-plus minutes but a Marvin Degon wrist shot from the point created a rebound that T.J. Syner stuffed in at 14:19 to tie the score.

Reading had an abbreviated power play to start the second period but the Jackals were able to stem the tide and keep the game tied early on in the middle stanza. Danny Hobbs was tagged for high-sticking at 6:53 to give Reading its second full two-minute power play of the game and that proved to be a momentum-changing moment. Just before the power play hit its midpoint Greenham left the net to handle a Royals dump in but missed the puck. Josh Brittain centered a pass to Domenic Monardo who had a wide open net to shoot for. The rookie didn't miss and netted his 17th of the season to give Reading its first lead of the night. 

The third period started off any which way but right for the Jackals as a turnover at center led to a quick scoring opportunity that the Royals cashed in on. After intercepting a stretch pass, Reading's Mike Banwell returned fire with a long feed that sent Sean Wiles in behind the Elmira defense. Wiles picked the top glove-side corner on Greenham and gave Reading a 3-1 lead just 1:43 into the final frame. The Jackals tried to get the offense on track but Reading's defense was nearly impenetrable and limited Elmira to five shots over the final 20 minutes. Ryan Cruthers added a power play goal just before the third reached the midway point and set the final.

Greenham stopped 33 of 37 shots in his return to the Jackals after a two-week stint in the American Hockey League with Binghamton. The Jackals ended the night 0-for-4 on the power play and 5-for-7 on the penalty kill. 

Mark your calendars! The Jackals return to home ice on Friday, February 28 to take on the Wheeling Nailers. 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 Game Preview

ELMIRA, NY - Tonight the Elmira Jackals take on the Wheeling Nailers for the third and final night of their three-in-three weekend. The Jackals are 3-1-2 in their last six against Wheeling. 

  

WHO: Elmira Jackals - Ottawa and New Jersey/NHL & Binghamton and Albany/AHL (20-24-6) vs. Wheeling Nailers - Montreal/Pittsburgh/NHL & Hamilton and Wilkes-Barre/AHL (26-21-6) 

  

WHAT: Jackals Home Game #24. After the game is the Postgame Skate With the Jackals. If you do not have a pair of skates their will be pairs available for rent through the Ice Pavilion at First Arena. Click here for tickets. If you can't make the game catch the broadcast starting at 3:50 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 Nailers tonight for the 12th of 15 meetings this season and the sixth of eight at First Arena. Elmira is 3-6-2 against Wheeling this season, which includes a 2-3-0 record on home ice. Elmira has won two of three at home against Wheeling after dropping the first two this season by a combined 8-2 score. After last night Elmira is 3-1-2 in its last six against Wheeling after the Nailers won five in a row to start the season series. Even though Wheeling has won eight of the first 11 meetings, the season series has been quite close. Six of the first 11 games have been decided by one goal, and two others have been decided by two. Two of Elmira's three wins, though, have been by identical 5-2 scores (Fri. night and Dec. 12 in Wheeling).

After nine consecutive games against the North Division (6-2-1 record from 1/24 to 2/8) the Jackals now turn their focus to their divisional foes. Today is the third game of seven in an eight-game stretch in which Elmira faces the Atlantic with Wheeling making up five of those and Reading the other two. The Jackals enter play tonight 12 points behind Wheeling for 8th place in the Eastern Conference standings.

Click here for tonight's media kit.

Click here for Elmira's game notes.

Click here for Wheeling's game notes.

Mark your calendars! The Jackals return to home ice on Friday, February 28 to take on the Wheeling Nailers. 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 Spiked by Nailers

ELMIRA, N.Y. - The Elmira Jackals suffered their most lopsided loss of the season on Sunday at First Arena. The Wheeling Nailers skated away with a 7-0 win and dropped the Jackals' record to 20-25-6 on the season.

Click here for tonight's box score.

