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Phantoms Weekly

December 13, 2004 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Adirondack Phantoms News Release


The Phantoms went 1-2 over the weekend, but maintained a comfortable lead atop the AHL's East Division. On Friday, Carl Corazzini scored twice to help the Hershey Bears defeat the Phantoms, 4-3. Peter Budaj stopped 29-of-32 shots to notch the win, while Antero Niittymaki recorded 31 saves in the loss. On Saturday, Michel Ouellet scored three times, including the game-winner with 1:29 remaining, as the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins posted a 6-4 victory. Kris Beech added a goal and three assists, while Matt Murley contributed a goal and two assists for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, which avenged a pair of 3-2 shootout losses to the Phantoms earlier this season. Joni Pitkanen scored his first two career AHL goals and Patrick Sharp recorded two assists for Philadelphia. The Phantoms ended their three-game losing streak by cruising to a 5-1 triumph over the Milwaukee Admirals on Sunday. Josh Gratton netted a pair of goals and Neil Little turned aside 26-of-27 shots.

UPCOMING OPPONENTS

Philadelphia and Springfield will clash this Wednesday in Tampa, Fla. at the home of the Falcons' NHL affiliate, the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Phantoms swept both meetings last year, registering a 3-2 overtime win in Springfield on Jan. 9 and a 3-2 home win on Jan. 25. Philadelphia owns a 7-5-2 lead in the all-time series, including a 3-3-1 mark when playing on the road. The Falcons are set to play in Philadelphia on Friday, March 25.

The Manchester Monarchs make their only visit of the season to Philadelphia this Friday. Each team posted a 3-1 home win last year as the all-time series is even at 2-2. The Monarchs, who have never won in Philadelphia, will host the Phantoms on Friday, March 11.

Philadelphia is 2-0 against the Binghamton Senators heading into Sunday's showdown. The Phantoms posted a 3-2 victory in the first meeting between the teams on Nov. 13 before recording a 2-1 shootout victory at home four days later. Philadelphia is now 4-3-0-1 all-time against the Senators. The teams, who never faced each other prior to 2003-04, will next face off on Wednesday, Jan. 12 in Philadelphia.

AHL'S TOP TWO TEAMS MEETING ON FRIDAY

It will be a clash of the titans on Friday at the Wachovia Spectrum when the Phantoms host the Manchester Monarchs. Manchester currently owns the AHL's best record at 21-3-1 (43 points), but is followed closely by Philadelphia at 19-5-1 (39 points). The Phantoms vaulted into first place in the East Division earlier in the season thanks to an AHL-record 17-game win streak. Manchester won 13 games in a row last month to assume the top spot in the Atlantic Division.

WIN STREAK OVER HERSHEY ENDS AT 16

The Phantoms' improbable win streak over the Hershey Bears ended at 16 games with Friday's 4-3 loss at the Wachovia Center. Philadelphia swept all 12 meetings with the Bears in 2003-04 and had captured the first four match-ups this season. Friday's loss to the Bears was the first since April 5, 2003 and the first at home vs. Hershey since Feb. 23, 2003. The 16-game win streak vs. Hershey is believed to be the longest in AHL history vs. a single opponent.

COTE SIGNS SECOND TRYOUT CONTRACT

Left wing Riley Cote signed a second 25-game pro tryout contract on Monday. The first-year Phantom originally signed with the club on Oct. 16 and has recorded three points and 58 PIM in 16 games. Cote enjoyed his best game as a Phantom on Sunday, totaling two assists in a 5-1 victory over Milwaukee.

PHANTOMS SCORING EARLY

The Phantoms tied a team record for fastest opening goal in a game when Patrick Sharp scored 15 seconds into Friday's 4-3 loss to Hershey. Kirby Law had originally accomplished the feat on March 2, 2001 at Quebec. The following night, John Slaney scored 22 seconds into a 6-4 loss at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The club record for fastest goal in a period is eight seconds.

UPCOMING PROMOTIONS

On Friday, Comcast SportsNet and the Phantoms will be collecting toys for needy children throughout the Philadelphia region by teaming up with the U.S. Marine Corps for their annual Toys For Tots Drive. Fans are encouraged to bring NEW, unwrapped, non-violent toys to Friday's game at the Wachovia Spectrum. The first 2,000 fans in attendance on Sunday will receive a 2004-05 Phantoms trading card set, courtesy of Toyota. All 24 current players will be featured, including the first-ever professional cards of Tony Voce, R.J. Umberger and Ben Eager.

PHANTOMS TRANSACTIONS
12/12 - ADD Matthew Yeats, signed to PTO
12/12 - DELETE Matthew Yeats, released from PTO
12/13 - SIGNED Riley Cote to a second PTO

PHANTOMS AMONG THE LEAGUE LEADERS (thru 12/12)
* Ben Eager is second among rookies in minor penalties (21).
* Josh Gratton is third in penalty minutes (156) and tied for third in major penalties (16).
* Freddy Meyer is tied for fourth among defensemen in plus/minus (+13).
* Antero Niittymaki is fifth in goals-against average (1.85), tied for second in wins (13) and first in shootout wins (3).
* Dennis Seidenberg is tied for 12th among defensemen in points (15) and tied for third in game-winning goals (2).
* R.J. Umberger is tied for second among rookies in points (19), tied for third in goals (9), tied for fifth in assists (10) and fifth in shooting percentage (.161).
* Tony Voce is tied for seventh among rookies in points (16) and tied for second in power-play goals (4).
* The Phantoms are second in shots allowed per game (26.72), tied for third in goals allowed per game (2.04), fifth in power-play percentage (19.7), third in penalty minutes per game (30.04) and fourth in goals per game (3.24).

PHANTOMS NOTES
* Neil Little played in his 400th AHL game on Dec. 12 vs. Milwaukee.
* Joni Pitkanen played in his 200th game as a pro on Dec. 12.
* Mark Murphy recorded his 300th point as a pro on Dec. 12.
* Ryan Ready recorded his 100th AHL assist on Dec. 11 at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
* The Phantoms faced the defending Calder Cup-champion Milwaukee Admirals on Dec. 12, a day after playing last year's runner-up, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
* Patrick Sharp's penalty shot on Dec. 12 was the first attempted by a Phantom at home since Jan. 3, 2003 by Mark Greig. Philadelphia is now 5-for-14 all-time in penalty shots.
* Eric Meloche tallied Philadelphia's first shorthanded goal of the season on Dec. 12.
* Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's Michel Ouellet recorded the 23rd hat trick allowed by the Phantoms on Dec. 11.
* The six goals allowed by Philly on Dec. 11 in Wilkes-Barre was the most since a 6-5 loss in Binghamton last Feb. 7.
* Philadelphia lost at home in regulation on Dec. 10 for the first time since March 21 of last season. The team had recorded at least one point in 18 straight home games before the 4-3 loss to Hershey.

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 Four Pack.

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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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