Phantoms Weekly

Published on December 2, 2009 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Adirondack Phantoms News Release


Adirondack struggled in their first two games of Week 9, but rallied in front of more than 10,000 fans in Hershey to beat the Bears for the second time in three games this season. They did not fare well in Binghamton on Thanksgiving as the Senators handed the Phantoms a 7-0 defeat at Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena, their worst loss of the year. Friday night in Glens Falls, the Phantoms enjoyed their third sellout of the season as the standing-room-only crowd of 5,148 fans, but they again struggled offensively and Hershey spoiled the party with a 5-1 victory. However, the weekend ended on a much brighter note down at Giant Center in the back end of the home-and-home series with the Bears. The Phantoms led 3-2 going into the third period, only to see Hershey put out a vintage offensive response to take a 4-3 lead in the first five minutes of the last frame. David Laliberte saved Adirondack by scoring the tying goal with 35.8 seconds left and shootout goals from Jon Matsumoto and Krys Kolanos gave the Phantoms a 5-4 win over the defending champions.

Center Trent Daavettila signed a PTO on Thursday and made his AHL debut with the Phantoms on Friday against Hershey. With Jon Kalinski being recalled to Philadelphia on Friday, Adirondack signed right wing Daniel Steiner to a PTO, calling him up from the Reading Royals (ECHL). Steiner made his AHL and Phantoms debut on Saturday at Hershey and was then returned to Reading after the game.

Week 10 Preview:

Last week's three-game in three-day schedule seems simple in comparison to this week's slate that has Adirondack playing four games in five days in four different cities. Week 10 kicks off on Wednesday, December 2nd as the Phantoms travel to Lowell to face the high-scoring Devils at Tsongas Arena. Adirondack will then travel down to Philadelphia as they will host the Norfolk Admirals at the Flyers home rink, Wachovia Center, at 7:00 pm on Friday, December 4th. The team will head back to Glens Falls immediately after the game on Friday as they host Round 4 of the Time Warner Cable Cup series against the Albany River Rats on Saturday, December 5th at 7:00 pm. Capping off the hectic travel week, the Phantoms will travel back to Massachusetts on Sunday, December 6th for a 3:00 pm matinee against the Springfield Falcons at the MassMutual Center.

Monday the Phantoms got their captain back as Jared Ross returned from his NHL call up with Philadelphia. Ross played in three games with the Flyers in his first call-up of the year; he suffered an injury last Friday against Buffalo when he was hit behind by Sabres forward Patrick Kaleta, but he has been cleared to return to action. Both players on the Phantoms injured list, rookie defenseman Joonas Lehtivuori and right wing Josh Beaulieu, are both listed as day-to-day and could return to action soon.

Week 10 Schedule:

(All games are broadcast LIVE on Classic Hits Q-101.7 FM and can also be heard for free over the Internet at www.phantomshockey.com and can be viewed via internet pay-per-view video on www.ahllive.com.)

Wednesday, December 2 - 7:00 pm - Tsongas Arena - Lowell, MA

@ Lowell Devils (12-9-3-0, 27 pts)

Tied-Third Place, Atlantic Division

The Devils have been one of the most high-scoring, dynamic offensive teams in the AHL, but they came back down to Earth as they lost three-straight games last week, being out-scored 10-2 by their opponents despite out-shooting them 93-85. Even with their low-scoring week, Lowell still ranks second in the league with 78 goals as a team this year; their 3.25 goals-per-game average is the fourth highest in the AHL. However, on the flip side the Devils have allowed 73 goals this year, which is the fifth highest total in the league; they have allowed 3.04 goals-per-game (tied for 21st in the AHL). Rookie defenseman Matt Taormina is second in the AHL amongst rookies in points and tied for third in the league in defenseman scoring. LW Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond returns to the lineup after serving a one-game AHL suspension for a slew-footing match penalty he received on November 27th at Bridgeport. Leading Scorer: Vladimir Zharkov (RW) - 20 points (6 goals, 14 assists) in 22 GP. Leading Goaltender: Mike McKenna (G) - 2.40 GAA, 0.921 save pct., 7-5-0 in 12 GP. Who's Hot: Nathan Perkovich (RW) - 4 points (1 goal, 3 assists) and a +2 rating in his last four games played. Matt Taormina (D) - 4 assists in his last four games played. Michael Swift (C) - 3 points (2 goals, 1 assist) in his last five games played.

