Phantoms Weekly
November 17, 2003 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Adirondack Phantoms News Release
The Phantoms went 1-2-1 last week over a five-day span. The week began with Philadelphia's second annual School Day Game, as 10,092 screaming kids attended a 5-3 loss to the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks at the Wachovia Center. Cam Severson totaled two goals and an assist for Cincinnati, while Patrick Sharp had a goal and an assist for the Phantoms. The teams met again on Friday and skated to a 1-1 tie, as Chris Kunitz and Boyd Kane each tallied first-period power-play goals. Antero Niittymaki looked sharp in recording a team season-high 33 saves. The Phantoms traveled to Bridgeport on Saturday and suffered a 3-2 loss to the Sound Tigers. John Slaney and Mike Peluso scored 36 seconds apart in the second period, but Bridgeport responded with three unanswered goals to notch the win. Philadelphia bounced back on Sunday and posted a 1-0 victory over the visiting Providence Bruins. Niittymaki registered 24 saves in the shutout and Peter White's first-period shorthanded goal was all the scoring the Phantoms would need.
NIITTYMAKI RECORDS FIRST AHL SHUTOUT
Goaltender Antero Niittymaki stopped all 24 shots he faced on Nov. 16 vs. Providence to notch his first career AHL shutout. Playing in his 50th game as a Phantom, Niittymaki had to stop a penalty shot during the second period, a breakaway in the third and nine Bruins power plays along the way. The 23-year-old compiled eight shutouts during his three years with TPS Turku of the Finnish Elite League, and surrendered one goal in a game 11 times as a Phantom prior to Sunday. The shutout was the 25th in Phantoms history.
NIITTYMAKI NAMED SHER-WOOD AHL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Goaltender Antero Niittymaki has been named the Sher-Wood AHL Player of the Week for the period ending Nov. 16. In three appearances last week, Niittymaki went 1-0-1, posted a 0.41 goals-against average and stopped 61-of-62 shots he faced (.984 save percentage). In recognition of his achievement, Niittymaki will receive a Sher-Wood leather jacket, presented to him during an on-ice ceremony prior to this Friday's game vs. the Lowell Lock Monsters. In addition, Sher-Wood will donate five travel bags to the Police Athletic League of Philadelphia in Niittymaki's name. The 23-year-old Niittymaki is the first Phantom to win the AHL Player of the Week award since Mark Greig did so for the first week of the 2001-02 season. He is also the ninth AHL Player of the Week honoree in club history.
BAD BOYS
The Phantoms have assumed the early league lead in penalty minutes (30.18 per game), which is over six minutes per game more than second-place Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (23.67). Philadelphia also tops the AHL with 134 minor penalties, 27 major penalties and six game misconducts, while ranking second with five 10-minute misconducts. The Phantoms compiled a season-high 101 PIM on Nov. 14 vs. Cincinnati, a game that featured a multi-player brawl after the final buzzer.
UPCOMING OPPONENTS
The Phantoms and Lowell Lock Monsters square off in Philadelphia on Friday. Each team posted a 3-2 road win last season, including an overtime affair at the Spectrum on March 8 that was decided by Brad DeFauw's goal with 50 seconds remaining. Philadelphia is 3-1-0-2 all-time vs. Lowell, including a 1-0-0-2 mark at home. The Phantoms play at Lowell on Sunday, Feb. 15.
Philadelphia and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton continue their 10-game season series this Saturday. The Penguins won the first match-up, 3-1, on Oct. 24 as Michel Ouellet netted two of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's three third-period goals. The Phantoms went 6-3-0-1 vs. the Penguins last year, including wins in their last three visits to Wilkes-Barre. Former captain Mark Greig led Philadelphia with 15 points in the 10 match-ups with Wilkes-Barre last season, John Slaney contributed 14 points in just nine games played and goaltender Antero Niittymaki shined with a 4-1 record. The Phantoms hold a 26-13-3-1 lead in the all-time series, including a 15-6-1 mark on the road. The next encounter between the teams is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 28 in Philadelphia.
The Portland Pirates make their only visit to Philadelphia on Sunday. Portland won both meetings last season thanks to former Phantoms goaltender Maxime Ouellet, who posted a combined 1.00 goals-against average in the two games against his former team. Philadelphia leads the all-time series, 5-4-1, including a 4-1 mark when playing at home. The Phantoms are set to play in Portland on Sunday, March 14.
