Phantoms fall 5-2 to Pirates
February 19, 2003 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Adirondack Phantoms News Release
(PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 19, 2003) - The Philadelphia Phantoms had their two-game winning streak halted tonight as former teammate Maxime Ouellet made 36 saves for the Portland Pirates in a 5-2 victory at the First Union Spectrum.
Trent Whitfield added two goals and Andreas Salomonsson had three assists for Portland, which completed a two-game sweep of the Phantoms this season. The Pirates improved to 2-1-2 on their eight-game road trip and won in Philadelphia for the first time in five tries.
Ben Stafford and Patrick Sharp each scored and Antero Niittymaki finished with 21 saves for Philadelphia, which was coming off back-to-back wins in Rochester and Cincinnati last weekend.
After losing 1-0 to Ouellet in Portland on New Year's Eve, the Phantoms finally put a shot past him 2:44 into the second period to take a 1-0 lead. With the Pirates on the power play, Mike Lephart came up with a loose puck at his own blue line and fed Stafford at center ice for a breakaway.
The second-year center darted down the near side and placed a shot into the top right corner for his 11th of the season and first shorthanded goal. Philadelphia has scored seven times in 2002-03 while a man down.
Portland responded with four consecutive goals in the second period to assume a 4-1 lead. Chris Ferraro began the surge at 3:46 with a power-play goal, his 12th of the year. Colin Forbes and Salomonsson received assists on the equalizing goal.
Josef Boumedienne gave the Pirates a 2-1 lead 44 seconds later with another power-play goal, his seventh. Glen Metropolit and Ferraro executed some quick passing with Boumedienne, who launched a long slap shot that soared over Niittymaki's left shoulder.
Whitfield extended the cushion to 3-1 during a 4-on-4 situation at 5:27. Salomonsson and Mike Farrell set up his 21st of the year. Metropolit then widened the gap to three goals with 6:23 left in the period, as Peter Ferraro and Ouellet assisted on the breakaway goal, his second of the season.
"We fought and played hard in the beginning, but we played very frustrated in the second period, and that seemed to cost us with penalties and goals against," said Phantoms head coach John Stevens. "Max (Ouellet) played well. He made a lot of big saves when we had chances to score."
Sharp narrowed the difference to 4-2 at 11:22 of the third period. Guillaume Lefebvre and Kirby Law set up his eighth of the year. Whitfield's empty-net goal capped the scoring with 49.5 seconds remaining. Salomonsson and Forbes assisted on the play.
"We knew we had to put a lot of shots on net," said Phantoms center Andre Savage. "He (Ouellet) is good on lateral movements. We had a lot of chances, but he made the saves."
The Phantoms return to action on Friday at 7:05 p.m. when they host the Albany River Rats. Philadelphia then plays at Hershey on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. before entertaining the Bears on Sunday at 6:05 p.m.
Phantoms Notes: Earlier in the day, left wing Jeff Smith was reassigned to the Trenton Titans (ECHL) ... Flyers right wing Justin Williams signed autographs during the first intermission to preview his bobblehead doll night on Sunday, March 2 ... Jamie Wright had a five-game goal-scoring streak come to an end ... Savage also had a four-game point streak halted ... Philadelphia still leads the all-time series 5-4-1 ... Lefebvre missed a breakaway and Ian Forbes hit the post within seconds of each other midway through the second period.
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