Friday, December 4 - 7:00 pm - Wachovia Center - Philadelphia, PA

vs. Norfolk Admirals (11-13-1-0, 23 pts)

First Place, East Division

Norfolk started November by going 7-2-1-0 in their first ten games, but has since cooled off by losing five of their last six games. The Admirals have lived off of a solid defense, ranking fifth in the AHL is penalty kill (90.2%), tied for 7th in goals allowed per game (2.52) and second in the league in shots against (27.00). RW Brandon Bochenski is tied for second in the AHL in goals (12) and is tied for 13th in the league in points (21). G Riku Helenius is 4-5-0 in 9 starts this season, but is 11th in the AHL with a 2.11 goals-against average. The Admirals are averaging the fewest penalty minutes per game in the entire league (12.56); Norfolk is the only team in the league to have less than 100 minor penalties this season (97). Leading Scorer: Brandon Bochenski (RW) - 21 points (12 goals, 9 assists) in 25 GP. Leading Goaltender: Riku Helenius (G) - 2.11 GAA, 0.917 save pct., 4-5-0 in 9 GP. Who's Hot: Ryan Craig (C) - 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists) and a +3 rating in his last two games played. Blair Jones (C) - 3 points (2 goals, 1 assist) and a +1 rating in his last four games played. Ethan Graham (D) - 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists) and a +1 rating in his last four games played.

Saturday, December 5 - 7:00 pm - Glens Falls Civic Center - Glens Falls, NY

vs. Albany River Rats (11-10-1-2, 25 pts)

Tied-Second Place, East Division

The River Rats have won the first three games of the 12-game Time Warner Cable Cup season series with the Phantoms. Albany received reinforcements recently; last week goaltender Justin Peters returned from NHL call-up with Carolina and early this week the Hurricanes also returned defenseman Bryan Rodney and captain Pat Dwyer to the River Rats. With Peters in Raleigh, rookie Mike Murphy started five straight games, going 2-2-1-0 over that span. In spite of scoring in both games last weekend at Norfolk, Jacob Micflikier was sent back down to Florida (ECHL), along with goaltender Mike Morrison. RW Jerome Samson leads the league in shots on goal (115), D Zack FitzGerald leads the AHL in minor penalties (21) and LW Nicolas Blanchard is tied for third in the league with 11 major penalties. Leading Scorer: Jerome Samson (RW) - 20 points (8 goals, 12 assists) in 24 GP. Leading Goaltender: Justin Peters (G) - 2.40 GAA, 0.916 save pct., 7-5-2 in 14 GP. Who's Hot: Rob Hennigar (C) - 4 assists and a +4 rating in his last three games played. Zach Boychuk (C) - 3 points (1 goal, 2 assist) in his last three games played. Jacob Micflikier (LW) - 2 goals and a +2 rating in his last two games played.

Sunday, December 6 - 3:00 pm - MassMutual Center - Springfield, MA

@ Springfield Falcons (10-9-3-2, 25 pts)

Tied-Sixth Place, Atlantic Division

The Falcons has... Leading Scorer: Charles Linglet (LW) - 26 points (7 goals, 19 assists) in 24 GP. Leading Goaltender: Devan Dubnyk (G) - 2.77 GAA, 0.924 save pct., 9-8-1 in 18 GP. Who's Hot: Colton Fretter (RW) - RW - 5 goals in his last five games played. Charles Linglet (LW) - 4 assists in his last five games played. Bill Thomas (RW) - 3 assists and a +1 rating in his last three games played.

Week 9 Game Results:

November 26, 2009 Adirondack 0 @ Binghamton 7

November 27, 2009 Hershey 5 @ Adirondack 1

November 28, 2009 Adirondack 5 @ Hershey 4 - SO

Phantoms Player of the Week: (Week 9)

David Laliberte - RW - #10 3 GP, 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists), -2, 0 PIMs

Right wing David Laliberte returned from his second NHL call-up with the Flyers in time to make Adirondack's trip to Binghamton on Thanksgiving. The entire Phantoms lineup struggled in their first two games, but Laliberte exploded for a big performance on Saturday night in front of 10,028 fans at the Giant Center in Hershey. The St. Liboire, Quebec native set up two second period goals to give the Phantoms the lead and then tied the game with 35.8 seconds left in regulation as Adirondack beat the Bears 5-4 in a shootout. Laliberte finished the week with a team-high three points (1 goal, 2 assists) and now ranks third on the team in both assists (7) and points (10), while missing six of Adirondack's games due to NHL recalls.

Phantoms Player of the Month: (November)

Jon Matsumoto - C - #11 10 GP, 9 Points (3 goals, 6 assists), -3, 2 PIMs

For the second consecutive month Jon Matsumoto has led the Adirondack Phantoms in points. The Ottawa, Ontario native scored nine points (6 goals, 3 assists) in 10 games played, added three power play goals, one shorthanded goal and one game-winning goal. On the season, Matsumoto leads the team in goals (8) and points (16) and has appeared in all 19 games for the Phantoms.

