Phantoms Fall in Unusual Hockey Doubleheader

Published on March 1, 2013 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Adirondack Phantoms News Release


The Adirondack Phantoms traveled to Springfield for an unusual quasi-doubleheader against the Falcons Friday evening with the completion of a suspended game from a couple weeks prior plus a full game after that. The first ever Phantoms twin-bill in franchise history did not go the team's way as they fell 3-2 in a shootout in an exciting opener and then dropped a 7-2 decision in the finale.

Adirondack entered Game 1 with a 2-1 lead late in the 2nd period when play commenced at 6:05 p.m. The game was suspended on February 17 due to the injury of Wade MacLeod of the Falcons who had a seizure on the ice later determined to be the result of a benign mass in his brain.

Cal Heeter stood on his head and made some spectacular saves including a couple of point-blank stops to keep Adirondack in front but eventually Scott Howes was able to convert on a power play midway through the third to tie the game. And following a wild and back-and-forth overtime, Jonathon Audy-Marchessault would score a highlight-reel caliber goal on a spectacular and gutsy spin-o-rama full-360 to backhand slide the lone shootout tally past Heeter.

Rob Bordson almost won the game for Adirondack before that though. One minute into the overtime he carried the puck into the Falcons' zone and got off a shot from the right circle through a Springfield defender that handcuffed RPI product Allen York in net for the home team. The puck deflected high in the air off his blocker and landed behind him in the blue-paint. But the puck refused to spin towards the goal-line and Bordson was just blocked at the last instant on his lunging effort for the puck by York as they barely prevented the Adironddack winner.

Bordson and Syvret had scored earlier in the game for Adirondack in the beginning part of the contest on February 17.

Mitch Wahl made his Phantoms debut after being acquired from Calgary in a trade for Mike Testwuide earlier in the week. The trade was on February 25 but the game technically is recorded as having taken place on February 17. That means Wahl actually made his Phantoms debut one week BEFORE he was acquired by the Phantoms. A neat trick!

Matthew Ford returned to action for the first time in over a month since he suffered a knee injury. Ford was involved in the most recent suspended game in the AHL in 2009 in Cleveland with the Lake Erie Monsters that was postponed due to bad ice conditions. He played the first part of that game but was not with the team for the completion a couple months later. For this one with Adirondack, he sat out the first part of the game because of injury but then joined the lineup for the conclusion. It is suspected that Ford almost has to become the first player ever to play in a front-end and back-end without playing the entirety either time in two different suspended games.

The teams took a 30 minute break after the first game was over and things did not go Adirondack's way in Game 2. Springfield raced out to a 3-0 lead in the first period on goals where there was not much Heeter could do. Terry Murray tried calling his timeout early in the first period in an unusual move as he attempted to give a boost to his team but the tactic did not work.

The Falcons would score two more in the second and then another two in the third.

Matthew Ford got the Phantoms on the board late in the second period on a power play goal with a nice assist by Jaosn Akeson and then Rob Bordson scored on a breakaway in the third period for his 9th of the year, most among active Phantoms.

Heeter went the distance and surrendered all seven of the goals in the game but one could hardly pin the blame on his efforts for the result. Seven different Springfield players lit the lamp as the Phantoms allowed their most goals in a game this season.

Adirondack will have their chance for revenge next Friday when they host the Springfield Falcons in Glens Falls. It will be the Falcons first trip to the North Country this season right after Adirondack finished their three trips to western Mass this year.

The rest of this weekend, Adirondack travels to Bridgeport Saturday night and then host Albany on Sunday at 3:00 presented by Trustco Bank with Photos with all the Phantoms available to the fans after the game. For tickets, call the Phantoms at 518-480-3355.

Saturday's game could feature a goalie matchup of Michael Leighton vs. Rick DiPietro. Leighton was assigned to Adirondack earlier in the day and will join the Phantoms in Bridgeport in time for the game. DiPietro was recently assigned to the Sound Tigers by the New York Islanders earlier in the week.

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American Hockey League Stories from March 1, 2013


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