The first period got off to an inauspicious start for the Jackals when the Nailers scored on their second shot of the game. Zach Torquato pump faked a slap shot from the slot and shifted to his right to dodge a defender. He then launched a wrist shot that caught goalie Neil Conway leaning the wrong way and scored his 12th of the season at 1:18. The Jackals counterpunched with the next six shots on goal, but Wheeling goalie Kieran Millan weathered the storm and set the stage for Wheeling's major surge. Barry Goers, Colin Mulvey and Cody Sylvester each scored in a span of 3:55 and took the wind out of Elmira's sails. The Nailers outshot Elmira 17-9 in the first and never looked back.

Elmira was at its most assertive in the attack zone during the second period and managed to send 10 shots on Millan, who made his second start in a Nailers uniform. Millan handled the heavier workload and received more goal support when Denver Manderson cashed in a breakaway goal. Shane Bakker split the defense with a long stretch pass that sent Manderson in all alone. He launched a shot over Conway's glove and just under the crossbar at the 10:43 mark for his ninth goal of the season.

Elmira wasn't able to get its offense on track in the third period and put just four shots Milan's way. On the other end of the ice the Nailers picked up markers from Sylvester at 12:02 and Carter Rowney at 18:37 to further distance themselves from the Jackals.

Conway took the loss for the second game in a row with a 31-save effort. Elmira was 0-for-2 on the power play and 0-for-1 on the penalty kill.

Mark your calendars! The Jackals return to home ice on Friday, February 28 to take on the Wheeling Nailers. 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 Drop Middle Game of Series With Wheeling

ELMIRA, N.Y. - The Elmira Jackals came up just shy in a defensive battle with the Wheeling Nailers on Saturday night at First Arena. Wheeling inched ahead with a power play goal in the third and held on for a 3-1 win. Elmira's record slipped to 20-24-6 with the loss.

Click here for tonight's box score.

Click here for tonight's postgame comments.

Elmira had struck for the first goal in each of its last four home games which led to a 3-1-0 mark in those contests. Wheeling turned the tables this time, however, thanks to an odd-man rush. Carter Rowney fed a quick lead pass to Cody Sylvester which created a 2-on-1 against Elmira goalie Neil Conway. Sylvester let a slap shot go from the left wing circle that slipped through Conway's pads at the 12:11 mark of the first. The Nailers pestered Conway to the tune of 10 shots in the frame while Elmira managed six against Wheeling starter Mike Condon.

In the second period, after killing off a bench minor for too many men on the ice, the Jackals forced the Nailers into two-man disadvantage thanks to some heavy pressure. Mike Ratchuk went off for tripping at 11:41 and Dustin Stevenson followed at 12:07 for interference. Elmira had 1:34 of a 5-on-3 but was unable to beat Condon with either of its two shots on the advantage. At the other end of the ice Conway kept the Jackals within striking distance thanks to nine saves in the frame.

While the Jackals couldn't cash in on the power play in the second to tie the game, their persistence paid of with a man-advantage goal early in the third. Kyle Bushee took a shot from the center point with a mass of bodies in front of Condon. Danny Hobbs initially deflected the shot then Jordan Pietrus followed up to jam it across the goal line and put the Jackals on the board at 3:09. Elmira had killed off each of Wheeling's first four power plays but couldn't survive the fifth challenge. Zach Torquato launched a low wrist shot from the center point that was tipped by Chaz Johnson past Conway at 9:02. That stood as the game winner and Denver Manderson added an empty-net goal in the final minute to set the final.

Conway shouldered his first regulation loss in a Jackals uniform while making 31 saves. The Jackals went 1-for-4 on the power play and 4-for-5 on the penalty kill.

Mark your calendars! The Jackals are back on home ice this Sunday, February 23 to battle the Wheeling Nailers. The Jackals host their traditional Sunday Postgame Skate With the Jackals tomorrow. The skate is free to anyone who has a ticket, and skates will be available to rent if you don't have your own. 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 Game Preview

ELMIRA, NY - Tonight the Elmira Jackals take on the Wheeling Nailers for the second night of their three-in-three weekend. The Jackals are 3-0-2 in their last five against Wheeling after last night's 5-2 victory at First Arena. 

