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Phantoms Weekly

April 4, 2005 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Adirondack Phantoms News Release


The Phantoms went 3-1 last week to clinch a playoff berth and move back into first place in the AHL's East Division. The week began with Wednesday's 7-4 loss in Binghamton. With the score knotted at 3-3 through two periods, the Senators tallied four consecutive goals to capture the season series, four games to two. Phantoms rookie Ben Eager recorded his first career two-goal game, while Antero Niittymaki made 37 saves on 43 shots to suffer the loss. Philadelphia bounced back with a 4-3 victory over Hershey on Friday. Tony Voce and Patrick Sharp each compiled a goal and two assists in the win and Niittymaki stopped 22-of-25 shots. The Phantoms headed down to Norfolk on Saturday and came away with a 4-3 shootout victory. Jon Sim tallied the tying goal with 8:14 left in regulation and then scored twice in the shootout to help Philadelphia win in its third straight visit to Virginia. Neil Little registered the win by making 28 saves. Dennis Seidenberg starred in Sunday's 4-2 triumph over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, totaling a career-high four points (1G, 3A). Niittymaki chipped in 30 saves as Philadelphia ended a four-game losing streak vs. the Penguins and clinched a spot in the Calder Cup Playoffs.

UPCOMING OPPONENTS
The Phantoms are 4-4 vs. the Norfolk Admirals heading into Wednesday's match-up at the Scope. Ben Stafford lifted Philadelphia to a 3-2 win on Nov. 14 when he scored 2:41 into overtime. Norfolk responded with four straight wins, including a pair of 2-1 overtime decisions in December, a 6-2 blowout on Jan. 14 and a 3-2 shootout win in Philadelphia two days later. But the Phantoms have captured the last three encounters, all on the road. Philadelphia went 5-4-1 against the Admirals last year before defeating Norfolk in six games in the East Division Semifinals. The Phantoms are 21-23-2 all-time vs. the Admirals, including an 11-11-1 mark on the road. The teams meet for the final time on Sunday, April 17 in Philly.

The Phantoms and Bridgeport Sound Tigers conclude their eight-game season series this Friday at the Spectrum. Philadelphia assumed a 4-3 lead in the series thanks to a 4-3 overtime win on March 2 and a 4-0 road win two days later, which was Neil Little's 200th AHL victory. Philadelphia is 11-10-2 all-time vs. the Sound Tigers, including a 7-4 mark when playing at home. The Phantoms have captured the last five meetings in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia takes a 7-3 record vs. the Bears into Saturday's game in Hershey. The Phantoms captured all 12 match-ups with the Bears in 2003-04 and won the first four meetings this season before Hershey answered by winning three in a row. Philadelphia has responded with three straight wins and now owns a 56-40-8 lead in the all-time series, including a 24-24-4 mark on the road. The final meeting of the season is set for Friday, April 15 in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia will bring a 4-0 mark vs. Albany into Sunday's showdown. The Phantoms posted a 4-3 overtime win in the first encounter of the year on Nov. 20 and then a 5-4 shootout win in Albany on Jan. 1. Things got easier with a 3-0 victory on Jan. 9 behind 27 saves by Neil Little before Philadelphia pulled out a 3-2 victory on Jan. 24. The Phantoms went 4-2 vs. the River Rats in 2003-04 and are 18-14-4 all-time against Albany, including an 11-5-2 mark when playing at home. The Phantoms are on an eight-game home unbeaten streak (7-0-1) vs. Albany since their last loss on Dec. 9, 2000. The teams will wrap up their season series on Saturday, April 16 in Albany.

CLOSE RACE IN THE EAST
The top three teams in the AHL's East Division are currently separated by just six points. Philadelphia owns first place with 95 points, while Binghamton sits in second with 94 and Norfolk follows with 89 points. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Hershey are also still vying for the postseason with 84 and 81 points, respectively. The following is a breakdown of each team's remaining schedule (thru April 3):

Team Games Left Home Away vs. East
Philadelphia 7 4 3 7
Binghamton 6 3 3 4
Norfolk 6 4 2 6
Wilkes-Barre 7 4 3 6
Hershey 6 2 4 6

IN THE PLAYOFFS
Philadelphia locked up a spot in the 2005 Calder Cup Playoffs with Sunday's 4-2 win over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The Phantoms have now reached postseason play eight times in their nine-year history, including capturing the Calder Cup title in 1998. Philadelphia currently owns a one-point lead for first place in the East Division.

