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Adirondack Rings In New Year With Win Over Norfolk

January 4, 2010 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Adirondack Phantoms News Release


The Phantoms endured their heaviest single-week workload of the season in Week 14 as they played five games in seven days to close out the 2009 calendar year and ring in 2010. Adirondack started the week with a 4-3 loss at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Monday; they trailed 3-0 at 2:49 of the second period before rallying to cut the lead to 4-3 late in the third period. Wednesday the Phantoms beat Albany for the first time this season, doubling up the River Rats 4-2. Thursday afternoon the two teams played a New Year's Eve matinee at the Civic Center; it was a goaltender's duel between John Grahame and Rats rookie Mike Murphy. Even though the River Rats won the game 1-0, goal scorer Zach Boychuk admitted to the media after the game that the puck had rolled under the side of the net and should not have counted. After a break on New Year's Day, the Phantoms got back to winning ways with a 3-2 win over Norfolk on Saturday night at home, but fell short in their final game of the weekend, a 4-1 loss at Hershey on Sunday.

The biggest news of the week was the injury to left wing Patrick Maroon in the first period of Wednesday's game at Albany. Maroon was hit from behind by Albany's Nicolas Blanchard in a post-whistle scrum near the River Rats net and after lying face down on the ice for almost ten minutes, was taken off on a stretcher. Maroon, the team's assist leader, was released from Albany Medical Center later Wednesday night and is starting the recovery process, but is listed as week-to-week right now.

Week 15 Preview:

The Phantoms return to action on Wednesday, January 6th for Round Seven of their twelve game Time Warner Cable Cup series with the Albany River Rats. The game is set for 7:00 pm at the Times Union Center in Albany; the Rats have won five of the first six meetings. Then Adirondack will travel to Providence for a Friday night game against the Bruins at the Dunkin' Donuts Center. The Phantoms complete their three-game week at home on Saturday, January 9th as they host the Portland Pirates for a 7:00 pm face off at the Glens Falls Civic Center.

Saturday's home game is Phantoms Team Poster Night as the first 2,500 fans into the building will receive a free Phantoms Team Photo poster. There will also be a post-game autograph session with the entire team in Heritage Hall, where fans can get their posters signed by the players.

Week 15 Schedule:

(All games are broadcast LIVE on Classic Hits Q-101.7 FM and can also be heard for free over the Internet at www.phantomshockey.com and can be viewed via internet pay-per-view video on www.ahllive.com.)

Wednesday, January 6 - 7:00 pm - Times Union Center - Albany, NY

@ Albany River Rats (19-15-1-2, 41 pts)

Second Place, East Division

Albany snapped their three-game losing skid with a narrow 1-0 win over Adirondack on New Year's Eve to improve to 3-0 this season at the Glens Falls Civic Center. The River Rats lost at Syracuse 6-3 on Saturday and are 1-4-0-0 in their last five games. Albany is 2-1 against the Phantoms at home this year and holds a 5-1-0-0 record in the season series. The River Rats roster has been very volatile this year; Brett Carson, Brandon Sutter and Pat Dwyer are all on NHL call ups with Carolina; Bryan Rodney has missed the last four games with a shoulder injury; Michael Ryan played against Adirondack on Wednesday, but missed the last two games due to an undisclosed injury; Nicolas Blanchard has missed the last two games due to AHL suspension and is waiting for the results of the league's review of his hit on Patrick Maroon last Wednesday. Zach Boychuk and Jiri Tlusty missed Saturday's game at Syracuse, instead playing for the Hurricanes at Madison Square Garden against the New York Rangers - both were returned to Albany on Sunday. Leading Scorer: Jerome Samson (RW) - 29 points (13 goals, 16 assists) in 37 GP. Leading Goaltender: Justin Peters (G) - 2.17 GAA, 0.929 save pct., 11-9-2 in 22 GP. Who's Hot: Zach Boychuk (C) - 4 points (2 goals, 2 assists) and a +1 rating in his last three games played. Jerome Samson (RW) - 6 points (2 goals, 4 assists) and a +2 rating in his last seven games played. Mike Angelidis (C) - 2 goals in his last four games played.