  

WHO: Elmira Jackals - Ottawa and New Jersey/NHL & Binghamton and Albany/AHL (20-23-6) vs. Wheeling Nailers - Montreal/Pittsburgh/NHL & Hamilton and Wilkes-Barre/AHL (25-21-6) 

  

WHAT: Jackals Home Game #23. Jackals players will be wearing specialty jerseys for Donate Life Donor Awareness Night. Jerseys will be auctioned off live postgame with proceeds going to Donate Life. Donate Life pucks will also be given away to all fans in attendance. 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 Nailers tonight for the 11th of 15 meetings this season and the fifth of eight at First Arena. Elmira is 3-5-2 against Wheeling this season, which includes a 2-2-0 record on home ice. Elmira has rattled off consecutive home wins against Wheeling after dropping the first two this season by a combined 8-2 score. The win also improved Elmira to 3-0-2 against Wheeling in the last five meetings after the Nailers won five in a row to start the season series. Even though Wheeling has won seven of the first 10 meetings, the season series has been quite close. Six of the first 10 games have been decided by one goal. Two of Elmira's three wins, though, have been by identical 5-2 scores (last night and Dec. 12 in Wheeling). 

 

Tonight continues a portion of Elmira's schedule where it plays 11 of 13 games on home ice (1-0-0 so far). The only road trips are to Reading on Feb. 26 and March 15. The Jackals are 4-1-0 in their last five at home. Last nights game saw two standouts in the Jackals line-up; Jean Bourbeau and Jakub Culek. Bourbeau's three goals tied his career high for points in a game along with his three-assist effort on December 8 vs. Fort Wayne. Culek's three-assist night broke a six-game point drought which was the longest of his career. It's the second time Culek has reached three assists this season.

Click here for tonight's media kit.

Click here for Elmira's game notes.

Click here for Wheeling's game notes.

Mark your calendars! The Jackals return to home ice on Sunday, February 23 to take on the Wheeling Nailers. After the game is the Postgame Skate With the Jackals. If you do not have a pair of skates their will be pairs available for rent through the Ice Pavilion at First Arena. 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 Hammer The Nailers

ELMIRA, N.Y. - Powered by captain Jean Bourbeau's first professional hat trick, three assists by Jakub Culek, and 21 saves by Neil Conway the Elmira Jackals claimed a 5-2 win over the Wheeling Nailers on Friday night at First Arena. The win improved Elmira to 20-23-6 on the season.

Click here for tonight's box score.

Click here for tonight's postgame comments

Bourbeau had missed 11 of Elmira's previous 12 games with an upper-body injury, but on Friday it looked like he hadn't missed a beat. He made a drive to the net from the left wing to collect his first goal at 6:55 of the first and gave Elmira a 1-0 lead. Troy Rutkowski carried down the right wing and fired an airborne pass to the crease that deflected off of Bourbeau's leg and in for his fifth goal of the year. Culek grabbed the secondary assist for his first of the night. Elmira's lead lasted just under 10 minutes until Shane Bakker slipped a backhander through Conway's pads and left the game tied at one heading into the second.

The Jackals put forth a dogged effort in the second to get ample pucks to the Wheeling net and managed 18 shots. Wheeling goalie Peter Mannino was stout and stopped 17 of them, but the one that got by put Elmira in front by one for the final 20 minutes. Danny Hobbs sent a quick shot to the net from the top of the left wing circle after a clean faceoff win by Culek. While Mannino stopped the first shot, he left the rebound on the doorstep and Bourbeau fired it home at 9:18 for a lead the Jackals wouldn't relinquish. Conway stopped each of the eight shots he faced in the second to ensure Bourbeau's goal stood up. 

Elmira wasted little time in the third period in taking its first two-goal lead of the night. Just 1:43 in Daniel Koger drove to the front of the net and jammed a backhander past Mannino for his ninth of the year, fifth as a Jackal, and what turned out to be the game winner. Culek capped off his three-assist night with the primary helper while Hobbs netted his second assist of the game. Bourbeau brought the crowd to its feet, and hats onto the ice, at 11:06 of the third when he rifled a wrist shot past Mannino high to the glove side. Chaz Johnson pulled Wheeling within two with 1:27 to play but Rob Bellamy hit the empty net with 19 seconds remaining to wipe out the potential of any late drama.

