Bounces End 5-Game Point Streak

Published on March 31, 2012 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Adirondack Phantoms News Release


Adirondack just couldn't buy a break Saturday night in Hartford, Conn. and dropped a 3-0 decision to the Whale to close out their weekend. A deflected puck on what appeared to be an attempted centering pass went in for a Connecticut goal. In the meanwhile, Adirondack had a goal waved off by the referee and blasted another one off the crossbar.

Both of the teams the Phantoms are chasing, Manchester and Syracuse, won in their Saturday night contests so Adirondack fell to three points back of 8th in the Eastern Conference playoff race with six games remaining in the regular season.

The game at Connecticut was much closer than the final score made it seem. The Whale tacked on an empty-netter with just seconds remaining to provide for the final margin.

Adirondack had their five-game point streak (4-0-1) come to a close with the loss.

The Phantoms appeared to be getting many of the better chances in the first period but Connectucit goalie Cameron Talbot made several fine stops in his beginning of a 26-save shutout performance. Adirondack had three power plays in the opening period and one extended opportunity in the slot with Harry Zolnierczyk batting the puck and pads of Talbot repeatedly trying to jam home a score. But Connecticut survived the flurry and kept the Phantoms off the board.

Kelsey Tessier picked up a rebound of a long slapshot that Leighton kicked to the left-wing side of the crease. His flip into the net for his 11th of the year gave the Whale a 1-0 lead. It came just as Andrew Rowe was returning to the ice from the penalty box thus did not count as a power play goal.

The next goal would be officially on the power play though. Casey Wellman flipped one from the goal-line on the right-wing side of the net and it bounced its way off one of the Adirondack players and in on an unlucky bounce. Connecticut's advantage was 2-0 on the fortuitous man-advantage tally.

Ben Holmstrom raced wide of former NHL All-Star defenseman Wade Redden and cut towards the net from the right-wing goal-line looking to jam in the puck. He took a shove from the back of Redden and then went crashing into the goalie Talbot. While Holmstrom was tangled with Talbot, the puck rebounded out to Matt Ford in the slot who easily shot it over the goalie down on the ice to appear to get Adirondack on the board.

But referee Francis Charron immediately waved off the goal ruling goaltender interference on Holmstrom. Head Coach Joe Paterson argued the decision likely claiming that Redden forced the situation with the shove on the Phantoms' captain. But the call stood and Connecticut's lead remained 2-0.

Adirondack trailed by two goals in the third period just the night before and were able to rally against Syracuse for the dramatic victory but would be not be afforded the opportunity to produce an encore although not for lack of drives at Talbot.

Early in the third period, Denis Hamel rushed up the left-wing and cranked his big slapper on a sharp angle over the right shoulder of Talbot. The blast rang off the crossbar and to the other side and out as another unhelpful bounce would hurt the Phantoms.

The Phantoms would have a couple more close calls on Talbot including a couple of additional rushes up the left-wing hoping to reproduce his speedy goal of the night before that trigged the team's comeback. But Rowe was never able to get that attempt. Rob Bordson had a couple of tries as well. So did Harry Zolnierczyk. But it just wasn't able to connect for the Phantoms as the Whale were able to collapse and tip enough Phantoms' passes to break up their opportunities.

Kelsey Tessier's second goal of the night came from the center-dot all the way down ice into the middle of the empty-net with seven seconds remaining to close out the scoring.

Connectcut outshot the Phantoms 28-26. Adirondack went 0-for-4 on the power play while the Whale went 1-for-3.

18-year-old Nick Cousins made his pro debut and saw a few shifts as a fourth-line center. Cousins is a third-round pick of the Flyers from 2011 who had 35 goals this season with Sioux Ste. Marie in the OHL where he will be eligible to return next season.

Scratches for the game included Garrett Klotz, Garrett Roe, Tye MccGinn, Luke Pither, Matt Walker, Oskars Bartulis and Campbell Elynuik. Brad Phillips again served as backup goalie to Michael Leighton while Jason Bacashihua remains with Philadelphia due to an injury to Ilya Bryzgalov.

The Phantoms have six days off between games and then return to action with three games in three days next weekend including home games on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Adirondack's home game on Friday is against the Albany Devils who trail the Phantoms by only one point in the Eastern Conference standings.

The Phantoms lead the Time Warner Cable Cup Series over the Albany Devils 5-3 with just two games remaining. An Adirondack victory either Friday at home or Saturday at the Times Union Center will clinch the Time Warner Cable Cup for the second consecutive season for the Phantoms awarded annually to the winner of the Northway rivalry. Call the Phantoms for tickets at (518) 480-3355.

Playofff Chase (8th place an better qualify)

7. Syracuse Crunch (76 pts)

8. Manchester Monarchs (75 pts)

9. Portland Pirates (73 pts)

10. Adirondack Phantoms (72 pts)

11. Albany Devils (71 pts)

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American Hockey League Stories from March 31, 2012


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