Friday, January 8 - 7:05 pm - Dunkin' Donuts Center - Providence, RI

@ Providence Bruins (18-19-1-0, 37 pts)

Seventh Place, Atlantic Division

Friday's game with the Phantoms is Providence's first of the week and first since being shutout by Portland 4-0 on Sunday. The Bruins won five straight games from November 28th to December 11th, but have since gone into a tailspin, winning just two of their last seven games and posting three wins in their last eleven; they have been out-scored 29-15 in their last eleven games. Goaltender Dany Sabourin has won two of his last three starts and has allowed two goals or less in seven of his last eight starts, including his 35-save shutout of Lowell on December 11th. Sabourin is tied for the AHL lead in losses (12), he ranks second in saves (719) and fourth in minutes played (1,642). Defenseman Andy Wozniewski ranks second of the team in points and is tied for second in the AHL amongst defensemen with 25 points. He is tied for the league lead amongst blue liners in game-winning goals (3) and power play points (16). Bruins leading scorer Mikko Lehtonen ranks second in the AHL in shots on goal (139) and is 20th in the league in points (30). Leading Scorer: Mikko Lehtonen (RW) - 30 points (11 goals, 19 assists) in 38 GP. Leading Goaltender: Dany Sabourin (G) - 2.52 GAA, 0.912 save pct., 15-12-0 in 28 GP. Who's Hot: Trent Whitfield (C) - 4 points (2 goals, 2 assists) and a +1 rating in his last four games played. Jordan Knackstedt (RW) - 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists) and a +2 rating in his last three games played. Mikko Lehtonen (RW) - 3 assists in his last four games played.

Saturday, January 9 - 7:00 pm - Glens Falls Civic Center - Glens Falls, NY

vs. Portland Pirates (18-13-4-2, 42 pts)

Fifth Place, Atlantic Division

This is the first of two meetings with Portland this season and the only visit to Glens Falls by the Pirates during the 2009-10 regular season. Portland has won two in a row and are 6-2-1-1 in their last ten games to move up to fifth place in the Atlantic Division, just one point behind fourth place Bridgeport. The Pirates are at Binghamton on Friday night and are in the middle of a stretch of five consecutive road games. Rookie phenom Tyler Ennis leads the team in points (35) and assists (23); he is tied for seventh in the AHL in scoring and is tied for league lead in rookie points. 2009 All-Star Mark Mancari ranks second on the team in points (34) and leads Portland with 14 goals. Defenseman Mike Weber is tied for the AHL lead in plus/minus rating (+20). Goaltender Jhonas Enroth has started the Pirates last four straight games and has gotten the nod in nine of their last ten games, posting a record of 5-3-1 over that span. Portland's penalty kill is ranked 28th out of 29 AHL teams (79.6%), having allowed 30 power play goals in 149 chances. Leading Scorer: Tyler Ennis (C) - 35 points (12 goals, 23 assists) in 37 GP. Leading Goaltender: Jhonas Enroth (G) - 2.65 GAA, 0.910 save pct., 12-11-1 in 24 GP. Who's Hot: Tyler Ennis (C) - 11 points (3 goals, 8 assists) and a +7 rating in his last five games played. Mark Mancari (RW) - 10 points (2 goals, 8 assists) and a +7 rating in his last five games played. Nathan Gerbe (LW) - 4 points (2 goals, 2 assists) and a +3 rating in his last two games played.

