Opening Sprint Pushes Phantoms Past Falcons

Published on December 12, 2008 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Adirondack Phantoms News Release


SPRINGFIELD, MASS. - Jared Ross had two goals while Boyd Kane and Danny Syvret each posted a pair of assists to boost the Philadelphia Phantoms to a 5-2 win over the Springfield Falcons on Friday night at the MassMutual Center. The win was Philadelphia's fourth in a row and sixth in its last seven games.

For the second time in their last three games, the Phantoms enjoyed a three-goal first period. The scoring started three seconds after the halfway point when a Springfield defenseman couldn't clear a bouncing puck and Ross snuck in behind the player. He was able to beat Springfield netminer Devan Dubnyk to make it 1-0 with 9:57 left in the period.

About five minutes later, David Laliberte made it a 2-0 game. He was cycling the puck with Patrick Maroon when he took a pass in the left corner and just walked along the goal line to the front of the net, where he jammed the puck past Dubnyk with 4:43 left to play.

Then in the waning moments of the third period, the Phantoms found themselves with a late rush up ice. Ross carried the puck into the right circle with Claude Giroux just to his left and trailing, and Kane on the left post. Ross took the shot himself and fired it towards Kane, who was upended by a Springfield defenseman at that left post. As Kane fell to the ice, the puck slid over the line, and Ross was credited with his second of the night with 2.7 seconds displaying on the scoreboard clock.

The Phantoms added a fourth goal in the second period that came just after a power play opportunity ended. Nate Raduns was deep in the zone behind the net and pulled the puck back out in front past the right post, sticking it through a puck-sized hole between that post and Dubnyk's left skate. The goal came 4:23 into the frame and made it 4-0.

The Falcons jumped to life in the third period with two quick power play goals. The first came during a 5-on-3 when Taylor Chorney fired a shot from the point that went wide. Former Phantom Ryan Potulny was in perfect position in the slot to accept a rebound off the end boards and fire it into an open net to make it 4-1 7:35 into the third period.

Then, less than two minutes later while on another power play, Sebastien Bisaillon launched a slapshot from the left point that made its way through a screen and past Scott Munroe at the 9:08 mark.

But the Phantoms regained the momentum during a power play with 6:40 remaining in the third. Giroux crept into the left circle and blasted a slapshot past Dubnyk's short side, closing out the scoring at 5-2.

Munroe stopped 21 of 23 to earn the win, while Dubnyk absorbed the loss while stopping 28 of 33. The Phantoms finished the evening 2-for-6 on the power play, and Springfield was 2-for-5.

After a rare Saturday off, the Phantoms return to the Wachovia Spectrum for a five-game homestand, with four of those games coming over the course of the next week. It starts on Sunday when the Phantoms host the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at 5:05 PM. The evening features the Scott Hartnell Glove & Mitten Toss. Fans are encouraged to bring a new pair of gloves or mittens to throw on the ice in the first intermission. All fans bringing an item will be entered to win a Scott Hartnell autographed jersey or a pair of Hartnell autographed gloves. Hartnell will also be greeting fans and signing autographs on the concourse before the game.

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American Hockey League Stories from December 12, 2008


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