UPCOMING PROMOTIONS
Friday, Nov. 21 is Chick-Fil-A Night, as the first 4,000 fans in attendance will receive a 2004 Chick-Fil-A calendar, complete with pictures and coupons. Chick-Fil-A will also have tables on the concourse with games, prizes and face painters, and hold the ever-popular Cows On Ice promotion during the first intermission. Cure Autism Group Night is set for Sunday, Nov. 23, as participants from the Sept. 20 Walk Now 5K event will reunite for the Phantoms game. A special Cure Autism Now ceremony will take place before the game and during the first intermission.
PHANTOMS TRANSACTIONS
11/11 - ADD Kirk Furey, signed to PTO
11/12 - ADD Jim Vandermeer, assigned from Flyers (NHL)
11/14 - ADD Mathieu Brunelle, recalled from Trenton (ECHL)
11/16 - DELETE Mathieu Brunelle, reassigned to Trenton (ECHL)
11/16 - ADD Radovan Somik, loaned from Flyers (NHL) on conditioning assignment
11/17 - DELETE Radovan Somik, recalled by Flyers (NHL)
11/17 - DELETE Jim Vandermeer, recalled by Flyers (NHL)
PHANTOMS AMONG THE LEAGUE LEADERS (thru 11/16)
* Kirby Law is tied for 10th in points (15) and tied for sixth in assists (10)
* Patrick Sharp is tied for 17th in points (14)
* Peter Vandermeer is first in penalty minutes (149) and major penalties (11)
* Dennis Seidenberg is third among defensemen in shots (53) and tied for seventh in points (9)
* John Slaney is tied for seventh among defensemen in points (9)
* The Phantoms are first in penalty minutes per game (30.18) and fifth in shots allowed per game (26.24)
PHANTOMS NOTES
* Philadelphia matched a club record for fewest shots allowed in a period on Nov. 15 when Bridgeport got off just one during the first stanza. Norfolk also had just one shot during the third period on Jan. 24, 2003.
* The Phantoms also set a team record for fewest shots allowed in a road game (16) on Nov. 15 in Bridgeport. The previous record of 19 was set on March 5, 1999 at Fredericton.
* Philadelphia has held an opponent scoreless during the opening period 10 times this year.
* Mark Murphy played in his 300th game as a pro and Kirby Law appeared in his 400th career game on Nov. 16 vs. Providence.
* Ivan Huml's penalty shot on Nov. 16 was the first attempted against the Phantoms since Nov. 23, 2001, when Hershey's Jordan Krestanovich scored on Maxime Ouellet. Opponents are now 2-for-7 all-time in penalty shots against the Phantoms.
* Mathieu Brunelle made his AHL debut on Nov. 14 vs. Cincinnati.
* Flyers forward Radovan Somik played with the Phantoms on Nov. 16 after being sent down on a conditioning assignment. He became the sixth different person to play for both teams this season.
* Philadelphia is now 6-7-6 all-time when playing at the Wachovia Center.
TICKET INFORMATION Tickets to all Phantoms home games are $19, $18 and $14 for adults, and $8 for all children 14 and under, and are available now at the Wachovia Center box office and all Ticketmaster locations throughout the Delaware Valley. Tickets can also be charged by phone by calling (215) 336-2000, (856) 338-9000 or (302) 984-2000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com. Contact the Phantoms office at 215-465-4522 or log on to www.phantomshockey.com for information on group discounts, birthday packages and the Family Value Pack.
UPCOMING GAMES
Date Opponent Site Time (ET)
Nov. 21 Lowell Lock Monsters Wachovia Spectrum 7:05 p.m.
Nov. 22 W-B/Scranton Penguins Wachovia Arena 7:05 p.m.
Nov. 23 Portland Pirates Wachovia Spectrum 6:05 p.m.
LAST WEEK'S RESULTS
Date Opponent Site W-L-T Score
Nov. 12 Cincinnati Mighty Ducks Wachovia Center L 5-3
Nov. 14 Cincinnati Mighty Ducks Wachovia Spectrum T 1-1
Nov. 15 Bridgeport Sound Tigers Arena at Harbor Yard L 3-2
Nov. 16 Providence Bruins Wachovia Spectrum W 1-0
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