Week 14 Game Results:

December 28, 2009 Adirondack 3 @ Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 4

December 30, 2009 Adirondack 4 @ Albany 2

December 31, 2009 Albany 1 @ Adirondack 0

January 2, 2010 Norfolk 2 @ Adirondack 3

January 3, 2010 Adirondack 1 @ Hershey 4

Phantoms Player of the Week: (Week 14)

Jon Matusmoto - C - #11 5 GP, 5 points, (3 goals, 2 assists), +3, 2 PIMs

It was quite a week for Adirondack's leading scorer Jon Matsumoto. He began the week with a goal against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Monday and then found out that he would be representing the Phantoms at the 2010 AHL All-Star Classic in Portland, ME, playing for the Canadian AHL All-Star Team. Wednesday he demonstrated why he was selected as Matsumoto had a three-point game (1 goal, 2 assists) against Albany. Saturday at home vs. Norfolk he scored Adirondack's first goal, his 15th of the year, in a 3-2 win over the Admirals. On the season Matsumoto leads the team in points (29), games played (34), power play goals (5) and shots on goal (104); he is currently tied for 9th in the AHL in goals (15).

Phantoms Player of the Month: (January)

Stefan Legein - RW - #9 13 GP, 12 points (9 goals, 3 assists), +2, 4 PIMs

Stefan Legein has been a dynamic offensive threat ever since he was acquired by the Flyers in a trade with Columbus on October 20th. The Oakville, Ontario native has scored fifteen of his seventeen goals this season with the Phantoms; in 34 AHL games this year he also has four assists for 21 points. In December Legein led Adirondack with 12 points (9 goals, 3 assists), was a +2 and had one shorthanded goal. He had back-to-back two-goal games, in the midst of his Phantoms season-long four-game goal streak (6 goals); he also had an assist at the end of that span for a five-game point streak (7 points). Overall this year Legein is tied for the AHL lead in shorthanded goals (3) and currently ranks third in the league in goals (17); he ranks second on the Phantoms in points (21).

Phantoms Goaltender of the Month: (January)

Johan Backlund - G - #31 5 GP, 3-2-0, 2.59 GAA, 0.914 Sv.%, 139 Saves

Johan Backlund missed two weeks of action in December for a good reason, he was called up by the Flyers to serve as Brian Boucher's backup following an injury to starter Ray Emery. Since the Skellefteå, Sweden native returned from Philadelphia, he has been in top form, winning his final three starts of December and his first of January for his first four-game winning streak of his AHL career. He completed the month with a 3-2-0 record, one of those was a 2-1 overtime loss to Norfolk, with a 2.59 goals-against average and a 0.914 save percentage. On the season Backlund has a record of 10-8-0 in 19 appearances, posting a 2.69 GAA, a 0.908 save percentage and two shutouts.

Phantoms Rookie of the Month: (January)

Joonas Lehtivuori - D - #2 8 GP, 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists), -1, 2 PIMs

Rookie defenseman Joonas Lehtivuori suffered his first injury as a pro in late November and missed six games, including the Phantoms first three December contests. When he returned to the lineup he was a steady presence, showing maturity beyond his rookie status. The Tampere, Finland native scooped up some points late in the month, tallying an assist at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on the 28th and then scoring his first career professional goal, a power play strike, in a 4-2 win at Albany. For the month Lehtivuori had three points (1 goal, 2 assists) and was a -1 rating. Overall this season he ranks third amongst Phantoms defensemen in scoring with seven points (1 goal, 6 assists) in 23 games played.

Phantoms Quick Hits:

- SUNDAY SILENCE - The Phantoms lost their first Sunday game of the season in a 4-1 defeat at Hershey. Adirondack was 4-0 on Sundays to start the season, but their loss on Sunday was also their first defeat of the 2010 calendar year.

- SHORTHANDED LEADER - Stefan Legein scored his team-leading third shorthanded goal of the season, Adirondack's only goal on Sunday at Hershey. It was his 17th goal overall this year, which ranks third best in the entire AHL. He is currently in a four-way tie for the League Lead in shorthanded goals.

