Phantoms Top Hershey in Shootout 4-3

Published on November 2, 2008 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Adirondack Phantoms News Release


PHILADELPHIA - The Hershey Bears came back from a three-goal deficit with less than 10 minutes to play, but the Phantoms finished things off in the shootout and took a 4-3 victory at the Wachovia Spectrum on Sunday night. It was Philadelphia's fourth win in a row and the second win in consecutive nights against the Bears. David Laliberte netted two goals in regulation and one in the shootout to pace a Phantoms attack that has scored sixteen goals in the last four games.

The Phantoms opened up the scoring 9:16 into the first period. While working with the man advantage, defenseman Danny Syvret took a cross-ice pass from Jason DeSantis and skated to the center point. He took a wrist shot through traffic, and Laliberte redirected it above the stick of Bears goaltender Bobby Goepfert.

Philadelphia took a 2-0 lead at the 15:37 mark of the first period on Laliberte's second of the night. While in their own zone, Oskars Bartulis received the puck from Claude Giroux and fed a long pass to Laliberte, who flew in on a breakaway. He faked a shot and then beat Goepfert high to his glove side.

The line of Laliberte, Giroux and Boyd Kane struck again on the power play at 11:07, giving the Phantoms a three goal advantage. Skating in on an odd-man rush, Kane hit Giroux flying down the left side boards and then darted towards the net. The give and go worked to perfection as Giroux returned a perfect pass to Kane, which he wristed above Goepfert's glove.

Hershey began its comeback bid halfway through the third period when the Phantoms were unable to clear their own zone. Mathieu Perreault took a pass from Francois Bouchard and fired a wrist shot that was initially stopped by goaltender Jean-Sebastien Aubin. As he sprawled to cover up the loose puck, Oskar Osala fired the rebound above Aubin.

Osala cut the Phantoms lead to one with his second of the night at the 14:09 mark of the third period. Bryan Helmer fired a shot from the point that was kicked away by Aubin. Osala picked up the loose trash in front again and netted the puck glove side.

Hershey completed the comeback with less than two minutes remaining. Bouchard fired a shot through traffic that was knocked down in front by the Phantoms defense. As players from both teams crashed the net, Perreault managed to slide the puck past the glove of Aubin to tie the game at 3-3.

With neither team able to capitalize in the five minute overtime period, the game went to a shootout. Hershey struck first on a Kyle Wilson wrist shot past the glove of Aubin, but the Phantoms retaliated on yet another goal by Laliberte. Aubin proceeded to stop his next three shots in a row, but Keith Aucoin capitalized in the fifth round to force an extra go. Maroon netted his second of the session in Round 6 opposite a miss by Alexandre Giroux to give the Phantoms the 4-3 shootout victory.

The Phantoms continued their recent special teams dominance by going 2 for 7 on the power play and killing all eight of the Bears man advantage opportunities. Both Aubin and Goepfert made 31 saves on 34 shots.

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American Hockey League Stories from November 2, 2008


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