Phantoms Spook Griffins in OT, 4-3
January 9, 2009 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Grand Rapids Griffins News Release
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - David Laliberte scored 2:22 into overtime on Friday to lift the Philadelphia Phantoms to a 4-3 win over the Grand Rapids Griffins at Van Andel Arena.
Laliberte's shot from the left side caromed off a Griffins defenseman at the top of the crease and past Jimmy Howard, snapping the Phantoms' seven-game winless skid.
Grand Rapids (22-8-5-3), which nevertheless extended its home-ice point streak to eight games (6-0-2-0), will host a rematch with Philadelphia on Saturday at 7 p.m.
The teams traded goals in the opening period, with Philly (20-16-1-1) drawing first blood while shorthanded at 11:36. After losing a race for the puck in the right circle, Jonathan Matsumoto knocked down Howard's clearing attempt, collected the puck along the goal line and quickly slipped a shot into the vacated cage.
The Griffins got it back at the 16:01 mark on Francis Pare's fifth goal in the last six games, as he took a pass from Evan McGrath to the left of the net and beat Michael Teslak from close range.
The same scenario transpired in the second period, as Jeffrey Szwez scored on a rebound at 3:08 to give the Phantoms a 2-1 advantage, before Garrett Stafford tied it on a blast from the high slot during a 5-on-3 power play at 11:11.
Grand Rapids grabbed its first lead during another power play at 13:48, when Mattias Ritola crashed the crease to pop home a feed from Ville Leino. But it was the Phantoms' turn to knot the score in the third, as Szwez collected his second of the night with 12:41 remaining.
Howard, who surpassed current New York Islander Joey MacDonald as the Griffins' all-time leader in goaltender minutes played during the second period (now 9244:02 to MacDonald's 9208:13), finished with 30 saves, while Teslak took the win with 38 stops.
Three Stars: 1. PHI Laliberte (game-winning goal); 2. PHI Szwez (2 goals); 3. GR Stafford (power play goal)
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