- A NEW ACCOUNT - Rookie defenseman Joonas Lehtivuori scored his first career professional goal on Wednesday at Albany, tallying a power play goal in the first period of the Phantoms' 4-2 win over the River Rats. He also had one assist in the game and has seven points (1 goal, 6 assists) in 23 games for Adirondack this year.

- 300 CLUB - Defenseman Joey Mormina played in his 300th career Pro game at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Monday and then recorded his 300th career AHL game on Wednesday at Albany; both teams he used to play for. Wednesday night Mormina scored the game-winning goal and had one assist to beat the River Rats; he also tallied two assists in Saturday's win over Norfolk, giving him nine points (2 goals, 7 assists), which leads all Adirondack defensemen.

- WINTER CLASSIC - Former Phantoms defensemen Oskars Bartulis and Danny Syvret suited up for the Flyers in the 2010 NHL Winter Classic at Fenway Park on January 1st. Syvret had a particularly memorable game as he scored the first goal of the game, his first career NHL goal; that goal held the lead for the Flyers until the final minutes, when Boston rallied for a 2-1 overtime win.

- MONCTON UPDATE - Rookie goaltender Nic Riopel was reassigned by the Flyers to his junior team, the Moncton Wildcats of the QMJHL on December 17th. Since returning to Moncton, he has appeared in their last four games, posting a 3-1-0 record, with a 1.98 goals-against average and a 0.926 save percentage. Riopel was the MVP of the QMJHL last season and, with his help, the Wildcats have an excellent chance to win the league championship and vie for the 2010 Memorial Cup. Moncton is currently the hottest team in the league, posting an 8-1-0-1 record in their last ten games.

- FIRST STRIKE - Defenseman Logan Stephenson recorded his first point of the season with an assist on Wednesday at Albany. He was held without a point in his first 17 games of the year, but has since tallied two assists in his last four games. Stephenson current ranks second on the team with 72 penalty minutes.

- HEATING UP - Right wing David Laliberte is starting to find his scoring touch again as he contributed five points (1 goal, 4 assists) in Adirondack's five games this week. The St. Liboire, Quebec native had been held without a point in his previous seven games, but clicked this week on a line with Jon Matsumoto and Andreas Nodl. Laliberte ranks fourth on the team with 17 points (5 goals, 12 assists).

Phantoms Recent Transactions

December 30 - DELETE - Trent Daavettila (C) - Released from PTO - Returned to Kalamazoo (ECHL).

Adirondack Phantoms Team Leaders:

Games Played: Stefan Legein & Jon Matsumoto (34)

Goals: Stefan Legein (17)

Assists: Patrick Maroon (17)

Points: Jon Matsumoto (29)

Plus/Minus: Jason Ward (+3)

Penalty Minutes: Matt Clackson (112)

Power Play Goals: Jon Matsumoto (5)

Short Handed Goals: Stefan Legein (3)

Game-Winning Goals: Three tied with (2)

Shots: Jon Matsumoto (104)

Shooting Percentage: Stefan Legein (20.7%)

Saves: Johan Backlund (494)

Wins: Johan Backlund (10)

GAA: Johan Backlund (2.69)

Save Percentage: Johan Backlund (0.908)

####

The Phantoms will return home to prepare for Round Seven of the Time Warner Cable Cup series with the Albany River Rats on Wednesday, January 6th at the Times Union Center. Adirondack's next home game is on Saturday, January 9th as they host the Portland Pirates at 7:00 pm at the Civic Center. Saturday's game is Phantoms Team Poster Giveaway Night, with the first 2,500 fans receiving a free poster, and there is a post-game autograph session with the entire team in Heritage Hall.

There is no better way to watch Phantoms Hockey than by sharing it with a group of your family and friends. Bring a group of 15 or more people to the Glens Falls Civic Center and qualify for incredible discounted ticket prices off the regular box office rates. For more information about group tickets, contact the Phantoms at 518-480-3355 or visit www.phantomshockey.com.



American Hockey League Stories from January 4, 2010


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