Defense Powers Phantoms to 4-3 Overtime Win
by David W. Unkle
January 31, 2004 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Milwaukee Admirals
(PHILADELPHIA)--- John Slaney's power play goal at 1:23 of overtime kept the Phantoms' home unbeaten streak intact as Philadelphia downed the Milwaukee Admirals 4-3 in front of 15,603 at the Wachovia Center.
With less than 30 seconds left on the man advantage, Slaney's one-timer beat Flaherty who could only watch as the Phantoms remained one point behind first place Bridgeport in the East.
Antero Niittymaki stopped 23 shots in earning his 14th victory of the season. Milwaukee's Wade Flaherty stopped 22 of 26 shots in a losing effort.
The Phantoms started January with a 3-1 loss to the Worcester Ice Cats; aside from a 4-3 road loss the Phantoms have been next to perfect.
Playing with the lead or playing catch-up seems irrelevant; the team finds what it needs not to lose.
An eight-game home unbeaten streak on the heels of two months of consistent, sometimes spectacular hockey has the Phantoms near the top of the AHL for the first time in recent memory.
Confidence, attitude, determination; whatever it is, it's working for the Phantoms.
A 3-1 third period deficit in last night's game against Hartford, a team that hasn't lost a game where they've lead going into the third period ended in a 3-3 tie.
"I don't know it's pretty unbelievable actually", said Slaney, on the Phantoms' streak.
Obviously pleased with his team's record at this point in the season but not always happy with how they get there, Phantoms Head Coach John Stevens added "we're not playing a solid sixty minutes of hockey...but we're finding ways to win hockey games".
Philadelphia did play solid hockey at the start of the game but then mental lapses resulted in the first Milwaukee goal.
With Philadelphia defenseman in tow, the Admirals' Jay Henderson carried the puck deep into the Phantoms' zone.
An innocent-appearing backhander along the ice found space between Niittymaki's pads for the 1-0 lead at 13:38 of the first period.
Peter White scored his first goal in seven games to knot the score at 1-1 before former Phantoms' defenseman Brad Tiley put the visitors back on top 2-1.
With Joey Hope in the box for hooking at 10:30, Libor Pikor grabbed control of the puck along the boards.
Libor slid the puck between two Phantoms defenders from the right circle and found Tiley skating across the crease who deflected the puck past Niittymaki.
It was Tiley's seventh goal of the season in his first visit to Philadelphia. Tiley played three seasons for the Phantoms but was not re-signed following the 2002-03 season.
B.J. Abel scored with a little over two minutes to go in the second period to tie the game at two apiece.
With the puck lost in the Milwaukee crease, Abel poked the puck past Flaherty for his second goal of the season and his first since opening night.
Kirill Safronov gave the Admirals their third lead of the afternoon at 5:37 of the third period before the Milwaukee shot themselves in the foot.
Just six seconds after Greg Classen was called for cross-checking in front of the Milwaukee net, Kirk Furey's blast from the right point beat Flaherty high.
With 7.3 seconds left in regulation, Admirals' defenseman Greg Zanon was called for holding setting the stage for Slaney's overtime winner.
"It was a roller coaster ride tonight where we got behind three times tonight but the guys found a way to get things done", said Stevens.
Added Slaney, "everything is working our way right now but starting with a lead would be nice".
SCORING MIL 1-1-1-0 PHL 0-2-1-1SHOTS ON GOAL MIL 6-12-8-0 PHL 8-8-9-1
Scoring
PERIOD TEAM GOAL ASSIST(S) TIME SCORE 1ST MIL Henderson (7) Haydar 13:38 0-1 2ND PHL White (10) Law 00:37 1-1 2ND MIL Tiley (7) (pp) Pivko 11:00 1-2 2ND PHL Abel (2) MacNeil, Meyer 17:34 2-2 3RD MIL Safronov (2) Gamache, Darche 5:37 2-3 3RD PHL Furey (5) White, Law 12:54 3-3 3RD PHL Slaney (7) (pp)Law, Jones 1:23 4-3
Penalties
PERIOD TEAM PLAYER PENALTY TIME GOAL 1ST PHL Meyer Tripping 1:39 N 1ST MIL Murphy Hooking 16:51 Y 2ND PHL MacNeil Cross-checking 1:06 N 2ND PHL Furey High-sticking 1:53 N 2ND MIL Zanon Boarding 5:42 N 2ND PHL White Cross-checking 5:42 N 2ND PHL Murphy Roughing 8:46 N 2ND MIL Segal Roughing 8:46 N 2ND PHL Hope Hooking 10:30 Y 2ND MIL Henderson Goaltender Int. 13:47 N 2ND PHL Skolney Roughing 19:22 N 2ND PHL Slaney High-sticking 19:22 N 2ND MIL Classen Roughing 19:22 N 3RD PHL Abel Holding 3:54 N 3RD MIL Classen Cross-checking 12:48 Y 3RD PHL Murphy High-sticking 13:51 N 3RD MIL Pivko Boarding 17:12 N 3RD MIL Zanon Holding 19:52 Y
Power-play opportunities: Milwaukee 2-7; Philadelphia 2 for 5.
