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Penguins Shoot Down Phantoms

December 30, 2008 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Adirondack Phantoms News Release


WILKES-BARRE, PA - The Philadelphia Phantoms made things interesting with two goals from Patrick Maroon in the final 90 seconds, but an empty-netter snuffed out the rally and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins took a 6-4 win at the Wachovia Arena on Tuesday night. The Penguins took 49 shots on Phantoms goaltender Scott Munroe, including a long period of power play time in the second period in which they held a 23-0 shot advantage.

The Phantoms allowed the first goal for the fifth consecutive game when Wilkes-Barre/Scranton opened the scoring just 2:54 into the contest. Ben Lovejoy fired a shot from the right point that Munroe stopped. A high rebound came to Aaron Boogaard, who was able to glove it to the ice and fire it low past Munroe to make it a 1-0 contest.

The lead became 2-0 during the Penguins' first power play. Jeff Taffe let go a shot that Munroe again stopped, but Chris Minard was able to knock home the loose puck after a scramble. That score stood at the first intermission.

The Phantoms roared out in the third period and erased the deficit in the first 6:28. First it was Sean Curry picking up his first as a Phantom when his slapshot from the left point hit Wilkes-Barre/Scranton goaltender John Curry, pinballed around and ended up in the net to make it 2-1 just 36 seconds into the period.

Then at that 6:28 mark, Jonathan Matsumoto took a slapshot that was blocked back to him. He carried the puck into the slot from the right side and fired a wrister that beat Curry high to the glove side.

The Phantoms outshot the Penguins 8-1 in the first 7:52 of the period, but then got into penalty trouble. Philadelphia was whistled for five consecutive penalties, including three within 1:30 of each other, that put the Penguins on the power play for four straight minutes - half of which was during a five-on-three. Munroe stood strong as the Penguins generated 12 shots during that time, stopping all of them.

Although the penalty problems continued, it was between two minors that Wilkes-Barre/Scranton regained the lead with an even-strength goal. Bill Thomas was on a rush with Danny Richmond that started to fall apart, but a loose puck came to Thomas and he sent it past Munroe along the ice to make it 3-2. The Phantoms had to kill off another four minutes worth of power play time over the rest of the period, and were outshot 23-0 between the start of the first penalty at the 7:52 mark and the end of the fifth penalty at 18:38.

The Penguins jumped back out to a two-goal lead in the first part of the third period. Mark Letestu came down the right side and fired a shot on Munroe, and the rebound went right to a crashing Janne Pesonen, who buried the second chance for a 4-2 lead 5:27 into the third period.

With 5:21 remaining, the Penguins closed out the scoring during a 3-on-1 rush. Luca Caputi came down the left side and found Lovejoy crashing from the right. Lovejoy buried the feed to make it 5-2.

But the Phantoms weren't done. Presented with a two-man advantage with just under three minutes remaining, Munroe went to the bench and the Phantoms skated 6-on-3. Maroon posted his first with 1:31 remaining when he stuffed home a rebound. Then, with the net still empty and a subsequent 6-on-4, Maroon swept behind the net and banked one in off a Penguin defenseman with 40 seconds left. But the comeback was not to be, as Lovejoy buried an empty-netter with four second remaining while the Phantoms looked for the 6-on-5 equalizer.

Munroe took the loss with 43 saves, while Curry picked up the win with 29 saves.

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