LITTLE TIED FOR NINTH ON AHL'S WINS LIST
Goaltender Neil Little picked up his 202nd career AHL win on Saturday in Norfolk, which ties him for ninth all-time with Jean-Francois Labbe. Little accomplished the feat in 417 games, while Labbe did it in 420 games from 1993-2003. Next up for Little is Nick Damore, who registered 211 AHL victories from 1938-47.

SIM & LITTLE HONORED
Forward Jon Sim was named the Toyota Phantoms Player of the Month for March. Sim led the Phantoms in goals (15) and points (22) over 14 games last month and his +14 rating was tied for the team lead. The 27-year-old also registered five two-goal games and scored four game-winning goals over that span. Goaltender Neil Little was honored last week when he received the CCM AHL Milestone of the Month for March. Little became just the 10th goaltender to collect 200 AHL wins when he made 33 saves in a 4-0 shutout on March 4 at Bridgeport.

SCORING & POWER PLAY PERCENTAGE UP
The Phantoms have netted 30 goals in their last seven games (4.3 average) to increase their scoring average from 2.82 to 2.96 per game over that span. At the same time, Philadelphia is 7-for-20 (.350) on the power play over the last five games to rise from 21st (14.4) to 12th (15.6) in the league.

UPCOMING PROMOTIONS
The Phantoms will be wearing replica Philadelphia Blazers jerseys this Friday vs. Bridgeport before heading to Bullies to auction them off for charity. The first 4,000 kids (14 & under) at Sunday's game against Albany will receive a Frank Bialowas Bobblehead doll courtesy of Toyota. Doors open on Sunday at 5:00 p.m.

PHANTOMS AMONG THE LEAGUE LEADERS (thru 4/3)
* Riley Cote is second among rookies in major penalties (26) and penalty minutes (264).
* Ben Eager is first among rookies in minor penalties (52), tied for fourth in penalty minutes (214) and eighth in plus/minus (+11).
* Antero Niittymaki is ninth in goals-against average (2.07), fifth in minutes (3154:34) and wins (30), seventh in games by a goalie (53) and eighth in saves (1,315).
* Joni Pitkanen is tied for 12th among defensemen in assists (30) and eighth in shots (181).
* Dennis Seidenberg is tied for first among defensemen in game-winning goals (5), tied for fourth in goals (12) and tied for ninth in plus/minus (+17).
* Jon Sim is tied for second in game-winning goals (10), tied for fourth in goals (35), sixth in shots (247) and tied for ninth in shorthanded goals (3).
* John Slaney is tied for 12th among defensemen in points (39) and goals (11), tied for ninth in power-play goals (6) and second in shooting percentage (.107).
* R.J. Umberger is first among rookies in assists (39), fourth in points (57), fifth in goals (18), tied for second in plus/minus (+17), sixth in shots (173) and tied for sixth in game-winning goals (4).
* Tony Voce is tied for ninth among rookies in points (38), tied for second in power-play goals (10), fourth in goals (22), tied for fourth in shooting percentage (.152) and 11th in shots (145).
* The Phantoms are fourth in goals allowed per game (2.33) and penalty minutes per game (28.16), fifth in penalty killing (87.4 percent) and sixth in shots allowed per game (28.11).

PHANTOMS NOTES
* Joni Pitkanen recorded his 100th point as a pro on March 30. He also had a team season-high seven-game assist streak from March 18-April 1.
* Binghamton's seven goals on March 30 were the most allowed by Philadelphia since a 7-3 loss at St. John's on Nov. 11, 2000.
* Josh Gratton played in his 100th game as a pro on April 1.
* Dennis Seidenberg played in his 300th game as a pro on April 2. He then recorded four points (1G, 3A) on April 3 after not totaling more than two points in his previous 124 games as a Phantom.
* Patrick Sharp played in his 200th game as a pro on April 3.
* Jon Sim's nine-game point streak (8G, 5A) from March 13-April 2 tied for the longest by a Phantom this year. Patrick Sharp also had a point in each of Philadelphia's first nine games of the season.
* Antero Niittymaki needs one win to match Neil Little's club record of 31, set in 1996-97 & 1997-98.
* The Phantoms are 27-2 when scoring four or more goals in a game.
* R.J. Umberger, Ben Stafford and Dennis Seidenberg are the only Phantoms to appear in all 73 games this season.

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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