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Kane, Power Play Take Phantoms To 5-2 Win

November 1, 2008 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Adirondack Phantoms News Release


HERSHEY - Boyd Kane recorded the first Phantoms hat trick in almost a year and his team went 3-for-6 on the power play en route to a 5-2 win over the Hershey Bears at the GIANT Center on Saturday night. It's Philadelphia's third win in a row and pulls the Phantoms back within a game of .500 heading into tomorrow's encore meeting between the clubs at the Wachovia Spectrum.

The Bears were the beneficiary of a fortunate bounce just over a minute into the game. Former Phantom Darren Reid carried a puck into the zone and fired a shot just wide of the Phantoms net past the left post. The puck leapt off the end boards as if they too were rubber and came out in front past the right post. J.S. Aubin got his stick on it, but the puck then bounced right back into the slot, where Kyle Wilson fired the lively disc into a mostly open Phantoms net for a 1-0 lead when the game was just 1:17 old. That score carried into the first intermission.

Things turned around for the Phantoms in the second period and they left the middle frame with a 3-2 lead. Philadelphia tied the game 3:24 into the period during a 5-on-3 opportunity. Danny Syvret had the puck at the center point and put it down low to Jonathon Matsumoto on the right side. Matsumoto threaded the puck out in front and Kane was able to get his stick on it, elevating it high past Daren Machesney to make it 1-1.

Hershey jumped back ahead on a goal by Jay Beagle at the 9:31 mark. Tyler Sloan sent an innocent-looking backhander towards the net, but Beagle altered the flight path and Aubin had no chance to intercept the new itinerary.

But the Phantoms knotted it again at 2-2 on Kane's second of the night. David Laliberte carried the puck into the left-side circle and fired a shot that Machesney stopped. Kane was coming down the right wing wearing Hershey defenseman Bryan Helmer, but managed to take a one-handed swipe at the puck and chip it past Machesney for the equalizer with 7:12 left to play.

The Phantoms took the lead with 4:45 to go in the period on Kane's third goal, which was originally credited to Jason DeSantis. It was DeSantis's drive from the right point that generated the goal, which Kane scored when he redirected the shot through the pads of Machesney such that it just barely slid over the line, running out of steam before it hit the back of the net. The tally gave Philadelphia that 3-2 advantage heading into the second intermission.

Kane's hat trick was the first such achievement for a Phantoms player since November 9, 2007, when Ryan Potulny posted a natural hat trick in the last two minutes of regulation and early in overtime to turn an impending 2-0 loss to Bridgeport into a 3-2 win at the Wachovia Spectrum.

Claude Giroux added an insurance goal and the third power-play marker of the evening with 4:19 gone in the third period. He was stationed in the left circle when a puck arrived from the right point, which he perfectly one-timed past Machesney to the upper left corner. Patrick Maroon then finished off the scoring with an empty-netter with 1:48 remaining.

Aubin recorded his first win as a Phantom with 30 saves on 32 Hershey shots. Machensey faced 25 of Philadelphia's 26 shots and turned away 21 of them. Philadelphia's 3-for-6 power play performance stood alongside a perfect night for the penalty killing unit, which held the Bears scoreless on six power play attempts.

The Phantoms return home tomorrow, Nov. 2, for the back half of the home-and-home series with the Bears at 5:05 PM. The Phillie Phanatic is scheduled to attend and provide hockey's first ever ceremonial First Puck Pitch, and it's also 60's Night at the Wachovia Spectrum. Tickets for that game, as well as all 2008-09 regular season games, are available by calling 1-800-298-4200 or visiting phantomshockey.com.

The best way for fans to secure a ticket for the final regular season game at the Wachovia Spectrum on April 12, 2009 is to purchase either a game plan package or season tickets. Packages are available now in convenient blocks of 6, 10, 16 and 20 games, as well as pro-rated full season tickets for all remaining home games. All packages receive an impressive list of exclusive benefits, discount prices and the same seat for each game, beginning at just $60!

For more information or to make a deposit, call the Phantoms at 215-465-4522 during normal business hours. More information is also available at the Phantoms website, Phantomshockey.com.

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