Conway improved to 6-0-1 on the season with a 21-save effort. Elmira ended the night 2-for-2 on the penalty kill and 0-for-3 on the power play.

Mark your calendars! The Jackals are back on home ice this Saturday, February 22 to battle the Wheeling Nailers. The Jackals host their annual Donor Awareness Night which features the team wearing special Donate Life jerseys that will be auctioned off live after the game, and a Donate Life puck giveaway. 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 Game Preivew

ELMIRA, NY - Tonight the Elmira Jackals kick off their push for the playoffs with a three-in-three against division foe Wheeling. The Jackals are 2-0-2 in their last four against Wheeling after last Saturday's shootout loss at WesBanco Arena. 

  

WHO: Elmira Jackals - Ottawa and New Jersey/NHL & Binghamton and Albany/AHL (19-23-6) vs. Wheeling Nailers - Montreal/Pittsburgh/NHL & Hamilton and Wilkes-Barre/AHL (25-20-6) 

  

WHAT: Jackals Home Game #22. Swan and Sons is sponsoring a rally towel giveaway to the first 1,000 fans tonight. 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 Nailers tonight for the 10th of 15 meetings this season and the fourth of eight at First Arena. Elmira is 2-5-2 against Wheeling this season, which includes a 1-2-0 record on home ice. The Nailers last visited Elmira on January 4 and the Jackals claimed a 4-3 overtime win to snap a two-game home losing skid against Wheeling. The Jackals and Nailers have now played three consecutive overtime games on the heels of Wheeling's 2-1 shootout win last Saturday. The home team has emerged victorious each time these divisional foes have gone to extra hockey. Even though Wheeling has won seven of the first nine meetings, the season series has been quite close. Six of the first nine games have been decided by one goal.

Jackals goalie Neil Conway suffered his first loss in an Elmira uniform in Saturday's 2-1 SOL in Wheeling, but his 32-save effort kept his stats sparkling. He hasn't logged enough minutes to rank among league goaltending leaders, but if he had, his 1.76 goals-against average and .949 save percentage would top both categories. Conway has played 409 minutes which are 551 shy of the requirement to qualify for leading statistics. He would have to play roughly 17 of Elmira's remaining 24 games to reach 1,400 minutes played which would qualify him for leading stats at the end of the year. 

Click here for tonight's media kit.

Click here for Elmira's game notes.

Click here for Wheeling's game notes.

Mark your calendars! The Jackals return to home ice on Saturday, February 22 to take on the Wheeling Nailers. Jackals players will be wearing specialty jerseys for Donate Life Donor Awareness Night. Jerseys will be auctioned off postgame with proceeds going to Donate Life. 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 Jordan Myers 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) – With the Winter Olympics coming to a close on Sunday the Senators are back in action on the 27th. Headed into the Olympic break Ottawa was 26-22-11and 5-3-2 in the last ten games. The top three teams in each division are guaranteed a playoff spot with the final two spots decided by overall points. While holding sixth place in the Atlantic division for the majority of the season the Senators are setting their eyes on the final wild card spot. Ottawa is currently one point behind Detroit, who currently holds the last wild card spot, and tied with Columbus and Washington with 63 points. The Swedish Olympian, Erik Karlsson, had a multi-point night with two assists helping the Swedes to a 5-0 victory over Slovenia in the quarterfinals. Karlsson leads all NHL defensemen and his teammates with 55 points. He is also tied for fifth in the league with 25 power-play points. Team Sweden faces off against Finland on Friday in the Semifinals. Milan Michálek played in five games for the Cezch Republic, tallying no points. The Czech Republic was eliminated from play in the quarter finals by Team USA being defeated 5-2. Chris Phillips remains out indefinitely with a lower body injury and Clarke MacArthur is questionable to return on February 27 against Detroit with a foot injury.

