Phantoms Weekly - Big Homestand Continues
November 28, 2012 - American Hockey League (AHL) - Adirondack Phantoms News Release
Homestand Continues
The Adirondack Phantoms are riding a three game winning streak as they enter the second half of their longest homestand of the season. The Phantoms look to continue their winning ways with three more home games on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday against three different teams.
The Phantoms are coming off an impressive Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend in which Scott Munroe allowed just one goal in each of the three wins he notched. Adirondack disposed of Bridgeport 5-1 on Thanksgiving Eve followed by a Black Friday win over Norfolk 2-1 and then a Saturday night victory against Hershey 3-1.
Coming up, it's the St. John's IceCaps on Wednesday night as the Baby Flyers tangle with the affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets. Friday night has the Phantoms hosting the Binghamton Senators for the first time this year. And Saturday is Round 4 out of 12 in the battle for the Time Warner Cable Cup against the Albany Devils.
More great promotions are on tap for the big games including the first Glens Falls appearance of the Flyers Ice Girls for Friday and Saturday presented by North Country Snow and Ice Removal. Be sure to bring your skates and gloves on Saturday night for the post-game skate with the whole team presented by Glens Falls Hospital.
Beginning with this six-game homestand, Adirondack is playing 10 out of 12 games at home through December 21. This comes after a tough stretch to begin the season in which the Phantoms played only four of their first 14 games on home ice.
The Phantoms are 9-8-0 overall including 5-2-0 at home and are on their longest win streak of the season.
Brayden Schenn leads the Phantoms with nine goals and 22 points this season and has moved up to first in the Eastern Conference in points and third in the league. He has five point so far on the homestand with one goal and for assists.
Holiday Packs
Perfect for hanging on your mantle, the Phantoms Holiday Packs come in a game-worn hockey sock and include Phantoms tickets, a program, and your choice of an autographed puck or Phantoms sock. Prices are $49 or $59. Call the Phantoms to order the perfect gift for your favorite hockey fan at 518-480-3355.
Coats and Cans
Hundreds of coats and non-perishable food items were donated by our generous fans in the 2012 Coats and Cans drive with it all going to the Greater Glens Falls Salvation Army. Way to go, fans! Thanks for all your contributions. Hundreds of fans who made the donations received a free ticket to Wednesday night's game against St. John's.
Earlier this week, Zac Rinaldo and Tyler Brown helped Dax deliver it all to the Salvation Army for an early Christmas present for them as well as some less fortunate area kids and families.
Mustache Mania!!
Phantoms Fight Cancer this month features players and staff growing mustaches to raise awareness and generate funds for men's cancer issues. Contribute in the donation cans at the Phantoms game for your favorite Phantoms mustache grower (even Dax!!). Visit our special Movember site at mobro.co/phantomshockey
Special "Ticket and a T-Shirt" packages to benefit area men's cancer organizations are available now for only $30 with $5 from every purchase benefiting some great local causes including the Hudson Headwaters Health Network, the Glens Falls Hospital Foundation - C.R. Wood Cancer Center Capital Campaign.
Fans can also purchase the t-shirts separately for $20, again with $5 from each purchase benefiting this great organizations.
The month was highlighted on Men's Cancer Awareness Night on November 24 featuring Mustache Mania and the AHL's first ever mustache jerseys.
Phantoms Week in Review
Wednesday, November 21 - Adirondack 5 - Bridgeport 1
Jason Akeson racked up three assists in his first game back with the Phantoms, all in the same period, and five different scorers lit it up in a big win over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers on Thanksgiving Eve. Three power play goals was also a season high as the Phantoms started off their six-game homestand in style with the victory over the affiliate of the New York Islanders
Brayden Schenn and Sean Couturier both had very nice goals. For Schenn, it was his team-leading ninth of the season. Shane Harper, Tye McGinn and Harry Zolnierczyk also scored in the impressive win as they took down a Bridgeport team that had won three straight and entered the evening with a record of 10-4. Scott Munroe had 22 saves on 23 shots for Adirondack while Kevin Poulin was charged with the loss for Bridgeport.
The Phantoms dominated play in the second period with an 18-6 shot difference and then were able to finish off the victory in the thid.
