Phantoms Weekly

January 6, 2003 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Adirondack Phantoms News Release


The Phantoms rebounded from a New Year's Eve shutout to post two impressive home wins over the weekend and go 2-1 for the second straight week. On Tuesday in Portland, former Phantom Maxime Ouellet made 34 saves and Trent Whitfield scored 64 seconds into the game to lead the Pirates to a 1-0 victory. Neil Little finished with 33 saves in defeat. Philadelphia overcame its second straight shutout with Friday's 5-1 triumph over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Mark Greig led the way with a penalty shot goal and three assists, while Joe Sacco (2G, 1A) and Peter White (1G, 2A) each added three points. Antero Niittymaki earned the win by making a team season-best 38 saves. On Sunday, Little stopped all 22 shots he faced in a 2-0 victory over the Syracuse Crunch. White and Kirby Law scored 3:57 apart early in the third period to snap a scoreless tie and help Philadelphia win its season-high fourth straight home game.

VANDERMEER MAKES NHL DEBUT

Jim Vandermeer made his NHL debut with the Flyers on Jan. 3 at Anaheim. The second-year defenseman took 11 shifts and played 7:41, while receiving a hooking minor during the first period of Philadelphia's 1-0 win. Vandermeer became the ninth person to play for both the Phantoms and Flyers this season.

PENALTY SHOT MILESTONE

Mark Greig's penalty shot on Jan. 3 vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton was the first successful one by a Phantom since Jason Zent accomplished the feat at St. John's on Feb. 3, 1999. It was also the first-ever made penalty shot for the Phantoms when playing at home. Philadelphia has attempted a league-high three penalty shots this season, as Andre Savage and Wade Skolney had previously been awarded shots, but were denied. The club record for most penalty shots attempted in a season is four, set in 1996-97.

SACCO OFF TO GOOD START

Joe Sacco was signed to a player tryout contact on Dec. 31 and helped Philadelphia go 2-0 in his first two games after the team had been shut out in its two previous matches. Playing in his first AHL game since the 1992-93 season, Sacco registered two goals and an assist in a 5-1 victory over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Jan. 3. Two days later, he assisted on Peter White's game-winner as Philadelphia edged Syracuse 2-0. Sacco has played in over 700 NHL games during his 13-year career.

SLANEY NAMED TO 2003 CANADIAN AHL ALL-STAR TEAM

Defenseman John Slaney was among the 21 skaters and three goaltenders named to the Canadian team roster for the 2003 Dodge AHL All-Star Classic, to be held Feb. 2-3 at the Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland, Maine. Slaney, who is making his fourth straight AHL All-Star Classic appearance, was also voted a starter via on-line fan balloting at www.theahl.com. The 30-year-old served as captain of the Canadian AHL All-Star team last year and earned game MVP honors in 2001.

LITTLE RECORDS ANOTHER SHUTOUT

Goaltender Neil Little recorded his second shutout of the season, seventh as a Phantom and 10th of his career in a 2-0 win over Syracuse on Jan. 5. The two shutouts are one shy of the Phantoms individual record for most in a season (Jean-Marc Pelletier, 1999-2000), and one away from most by Little in a season (Grand Rapids, 1998-99). Sunday's shutout was the 21st in regular-season history by the Phantoms.

PHANTOMS TRANSACTIONS

12/31 - ADD Joe Sacco, signed PTO
1/1 - DELETE Jim Vandermeer, recalled by Flyers (NHL)
1/3 - ADD Guillaume Lefebvre, reassigned by Flyers (NHL)
1/3 - ADD Ian Forbes, recalled from Trenton (ECHL)
1/4 - DELETE Jeff Smith, reassigned to Trenton (ECHL)
1/4 - DELETE Mark Greig, recalled by Flyers (NHL)
1/5 - ADD Jeff Smith, recalled from Trenton (ECHL)

UPCOMING OPPONENTS

Philadelphia and Bridgeport will square off for the fourth and final time on Wednesday. Four different Phantoms scored and Antero Niittymaki needed to make just 17 saves as Philadelphia posted a 4-1 home win over the Sound Tigers on Nov. 15. Bridgeport got revenge on its own ice eight days later as Jeff Hamilton's goal 5:17 into the third period was the difference in a 2-1 decision. Niittymaki made 28 saves in defeat. But Philadelphia assumed a 2-1 lead in the season series on Dec. 7 when Matthew Yeats made 26 saves in his AHL debut and Kirby Law recorded a hat trick in a 4-1 victory. The Phantoms and Sound Tigers split four match-ups during Bridgeport's inaugural season last year, with each team going 1-1 in its own building.

