Late Game-Winner for Brandon Manning
April 14, 2014 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Adirondack Phantoms News Release
Brandon Manning crashed the net for a back-door chip-in with just 4:50 remaining to break a late 2-2 tie as Adirondack won for the fourth time in their last five games. The Phantoms added an empty-netter from Brandon Alderson for a 4-2 victory at the Bridgeport Sound Tigers on Monday night. The game was a make-up of the scheduled Saturday contest which was postponed due to unsafe ice conditions.
It was not an ideal travel situation for the Phantoms who came all the way back to Glens Falls following Saturday night's postponement only to turn around and make the trip back to Bridgeport right after Sunday's home victory over Utica. But as long as the Phantoms were here, they might as well win the game from the struggling Sound Tigers who have now dropped 12 straight as well as 18 of their last 19.
Not only have the Phantoms won two straight and four of five, but they also have just one regulation loss in their last seven games (4-1-2). The Adirondack Phantoms are playing their last ever games. The team's last game at the Glens Falls Civic Center will be Friday night in a rematch with this same Bridgeport squad.
Nick Cousins (11th) and Kyle Flanagan (6th) also scored for the Phantoms while Carsen Chubak recorded the win again in his first ever back-to-back starts as a pro. For Alderson, his empty-netter extended his goal-streak to three games in which the rookie has scored four goals. Alderson was coming off his first career multi-goal game in Sunday's win and now has 13 on the year.
Nick Cousins broke a scoreless tie with a breakaway goal midway through the second period flipping his backhander over Phillippe Trudeau. Derek Whitmore and Oliver Lauridsen assisted on the goal.
Bridgeport quickly equalized just 30 seconds later on a big one-timer from the inner left-circle by Alan Quine.
Adirondack regained the lead late in the second period on Kyle Flanagan's back-door swing on the power-play on a fine cross-ice give by Petr Straka. But again the lead would be short-lived. This time Bridgeport responded exactly two minutes later with a short-handed rush in the closing seconds of the period. Scooter Vaughan's rocket from the left-circle beat Chubak high-blocker to tie the game at 2-2 with just 12 seconds remaining in the middle frame.
Five minutes into the third period, the Phantoms needed to kill a four-minute Bridgeport man-advantage following a double-minor for high sticking on Nick Cousins. Adirondack scrambled through the penalty-kill and clogged the shooting lanes to preserve the tie.
With less than five minutes to go in regulation, Ben Holmstrom charged in behind the Bridgeport net to win the puck and then found Petr Straka to the right of the cage. For the second time in the game, Straka would offer an impressive cross-ice feed to set up a goal. This time he connected with Brandon Manning who saw the open lane from the his left-defensive spot to charge straight towards the goal. Straka's pass across hit Manning perfectly on the tape and Manning made the game-winning chip-in look easy.
Manning's goal brought to mind another game-winner he scored from a rush to the net; in the first game of the season on October 5 he sped towards the crease in overtime to pick up a loose rebound of a Petr Straka shot for the win at Hershey.
Nick Cousins would connect with Brandon Alderson for an empty-netter tap-in to seal the Adirondack win.
In the last ever games for the Adirondack Phantoms, the team is finishing with a flourish. Adirondack has won four of their last five and also has points in six of their most recent seven games going 4-1-2 in the stretch. Now just three games remain in the final season of the Adirondack Phantoms which includes an away game at Syracuse on Wednesday and then a rematch with Bridgeport in Adirondack's Fond Farewell Night in the home finale on Friday. The Phantoms wrap-up the slate at Hershey on Saturday.
Just three games remain for the Adirondack Phantoms. Next up is an away contest at Syracuse on Wednesday. Then it's the big home finale on Friday night with the fans' last ever chance to cheer for the Adirondack Phantoms and the team's last chance to thank their loyal supporters. Phantoms Team Posters will be given away to the first 4,000 fans in attendance courtesy of the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce. Call the Phantoms for tickets in advance to save: 518-480-3355.
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