Phantoms Goalie of the Month: (November)

Johan Backlund - G - #31 8 GP, 3-4-0, 2.79 GAA, 0.902 Sv.%, 2 Shutouts

Adirondack goaltender Johan Backlund continues to be a solid force in goal for the Phantoms, becoming fully adjusted to the North American game. The Skellefteå, Sweden native recorded his first career AHL shutout on November 1st against Syracuse, making 20 saves in a 5-0 win over the Crunch. Three days later Backlund stopped 29-of-31 shots at Bridgeport for a 4-2 road win. He picked up his second shutout of the month on November 18th vs. Toronto with a 25 save effort in a 2-0 win at the Glens Falls Civic Center. Backlund's numbers took a hit over the last two weeks as the Phantoms struggled to get their offense going, but he still finished the month with a 2.79 goals-against average and a 0.902 save percentage.

Phantoms Rookie of the Month: (November)

Joonas Lehtivuori - D - #2 9 GP, 3 Assists, +1, 2 PIMs

Rookie defenseman Joonas Lehtivuori is quickly emerging as a dependable two-way defenseman for the Phantoms and in turn is seeing his stock rising in the Flyers organization. The Tampere, Finland native saw consistent time in all situations, including playing the point on Adirondack's power play and cashed in with three assists and a +1 rating in nine games in November. However, Lehtivuori's month was cut short on Thanksgiving when he suffered an injury during the first period at Binghamton and did not return. With four assists in his first 13 games as a pro, there is no question that Lehtivuori's progress is heading in the right direction.

Phantoms Quick Hits:

- SHOOTOUT SUCCESS - The Phantoms are now 2-0 in shootouts this year after beating Hershey last Saturday. Both shootouts have been by 2-1 scores and rookie goaltender Nic Riopel has won both, on November 14th vs. Bridgeport and November 28th at Hershey.

- SPECIAL TEAMS STRUGGLES - Over their last four games Adirondack has not scored a power play goal, going 0-for-23 in that stretch. They have also allowed at least one power play against in each of those four games going 14-for-19 (73.7%) on the penalty kill.

- NEWCOMERS - Two players made their AHL debuts last week with the Phantoms. Called up from Kalamazoo (ECHL), Trent Daavettila played in his first career AHL game last Friday at the Glens Falls Civic Center against the Hershey Bears. Saturday in Hershey Daniel Steiner made his AHL debut, called up from Reading (ECHL).

- MILESTONES - RW Matt Clackson played in his 100th career Pro and AHL game on Friday against the Bears and D Danny Syvret played in his 300th career Pro game. Saturday night Patrick Maroon played in his 100th career Pro and AHL game.

- SHORT HIGHLIGHT GOAL - RW Jason Ward scored a highlight reel quality shorthanded goal in the second period on Saturday at Hershey. Ward turned defenseman Patrick McNeill inside out before snapping a wrist shot over the glove of Bears' goalie Jason Bacashihua. It was Adirondack's third shorthanded goal of the season and the first on the road this year.

Phantoms Recent Transactions

November 30 - ADD - Jared Ross (C) - Returned on loan from Philadelphia (NHL).

November 28 - DELETE - Daniel Steiner (RW) - Released from PTO; returned to Reading (ECHL).

November 28 - ADD - Daniel Steiner (RW) - Signed PTO; called up from Reading (ECHL).

November 28 - DELETE - Jonathon Kalinski (C) - Recalled from loan by Philadelphia (NHL).

November 27 - ADD - Danny Syvret (D) - Loaned by Philadelphia (NHL).

November 26 - ADD - Trent Daavettila (C) - Signed PTO; called up from Kalamazoo (ECHL).

November 25 - ADD - David Laliberte (RW) - Returned on loan from Philadelphia (NHL).

Adirondack Phantoms Team Leaders:

Games Played: Four players tied (19)

Goals: Jon Matsumoto (8)

Assists: Patrick Maroon (9)

Points: Jon Matsumoto (16)

Plus/Minus: Jason Ward (+3)

Penalty Minutes: Matt Clackson (71)

Power Play Goals: Jon Matsumoto (4)

Short Handed Goals: Stefan Legein, Jon Matsumoto & Jason Ward (1)

Game-Winning Goals: Seven players tied (1)

Shots: Jon Matsumoto (57)

Shooting Percentage: Andreas Nodl (18.8%)

Saves: Johan Backlund (329)

Wins: Johan Backlund (6)

GAA: Johan Backlund (2.79)

Save Percentage: Johan Backlund (0.904)

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Next up for Adirondack is a trip to Lowell, Massachusetts on Wednesday, December 2nd as they face the Devils for the first time this season; a 7:00 pm face off at Tsongas Arena. The Phantoms next home game at the Glens Falls Civic Center is another Time Warner Cable Cup showdown with the Albany River Rats on Saturday, December 5th at 7:00 pm.

Phantoms Holiday Packs are currently on sale at the Phantoms office. Give the gift of Phantoms hockey this year with four Flex tickets and an autographed commemorative game program, all packaged in a Phantoms hockey sock, suitable for hanging on your mantel, for just $49. For more information please contact the Adirondack Phantoms at (518) 480-3355 or online at www.phantomshockey.com.

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American Hockey League Stories from December 2, 2009


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