GOALIES S SA MIN Flaherty 10-6-2 (MIL) 26 22 61:23 Niittymaki 14-7-5 (PHL) 26 23 61:23
STARS OF THE GAME
1. John Slaney (PHL)
2. Kirk Furey (PHL)
3. Brad Tiley (MIL)
Selected by: Anthony Mingioni of Breakaway! Magazine
NOTES:
1. Philadelphia 10-1-1 in last 12 games and unbeaten in its last eight games.
2. Milwaukee boasts the league's most potent offense scoring 3.14 goals per game.
3. Two Admirals have 30 or more points and six others eclipsed the 20 point mark.
4. Mathieu Darche has 22 points (13G, 9A) in his last 22 AHL games including six tallies (6G, 2A) in his last eight games.
5. Philadelphia is 11-2-2 when Kirby Law scores a goal this season.
6. AHL Iron Man Ben Stafford has played in 152 consecutive games, highest among active players.
7. Philadelphia's Peter Vandermeer, the AHL leader in penalty minutes began serving a two-game suspension for instigator accumulation. Vandermeer, who has 288 PIM on the season, returned to action Friday night after serving a one-game suspension.
GAME OFFICIALS
Referee: Scott Hoberg
Linesman: Dave Brown
Linesman: Aaron Lundbohm
ATTENDANCE: 15,603
American Hockey League Stories from January 31, 2004
- Griffins renew winning ways with 5-2 victory - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Grizzlies Fall to Griffins at the 'E' Center - Utah Grizzlies
- Defense Powers Phantoms to 4-3 Overtime Win - OSC Original by David W. Unkle
- Defense Powers Phantoms to 4-3 Overtime Win - OSC Original by David W. Unkle
- Phantoms down Admirals 4-3 in overtime - Adirondack Phantoms
- Kunitz added to Canadian roster for Pepsi AHL All-Star Classic - Cincinnati RailRaiders
- Vernarsky, Thomas lift P-Bruins to win - Providence Bruins
- Bears fall to Providence at GIANT Center, 3-1 - Hershey Bears
- Sound Tigers Rally For Second Night In A Row - Bridgeport Islanders
- Byrne baby Byrne - Worcester IceCats
- Manitoba beats Aeros 7-2 - Houston Aeros
- Philadelphia Drops Third Straight - Adirondack Phantoms
- Monarchs, IceCats Skate To 3-3 Draw - Manchester Monarchs
- Four-goal first period leads Wolves past Ducks - Cincinnati RailRaiders
- St. John's Maple Leafs persent the "Molson Stretch Pack" - Toronto Marlies
- Pirates Change Game Time - Portland Pirates
- Foster, Cassivi Become 10th, 11th Wolves Recalled by Atlanta - Chicago Wolves
- Cincinnati Mighty Ducks Preview - Cincinnati RailRaiders
- Crunch Announces Details of Anheuser-Busch Bring Your âBud'dy to the Game Program - Syracuse Crunch
- Grizzlies Look to Extend Point Streak Against Griffins to Four Games Tonight at the 'E' Center - Utah Grizzlies
- Aeros Game Day - Houston Aeros
- Bulldogs Unbeaten Streak Snapped - Hamilton Bulldogs
- Grizzlies Blank Division-Leading Griffins, Snapping Skid - Utah Grizzlies
- Binghamton exterminates Rats, 6-0 - Binghamton Senators
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer(s), and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
