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Phantoms Weekly Notes

January 14, 2008 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Adirondack Phantoms News Release


UPCOMING OPPONENTS Wednesday, January 16: Phantoms at Syracuse, 7:00 - The Phantoms will visit Syracuse for their first meeting of the season with the Crunch (Columbus Blue Jackets). The Crunch start the week with a record of 19-21-1-1 for 40 points, which is good for third place in the North Division but only gets them 11th place in the 15-team Western Conference. The Phantoms have not managed a win against Syracuse since February 9, 2003, a 5-3 win in Philadelphia. They have posted a record of 0-6-1-3 in 10 games since that date. Joakim Lindstrom, currently the team's leading scorer with 15 goals and 23 assists for 38 points in just 29 games, has been on recall with Columbus since Dec. 27. The game could mark the first-ever meeting between Philadelphia's Alexandre Picard and Syracuse's Alexandre Picard.

Friday, January 18: Phantoms vs. Bridgeport, 7:05 - The Bridgeport Sound Tigers (New York Islanders) roll into town for the second of four meetings between the team this month alone. Bridgeport heads into the week holding down the Eastern Conference's sixth position with a record of 18-21-1-0- for 37 points. Jeff Tambellini, currently on recall to the NHL, is Bridgeport's leading scorer with 22 goals and 22 assists for 44 points in 35 games. Philadelphia has won both games between the two teams so far this season, with the last coming in 6-2 fashion on Jan. 6.

Saturday, January 12: Phantoms at Binghamton, 7:05 - The Phantoms will look to continue their success against the Binghamton Senators (Ottawa Senators) when they visit the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena on Saturday night. The Phantoms have won 11 straight against Binghamton, consisting of all eight games last season and the first three of the eight-game series scheduled for this season. The Senators start the week in fifth place in the East Division, 12 points behind the Phantoms and three behind the tie between Hershey and Albany for the final playoff slot in the division. Former Flyer and Phantom Niko Dimitrakos is third on Binghamton's roster in scoring with 11 goals and 15 assists for 26 points in 36 games.

Sunday, January 20: Phantoms vs. Lowell, 5:05 - The Phantoms and the Lowell Devils (New Jersey Devils) get together for the third time this month and final time this season. Philadelphia has taken all three games so far, the most recent being a 4-2 win last Wednesday night in Massachusetts. The Devils are in seventh place in the Atlantic Division with a record of 13-21-3-4 for 33 points. Petr Vrana is the team's leading scorer with eight goals and 28 assists for 36 points in 41 games.

PHANTOMS RESET

The Phantoms are 27-12-1-0 for 55 points through 40 games. Placements are as follows:

East Division - 1st place, seven points ahead of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton

Eastern Conference - 2nd place, nine points behind Providence

AHL - 4th place behind Providence, Rockford and Chicago

Comparisons to past years:

2007-08: 27-12-1-0, 55 points

2004-05: 24-10-2-4, 54 points

1997-98: 26-9-1-4, 57 points

1996-97: 25-8-2-5, 57 points

Note: The 1997-98 and 2004-05 teams won Calder Cups; the 1996-97 team holds franchise records for most wins (49) and standings points (111) in team history.

2007-08 and 2004-05 records are W-L-OTL-SOL; 1997-98 and 1996-97 records are W-L-T-OTL.

Last year's team did not reach 55 points until March 6 and did not reach 27 wins until March 18. The Phantoms are four wins away from equaling last season's total of 31.

JAM-PACKED WEEKEND ON TAP FOR PHANTOMS

The Phantoms have a clown-car of a weekend coming up, with more things going on than should be allowed by law. It all starts Friday night on Country Craze Night, when national recording artist Whiskey Falls takes the Wachovia Spectrum ice following the game against Bridgeport to perform its smash hit Last Train Running and much more. Also on this night, the #99 Office Depot Sprint Cup car of Carl Edwards will be on the Wachovia Spectrum concourse, ready to smile for photos with you, and will be revving its engine on the ice during the intermission.

On Sunday, it's the annual Photo Night with the Phantoms. The entire roster and coaching staff will be out on the ice for an hour after the game to take photos with fans.

Tickets for both games are still available! Call ComcastTIX at 1-800-298-4200 or vist phantomshockey.com.

MID-SEASON REPORT

The Phantoms have now reached the halfway point of the 2007-08 season. Philadelphia's first half was the third-best in franchise history in terms of winning percentage and standings points, eclipsing the 2004-05 Calder Cup team, and saw the most wins in franchise history, one more than the 26 recorded by the 1997-98 team.

The pace set in the first half would equal a final record of 54-24-2-0 for 110 points. That would set a franchise record for wins, breaking the old mark of 49, and would put the team one point away from the franchise record of 111 standings points. The 1996-97 team holds both records.

Were the team to achieve that record, it would mark a 40-point turnaround from last year's finish of 31-41-2-6 for 70 points.

Throughout the season, the Phantoms have been tracking the record compared to the three best teams in franchise history. Their 40-game records are listed above. Here is how those teams fared in the second half of the season:

2004-05: 24-15-1-0; final record 48-15-3-4 for 103 points

1997-98: 21-12-9-2; final record 47-21-10-2, 106 points

1996-97: 24-10-8-2; final record 49-18-10-3, 111 points

A year ago, the Phantoms were 15-22-1-2 at the halfway point of the season.