Friday, November 23 - Adirondack 2 - Norfolk 1
Sean Couturier and Rob Bordson scored a mere 49 seconds apart early in the second period and then Adirondack's defense and strong goaltending held down the fort the rest of the way to preserve a 2-1 win over the defending Calder Cup Champions.
Bordson's goal was a nice move following a fake-shot in the right circle as he dragged the puck into the slot to find the perfect time to beat Frederick Andersen top shelf.
The Phantoms again dominated play in the second period, this time with a 19-5 shot disparity over the Admirals.
Scott Munroe again allowed just one goal in the victory.
Saturday, November 24 - Adirondack 3 - Hershey 1
Goals by Tye McGinn, Tyler Brown and then Sean Couturier at the end helped push the Phantoms past the Hershey Bears 3-1 to finish off the big Holiday Weekend of Hockey at the GFCC.
The Phantoms led 2-1 for the duration of the third period and Scott Munroe made several dazzling stops in preserving the one goal advantage up until the final seconds when Couturier's empty-net goal would finally seal the victory. For Couturier, it was his third straight game scoring a goal, all on the homestand.
The penalty kill was a big difference for the Phantoms who put themselves in a few tricky situations. But Adirondack was able to get out of it every time as they held Hershey to 0-for-7.
The first ever Mustache Jerseys proved to be extremely popular on Mustache Mania night to support Men's Cancer Awareness with the Phantoms. The fans and players alike loved the unique look. Part of the proceeds from the post-game jersey auction went to benefit the C.R. Wood Cancer Center at Glens Falls Hospital. Special thanks to mustache jersey presenting sponsor Parks Heritage Federal Credit Union.
The game marked the first Glens Falls appearance of former Adirondack Phantoms Kevin Marshall and Matt Clackson. Other former Phantoms on the Hershey Bears include Jon Kalinski (injured) and Ryan Potulny and Boyd Kane who were with the Philadelphia Phantoms.
Saratoga Spine Phantoms Player of the Week - Scott Munroe
Three games, three wins. Scott Munroe is the Saratoga Spine Player of the Week.
On his way to notching victories in all three games of the homestand, Munroe allowed one goal each night and stopped 72 of 75 total shots he faced.
Going back to his November 3 shutout of Albany, Munroe has gone 4-0 in his last four home games with a 0.75 goals against average and a .970 saves percentage with 98 saves on 101 shots.
The 30 year old now has 70 wins total as a Phantom placing him one shy of Antero Nittymaki for second all-time in franchise history. Munroe is also nearing a couple of interesting milestones. He is 39 saves away from 4,000 total in a Phantoms jersey. And he is 98 saves away from 6,000 for his whole AHL career.
He has 19 career shutouts including 11 with the Phantoms.
Iron-Man Holmstrom
25 year old captain Ben Holmstrom is racking up the games as he looks to become the all-time leader in Adirondack Phantoms history. Entering this week, Holmstrom has played in 176 career games with Adirondack which included 79 out of 80 in his rookie season.
Kevin Marshall's 185 career games with the Adirondack Phantoms is the most followed closely by Jon Kalinski with 182.
Holmstrom's 36 career goals with the Adirondack Phantoms is second all-time behind only Denis Hamel who had 48. And his 89 career points are also second all-time behind Hamel who had 96.
Last year, Holmstrom became the youngest captain in Phantoms franchise history when he was named to the position at just 24 year old. Boyd Kane (now with the Hershey Bears) had been the previous youngest captain when he was 25 with the Philadelphia Phantoms.
No Shootouts For You
The Adirondack Phantoms are the only team in the AHL who have yet to play a shootout this season. Their only extra-session game didn't take very long either; Brandon Manning scored just 14 seconds into overtime at Syracuse on October 28.
Upcoming Opponents
St. John's IceCaps, 9-9-1 (Winnipeg Jets
It's the first ever trip to Glens Falls for the St. John's IceCaps who take on the Phantoms Wednesday night. Adirondack traveled up to Newfoundland on October 19-20 and split a pair of exciting one-goal games. St. John's took the opener 2-1 as Danny Syvret hit the post three different times for the Phantoms. Adirondack bounced back from a 2-0 deficit the following night to record an exciting 4-3 win.
