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Hershey Takes 5-2 Win Over Phantoms

November 21, 2008 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Adirondack Phantoms News Release


PHILADELPHIA - The most prolific offense in the AHL came into Philadelphia on Friday night and lived up to its billing, as the Hershey Bears took a 5-2 win over the Philadelphia Phantoms at the Wachovia Spectrum. Kyle Wilson scored two goals, and twelve different players recorded points for Hershey as the Bears increased their AHL-leading team goal scoring tally to 84.

Hershey opened up the scoring at the 10:05 mark of the first period. Deep in the Philadelphia zone, AHL leading scorer Keith Aucoin fed a pass to Graham Mink in the slot. Mink fired a wrist shot that was initially turned away by Phantoms Goaltender Scott Munroe, but fell to the stick of Alexander Giroux sitting all alone in front. Giroux easily deposited the puck in the back of the net to make the score 1-0.

Andrew Gordon gave the Bears a 2-0 lead 11:16 seconds into the contest on what seemed to be a harmless shot. Working behind the Phantoms net, Andrew Joudrey fed a pass around the back boards to Chris Bourque. At that moment, Gordon jumped off the bench on a line change, took the pass from Bourque, and sent in a fluttering shot on goal that had eyes and wound up behind the outstretched glove of Munroe.

The Phantoms answered back 18:14 into the first period while working with the man advantage. Jason DeSantis found Patrick Maroon coming off a line change and fed him with a great outlet pass. Maroon skated by the defenders and walked in alone on Simeon Varmalov, lifting a backhand shot over the sprawled-out goaltender's glove to cut Hershey's lead to 2-1.

But the Bears once again jumped out to a two-goal cushion just 1:31 into the second period. Patrick McNeil sent a long pass from his own zone that sprung Wilson on a breakaway. He picked out his target and beat Munroe high to the glove side just underneath the cross bar. Varmalov was also credited with an assist on the play.

Francois Bouchard padded Hershey's lead just a minute and a half later. Oskar Osala's initial shot went wide, but Mathieu Perreault picked up the loose puck behind the net and quickly fed Bouchard sitting just inside the right circle. Munroe was still sprawled out from the Osala shot and could not recover in time to save the Bouchard wrister giving the Bears a 4-1 lead.

The Phantoms special teams struck again 12:10 in the second to close the gap to 4-2. With a 5-on-3 advantage, Claude Giroux carried the puck into the Hershey zone and dropped it back to Danny Syvret. Giroux received the puck right back and fired a slap shot above the right shoulder of Varmalov. Munroe was credited with an assist on the play, giving both goaltenders a point on the eveningl.

Hershey answered back with its third goal of the period to increase their lead to 5-2. With a penalty upcoming on the Phantoms, Varmalov skated off the ice and Wilson came on as the extra attacker. He immediately crashed the net and found a loose puck sitting in front, which he lifted past Munroe to record his second goal of the contest and close out the scoring.

Varmalov finished the night with 30 saves on 32 shots, while Munroe turned away 19 of the 24 he faced. J.S. Aubin played the third period and stopped all 12 Hershey shots that came his way. Hershey finished 0 for 5 on the powerplay while Philadelphia converted on 2 of their 7 chances with the man advantage. Philadelphia goes to 9-9-0-0 on the year for 18 points, while Hershey is now 13-5-0-1 for 27 points.

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