The Phantoms face the Lowell Lock Monsters for just the fifth time in five years on Friday. The teams last met during the 2000-01 season, when Lowell won 2-1 in overtime in Philadelphia on Oct. 13 and 5-2 at home on Jan. 24. Philadelphia fared much better back in 1998-99, sweeping the two match-ups by a combined 8-2 margin. The Lock Monsters will make their only visit of the season to Philadelphia on Saturday, March 8.

Philadelphia will try to snap a five-game losing streak when playing at Albany this Saturday. The teams split their two-game season series a year ago, but the Phantoms' 4-2 road loss on Jan. 11 was the fifth in a row in Albany since their last win there on Dec. 30, 1999. The five-game skid is the longest in Phantoms history vs. one team on the road. Philadelphia trails 9-11-3-1 in the all-time series, including a 3-7-2 mark in Albany. The River Rats are set to visit Philadelphia on Friday, Feb. 21.

Philadelphia is 1-2-0-1 against the Norfolk Admirals heading into Sunday's game at the Spectrum. Andre Savage and Ian MacNeil each scored on Oct. 25, but it was Peter White who netted the game-winner for the Admirals in a 3-2 decision. On Nov. 1, Casey Hankinson totaled a goal and an assist to lead Norfolk to a 2-1 triumph. Mike Peluso starred in Norfolk's 3-2 home win on Nov. 7, assisting on his team's first two goals and netting the game-winner 1:56 into overtime. After suffering the three one-goal setbacks, Philadelphia finally posted a 3-1 home victory over the Admirals on Nov. 8, as Mike Siklenka, Mark Greig and MacNeil all scored. Philadelphia is 10-9-1-2 all-time vs. Norfolk, going 6-6 at home. Philadelphia plays the Admirals a total of 10 times this season, with the next meeting scheduled for Jan. 18 in Norfolk.

FOUR GAMES IN FIVE DAYS COMING UP Philadelphia will be playing four games over a five-day span this week for the second time this season. The Phantoms will be accomplishing the feat a total of 10 times in 2002-03. Philadelphia will also be playing on three consecutive days for the fourth time this year. The team will be doing that 11 times this season.

UPCOMING PROMOTIONS

It will be Snyder's of Hanover Switcheroo Night on Wednesday, Jan. 8, as all adults can buy tickets at $8 child prices. Fans will also receive free Snyder's products as they enter the First Union Spectrum. Freestyle Motocross rider Kenny "The Cowboy" Bartram will be signing autographs on the concourse prior to the game and dropping the opening puck. The annual Kids Run The Show Night is set for Sunday, Jan. 12, as winning children 14 & under will be joining the Phantoms' marketing, sales, public relations, operations, box office, fan development, game production and vice president staffs for a night. Kangaroo Jack will be hyping up his new movie by signing autographs, taking pictures with fans who bring their own cameras and giving away prizes. The ever-popular Chick-Fil-A Cows On Ice contest will take place during the first intermission and check out the Chick-Fil-A, Philadelphia Zoo on Wheels and Red Tiger karate displays on the concourse.

PHANTOMS AMONG THE LEAGUE LEADERS (thru 1/5)

* Peter White is tied for 11th in points (35), fifth in shooting percentage (.221) and tied for fourth in power-play goals (8)

* Mark Greig is tied for fourth in power-play goals (8)

* Neil Little is tied for seventh in goals-against average (2.29)

* John Slaney is tied for sixth among defensemen in points (25) and second in assists (22)

* Peter Vandermeer is second in major penalties (16) and third in penalty minutes (142)

* The Phantoms are third in penalty minutes per game (28.0)

* The Phantoms are third in shots allowed per game (27.18)

PHANTOMS NOTES

* John Slaney notched his 100th point as a Phantom on Jan. 3 vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

* Mark Greig tied team season highs for most points in game (4) and period (3) on Jan. 3.

* Philadelphia has killed 28 of its opponents' last 29 power-play chances.

* Philadelphia tied a season low for shots in a period with three during the second period on Jan. 3.

* The Phantoms' current four-game home win streak is its longest since a four-game run from Nov. 19-Dec. 1, 2000.

* Peter White has 13 points (5G, 8A) in his last nine games.

TICKET INFORMATION Ticket prices for Phantoms home games are $18, $17 and $13 for adults, and $8 for children 14 and under. The team also offers group rates, Game Plans, attractive premium area seating, birthday party and youth hockey packages, and the popular Family Value Pack. Please call the Phantoms sales office at 215-465-4522 for information, or log on to www.phantomshockey.com.



American Hockey League Stories from January 6, 2003


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