Coach McCambridge features a lot of veteran experience on his team. St. John's won the Atlantic Division last season in their first year back in the AHL and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals before falling to the Norfolk Admirals.
The former St. John's Maple Leafs played in the AHL from 1991-2004 before moving to Toronto to become the Marlies. The Adirondack Red Wings defeated the Maple Leafs in seven games to win the 1992 Calder Cup.
Record - 9-9-1
Division - 3rd place (Atlantic Division)
Head Coach - Keith McCambridge
Offense - 2.4, 24th (out of 30)
Defense - 2.8, 9th
Power Play - 13.6%, 24th
Penalty Kill - 81.0%, 21st
Players to watch:
Alex Burmistrov - Russia native who was the #8 overall pick in 2010 by Atlanta Thrashers. 13 goals, 15 assists last year with Winnipeg as a rookie. This year: 2-7-9
Ivan Telegin - 4th round, Atlanta, 2009. Rookie who played with Russia in World Juniors championship. This year: 2-4-6
Dean Aresene - Over 500 AHL games. Was with Hershey from 2004-09 and then Peoria and Portland last couple seasons.
Zach Redmond - 5-3-8. Tied for team-lead in goals. 8-23-31 with St. John's as rookie last year.
Max Macenaur - 5-3-8. Acquired from Anaheim in trade last Feb. Last year played with Syracuse.
Eddie Pasquale - 22 years old. Round 4, 2009, ATL. This year: 4-6-1, 2.43, .929. Last year went 23-12-1, .911, 2.41.
Binghamton Senators, 10-4-2 (Ottawa Senators)
The Binghamton Senators have been on a roll. The top affiliate for Ottawa have now won six straight including wins last weekend over Toronto on Thanksgiving 3-2 and then Syracuse 2-1 followed by a 6-1 rout of Bridgeport last Saturday.
This is the second of eight games in the regular season between the B-Sens and the Phantoms and is Binghamton's first appearance in Glens Falls this year. Adirondack lost at Binghamton a couple weeks ago.
Former Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Luke Richardson is in his first season as head coach of the Senators. He played 1417 career games in the NHL including five years with Philadelphia from 1997-2002. He also played for Toronto, Edmonton, Ottawa, Columbus and Tampa Bay in a career that spanned 1987-2009. Richardson has been an assistant coach with Ottawa for the past three seasons before assuming the head coaching duties with their AHL club.
Record - 10-4-2
Division - 2nd Place (East Division
Head Coach - Luke Richardson (1st Season)
Offense - 2.8, 18th (out of 30)
Defense - 2.4, 4th
Power Play - 10.1%, 26th
Penalty Kill - 88.3%,.4th
Players to watch:
Tyler Eckford - 5-5-10. Former Albany Devils and Portland Pirates defenseman leads the Senators in scoring.
Jakob Silfverburg - 3-6-9. 22 year old who was 2nd round pick of the Sens in 2009. First year in North America after playing last four seasons in native Sweden. Scored 24 goals and 30 assists last year over there.
Andre Benoit - 5-3-8. Binghamton captain who scored 11 goals with Binghamton two seasons ago and then played in Russia last year.
Robin Lehner - 21 year old goalie prospect from Sweden. 8-2-1, 1.63, .950. 3rd in the AHL in saves percentage and 2nd in goals against average. Helped lead the Senators to the Calder Cup in 2011.
Albany Devils, 4-7-5 (New Jersey Devils)
The Devils are on a three game winless streak after taking three out of four points at St. John's last weekend. Rick Kowalsky's team leads the Time Warner Cable Cup series 2 games to 1 so far in the 12-game season battle. The home team has won each encounter thus far. Adirondack won the cup last year 7 games to 3.
Albany features several players who were part of the New Jersey team that advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Record - 4-7-5
Division - Northeast (Fifth)
Head Coach - Rick Kowalsky (Third)
Offense - 2.3. 27th
Defense - 3.1, 18th
Power Play - 8.7%, 29th
Penalty Kill - 86.4%, 8th
Players to Watch:
Jacob Josefson - 7-4-11, leads Albany. #20 overall pick by New Jersey in 2009 draft out of Sweden. 5 goals in 69 games in the NHL over last two seasons.
