02.10.03 - Springfield, MA -  The city of Springfield has long been one of the storied members of the AHL, ever since the Springfield Indians became a founding franchise of the American Hockey League in 1936. This year, with a rookie head coach and a crop of talented players, the Springfield Falcons are poised to return to the Calder Cup Playoffs.

In his first year behind the bench, 17-year NHL veteran defenseman Marty McSorley has his Falcons in position to reach the AHL postseason for the first time in three years.

Springfield's current five-game unbeaten streak, which included victories over division leaders Providence and Binghamton, has allowed the Falcons, the shared affiliate of the Phoenix Coyotes and Tampa Bay Lightning, to climb to within four points of seventh place in the Eastern Conference.

Rookie Jeff Taffe leads the Falcons in scoring with 36 points in 40 games, while also skating in 12 NHL games with the Coyotes. Taffe was selected to participate in the 2003 AHL All-Star Classic and contributed a goal and an assist for the PlanetUSA AHL All-Stars.

Taffe is one of 17 Falcons to skate in the NHL this season.

Ramzi Abid remains third on Springfield's scoring list but has found himself a home in Phoenix, where he has 17 points in 24 NHL games. Brian Holzinger, a Calder Cup champion with Rochester in 1996, has split the year between Springfield and Tampa, recording 22 points in 16 AHL contests.

On Jan. 17, Springfield's fortunes may have turned with the debuts of a pair of players.

Goaltender Jean-Marc Pelletier, acquired by Phoenix on New Year's Eve, made his first Falcons appearance that night and has since gone 7-1-2 with a 1.87 goals against average in 10 games with Springfield.

While, Sheldon Keefe, reassigned by Tampa Bay that same day, has recorded eight goals, 12 points and a plus-11 rating in 12 games since returning to the Falcons' nest.

Springfield's veteran leader is captain Rob Murray, who is on the verge of becoming the sixth player in AHL history to play in 1,000 regular season games. Murray currently has 993 AHL games to his credit, including 476 in a Falcons uniform.

As they continue to jell as a team and create a stir in the AHL standings, the Falcons are looking to build on a tradition that has brought seven Calder Cup titles to Springfield through the years.