Through the first half of the season, the Phantoms have allowed the AHL's fewest goals at 94 and are seventh in goals scored with 125. The power play is fourth at 19.8 percent and the penalty kill is sixth at 85.6 percent. The Phantoms are fourth in the league with exactly 1000 PIM.

AND STILL GOING

Sunday was Philadelphia's seventh game in a 10-day period and marked the halfway point of a marathon January in which the club is playing 14 games in a span of 23 days heading into the All-Star Break. Philadelphia is 5-2 in the first seven contests, and will start the second half on Wednesday in Syracuse.

THEY'RE STARS

Phantoms defenseman Alexandre Picard and center Jared Ross are preparing to go to their first All-Star event when they represent the Phantoms at the 2008 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Reebok, scheduled for Binghamton, NY on January 27-28. Picard will play for the Canadian squad, while Ross will suit up for the PlanetUSA team.

WEEKLY NOMINATIONS

The Phantoms nominated Stefan Ruzicka for Rbk/AHL Player of the Week consideration this week. Ruzicka played a role in all three Phantoms games this weekend. He posted Philadelphia's only goal in the 5-1 loss to Lake Erie on Friday, and helped set up Alexandre Picard's power play goal on Sunday in the 6-2 loss to Manchester. In between, Ruzicka scored two shootout goals, including the game winner, in Philadelphia's 2-1 shootout win over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Saturday.

NOTES

When Brian Boucher came in to relieve Scott Munroe on Friday vs. Lake Erie, it was his first no-decision appearance of the season... In four games this week, Philadelphia took a total of 25 first-period shots (6, 8, 3 and 8) for an average of 6.25 shots per period. In the third period over the same four games, the Phantoms took a total of 52 shots (8, 16, 17, 11) for an average of 13 shots per period... With a goal and two assists in Wednesday's 4-2 win at Lowell, Darroll Powe recorded his first multi-point game and first first-star honors as a professional... the Phantoms play Bridgeport and Lowell three times apiece this month. The games wrap up the series with Lowell, and Philadelphia won't see Bridgeport again until March.

TOYOTA CUP STANDINGS

Brian Boucher continues to lead the annual race for the Toyota Cup. Players are awarded points each time they are chosen as a star of the game, with five points given for a first star, three points for a second star and one point for a third star. The player with the most points at the end of the season will win a monetary donation to the charity of his choice courtesy of Toyota.

Player 1st Star 2nd Star 3rd Star Points

Brian Boucher 6 3 2 41

Jared Ross 2 2 2 18

Steve Downie 2 2 0 16

Darren Reid 3 0 1 16

Alexandre Picard 3 0 0 15

Stefan Ruzicka 2 1 1 14

Ryan Potulny 2 1 0 13

Boyd Kane 1 2 0 11

Jonathan Matsumoto 0 3 1 10

Darroll Powe 1 1 1 9

Denis Tolpeko 1 1 1 9

Pete Zingoni 0 3 0 9

Scott Munroe 1 1 0 8

Frederik Cabana 1 0 1 6

Kyle Greentree 0 0 4 4

Oskars Bartulis 0 1 0 3

Triston Grant 0 1 0 3

Jesse Boulerice 0 0 1 1

Nate Guenin 0 0 1 1

David Laliberte 0 0 1 1

PHANTOMS HOCKEY ON THE INTERNET

The Phantoms have teamed up with the Philadelphia Area Dodge Dealers to provide free audio broadcasts of all Phantoms games, home and away, this season. The Phantoms official website, Phantomshockey.com, in conjunction with league and team partner B2 Networks, will provide the home for the audio. In addition to the games, Dodge will also bring the ever-popular Coaches Corner to fans on Phantomshockey.com. New editions of the weekly sit-down with Phantoms head coach Craig Berube will be posted to the site every Tuesday.

WATCH THE GAMES THROUGH B2

Every Phantoms game this season is being broadcast with streaming video through the league's partnership with B2 Networks. A ticket for the game is $6, which allows fans to watch the game via a broadband Internet connection from their own homes! Visit www.phantomshockey.com for more details.

TICKET INFORMATION

All kids tickets for all Phantoms games are just $10. To purchase, go to phantomshockey.com or call 1-800-298-4200.

UPCOMING OPPONENTS Date Opponent Site Time

Wednesday, Jan. 16 Syracuse Crunch War Memorial at Oncenter 7:00

Friday, Jan. 18 Bridgeport Sound Tigers Wachovia Spectrum 7:05

Saturday, Jan. 19 Binghamton Senators Broome County VMA 7:05

Sunday, Jan. 20 Lowell Devils Wachovia Spectrum 5:05

LAST WEEK'S RESULTS

Date Opponent Site Result Score

Wednesday, Jan. 9 Lowell Devils Tsongas Arena W 4-2

Friday, Jan. 11 Lake Erie Monsters Wachovia Spectrum L 5-1

Saturday, Jan.12 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Wachovia Arena W 2-1 (SO)

Sunday, Jan. 13 Manchester Monarchs Wachovia Spectrum L 6-2

Live audio and video broadcasts are available for every game at Phantomshockey.com.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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