Adam Henrique - 2-7-9. Scored game-winning goal in first-round, game 7 vs. Florida in double OT. 16 goals last year with NJ. Former teammates with Eric Wellwood on two-time Memorial Cup champion Windsor Spitfires.
Adam Larsson - 2-7-9. #4 overall pick in 2011 draft out of Sweden with big righty shot. Last year had 2-16-18 in 65 games with NJ.
Matt Anderson - West Islip, NY native out of UMass-Amherset who led Albany in scoring two seasons ago with 23 goals. This year: 3-6-9.
Keith Kinkaid - Second year pro out of Union. 3-2-2, 2.38, .913.
On The Air
The Voice of the Phantoms, Bob Rotruck, has the fast-paced hockey action and excitement all season long on the flagship home of the Adirondack Phantoms, Classic Hits Q101.7 and on the Phantoms Radio Network presented by Curtis Lumber. Broadcasts begin 30 minutes prior to game-time with the Pepsi Countdown to Faceoff pregame show and also include the Great Meadow Federal Credit Union post-game show including audio-replay highlights. Be sure to tune-in on your way to and from each Phantoms home game!
The Phantoms Power Hour is back as well. The weekly show recapping the past game and featuring interviews with Phantoms players and coaches is every Monday at 7:00 pm throughout the season. A new LIVE location where the fans can join us will be announced soon.
Fans can also listen to all the Phantoms games on our internet home at ustream.tv/channel/phantomsradio . UStream is also available as a free app on Android and iPhone so you can listen wherever you go! AHLLive.com has all the games too on pay-per-view.
Phantoms Roster
The Adirondack Phantoms' 25 player roster features plenty of familiarity as well as experience. 20 out of those 25 have played for the Phantoms before including 18 last year. And 10 players on the roster have played in the NHL for the Philadelphia Flyers including nine last season. There's a lot of talent on this team including plenty of impressive NHL credentials.
The ten players on the Phantoms roster who played for the Flyers (either last season or in previous seasons) include: Marc-Andre Bourdon, Sean Couturier, Erik Gustafsson, Ben Holmstrom, Brandon Manning, Zac Rinaldo, Danny Syvret, Brayden Schenn, Eric Wellwood and Harry Zolnierczyk.
Welcome Head Coach Terry Murray
The new head coach for the Adirondack Phantoms is NHL veteran mentor Terry Murray. No coach in the history of the AHL has ever had more experience than Murray who has been at the bench for 1,012 NHL regular season games with Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Washington and Florida. He has posted a career record of 499-383-89-41 for a points percentage of .557 and is 19th all-time in NHL history in regular season games coached and is 18th all-time in total wins.
Murray returns to the Flyers organization for his third tour of duty as a coach. He most recently worked in the Los Angeles Kings organization, where he was the head coach from the start of the 2008-09 season through December 2011. Prior to joining the Kings, Murray was a Flyers assistant coach for four seasons from 2003-2008, working first under Ken Hitchcock and later under John Stevens.
He was the head coach of the Flyers for three seasons from 1994 through 1997, leading the Flyers to the 1997 Stanley Cup Final. He posted a record of 118-64-30 in 212 games behind the bench in Philadelphia.
UPCOMING
Wednesday, November 28 (7:00) - St. John's IceCaps at Adirondack Phantoms. $1 Hot Dogs
Friday, November 30 (7:00) - Binghamton Senators at Adirondack Phantoms $2 Draft Beer Special. Flyers Ice Girls presented by North Country Snow Removal.
Saturday, December 1 (7:00) - Albany Devils at Adirondack Phantoms. Post-Game Skate with the Phantoms presented by Glens Falls Hospital. Flyers Ice Girls presented by North Country Snow Removal.
Phantoms Have You Covered
We have all the latest interviews, game-recaps, videos and more. Make sure you're keeping up! Follow the Phantoms and join our online communities on facebook.com/adkhockey and on twitter @phantomshockey. And, of course, check in frequently at our official team website at phantomshockey.com
Mustache Mania!!
Phantoms Fight Cancer this month features players and staff growing mustaches to raise awareness and generate funds for men's cancer issues. Contribute in the donation cans at the Phantoms game for your favorite Phantoms mustache grower (even Dax!!)
Visit our special Movember site at mobro.co/phantomshockey
• Discuss this story on the American Hockey League message board...
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