Binghamton Senators (AHL) – Binghamton is currently leading the East Division with a record of 32-15-4 and 6-3-1 in the last ten games. The Senators shut-out the Worchester Sharks 8-0 on February 15. Defenseman Michael Sdao tallied his first multi-point game of his AHL career with two goals. His total now sits at 9 points (4 goals, 5 assists) in 40 games. Corey Cowick has a three-game point streak tallying a point a game. In the last six games he has three goals and one assist. Mike Hoffman is still lighting up the score board with six points in three games which brings him to 64 points with 27 goals and 37 assists this season. He currently sits in second for top scorers in the AHL behind Travis Morin of Texas who has 28 goals and 42 assists. Danny New has two assists in three games and has a total of four assists in the last six games. The former Providence College captain has 10 assists and 11 points for Binghamton in 26 games. New started the season in Elmira and notched nine assists and 11 points in 22 games. Mark Stone, on loan from Ottawa, took to the ice on February 14 after suffering an injury to his arm on February 6 in Ottawa. Since returning Stone has a 3-game multi-point streak. He’s tallied a goal and an assist in each of the three games. Stone has 24 points in 22 games with Binghamton this season. Goaltender Scott Greenham was recalled from Elmira on February 14. Only playing in one game for the Senators this season Greenham is 1-0-0 with a 3.00 goals against average and a 0.917 goal save percentage. Nathan Lawson is out with a strained lower body injury.

New Jersey Devils (NHL) – The Devils took to the ice for practice yesterday for the first time since the start of the Olympic break. The only players that were missing from practice where Patrik Elias, Jaromir Jagr, Marek Zidlicky, and Damien Brunner who were all in Sochi for the Olympic Games. With the United States defeating the Czech Republic 5-2 in the quarterfinals on Wednesday teammates Elias, Jagr, and Zidlicky were eliminated from the Olympic games but not without putting some numbers on the board. Elias had one assist in three games, Zidlicky had two goals and two assists in five games, and Jagr put up two goals and one assist in five games. Damien Brunner, playing for Switzerland, was eliminated from the games when the Swiss fell to Latvia 1-0 on Tuesday in qualification play. New Jersey sits in seventh place and only five points behind an automatic playoff position in the Metropolitan Division with a 24-22-13 record. With only six points separating six teams the push towards the playoffs is a tight race. Defenseman Jon Merrill was recalled to New Jersey and has five points in 32 games with the Devils. Adam Larsson and Anton Volchenkov are both on injury reserve with lower body injuries. Volchenkov is questionable to return on February 27 against Columbus.

Albany Devils (AHL) – Since returning from the All-Star Break Albany is 1-2 in the last three games with an overall record of 26-17-8 and currently sits in ninth place of the Eastern Conference. On Valentines Day the Devils lost in a shootout after Hershey’s Michael Latta scored off a rebound with 10:37 remaining in the third to tie up the game. Stefan Matteau was the lone Albany shootout scorer and Hersey’s Ryan Stoa and Casey Wellman scored in the shootout. The lone win of the last three games came on February 15 with a 4-1 defeat of Adirondack. Raman Hrabarenka played in his first game since January 26 on February 16 helping to put the Devils on the board in a loss against Bridgeport. He put up two goals, his first multi-goal game in his AHL career. He currently leads the teams defense in points with 17. The Mogilev, Belarus native had two assists in five games with Elmira prior to his call up to Albany. After Keith Kinkaids injury the Devils signed former NHL veteran Johan Hedberg to their roster. Hedberg had his final year contract bought out by New Jersey last July but did not catch on elsewhere this fall. The last game Hedberg played in before Sundays match against Bridgeport was April 27, 2013 for New Jersey. In the game against the Rangers he suffered a 4-0 loss with a .810 goal save percentage. He came in relief of Wedgewood after 22:19 minutes and stopped 11 shots of 13. Despite him stopping 11 shots Albany fell 3-7.