Phantoms Weekly

Published on March 28, 2011 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Adirondack Phantoms News Release


Phantoms Weekly #25

Adirondack Sweeps Weekend Homestand against Eastern Division leaders; Time Warner Cable Cup continues this week against Albany on Tuesday night at the Times Union Center before returning home to host the Devils on Pack the House Night on Friday night.

March 28, 2011

Matt Read Joins Phantoms on ATO; Scores First Pro Goal

This past week, forward Matt Read, out of Bemidji State, signed an entry-level contract with the Flyers organization starting in the 2011-2012 season.

In 37 games with Bemidji State this season, Read registered a team-high 22 goals and was second on the team in points (35). He led the team with 15 points on the power-play, posted a team-best three short-handed goals and was among the team leaders in blocked shots.

Read, the team captain his Senior Year, is a finalist for the 2011 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award in hockey, which is given each year to an NCAA Division I senior who has notable achievements in four areas of excellence - community, classroom, character and competition. The winner will be announced on April 7.

The Ilderton, Ontario native scored on the power play with 5:06 remaining in the third period on Saturday night to help Adirondack defeat Wilkes-Barre 3-2. Read's first pro goal was the game-winner.

Upcoming Dax and Player Appearances

Tuesday: 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. à Granville Elementary (GOAL Program)

12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m. à Mary J. Tanner School in Granville (GOAL Program)

Wednesday: 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. à Dango's Celebrity Bartenders(Marc Andre Bourdon & TBA)

Saturday: 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. à BrewFest at the Queensbury Hotel

Phantoms Upcoming Games

Tuesday, March 28 - Adirondack at Albany - 7:00 p.m.

Friday, April 1 - Albany at Adirondack - 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 2 - Syracuse at Adirondack - 7:00 p.m.

2010-11 Record:

26-36-4-6, 62 points (Home 15-15-3-3, Road 11-21-1-3)

Adirondack Phantoms Team Leaders

Games: Ben Holmstrom (72)

Goals: Denis Hamel (21)

Assists: Erik Gustafsson (33)

Points: Denis Hamel (40)

Plus/Minus: Mike Testwuide (7)

Penalty Minutes: Zac Rinaldo (287)

Power Play Goals: Denis Hamel (10)

Short-handed Goals: Jonathon Kalinski and Eric Wellwood (2)

Game-Winning Goals: Denis Hamel (3)

Shots: Denis Hamel (229)

Saves: Michael Leighton (741)

Wins: Michael Leighton (10)

GAA: Michael Leighton (2.28)

Save Percentage: Michael Leighton (0.924)

Week 25 Schedule

All games are broadcast LIVE on Classic Hits Q-101.7 FM by Adirondack Phantoms voice, Bob Rotruck, and can be heard free over the Internet at www.phantomshockey.com and can be viewed via internet pay-per-view video on www.ahllive.com NZhT-eLmd4wG4PLM9HDaWjEyFyea7tP_0w].

First of a Home-and-Home between the Phantoms and Devils

Tuesday, March 28 - 7:00 p.m. - Times Union Center - Albany, NY

@ Albany Devils (30-37-1-4, 65 pts)

Tied-6th Place in East Division, Eastern Conference

Pack The House Night!

Friday, April 1 - 7:30 p.m. - Glens Falls Civic Center - Glens Falls, NY

vs. Albany Devils (30-37-1-4, 65 pts)

Promotion: Military Appreciation Night (Tickets: Adults $10, Kids $5 courtesy of Time Warner Cable)

This is the tenth and eleventh meetings between the Phantoms and Devils this season. Albany leads the Time Warner Cable Cup series 5-4. In their last meeting on March 11, Adirondack and Albany combined for 130 penalty minutes with the Devils prevailing 2-1 at the Glens Falls Civic Center. Chad Wiseman opened the scoring 4:22 into the game on his 11th goal of the year giving the Devils a 1-0 lead. The Phantoms responded late in the period as Eric Wellwood's shorthanded goal tied the game at 1-1. It was Wellwood's 14th of the season assisted by Rob Bordson who picked it off in the Albany zone. Albany regained the lead 4:21 into the third on Tim Sestito's fourth of the year. The goal proved to be the game-winner. Mike McKenna improved to 2-0 against Adirondack on the season as he made 25 saves. Albany is coming into the game on a three-game losing streak but are 6-3-0-1 in their last ten games. Rookie Adam Henrique has a team-high 23 goals and is ranked second on the team with 45 points in 67 games. Teammate Matt Anderson leads the Devils with 29 assists and 50 points in 68 games. On special teams, the Devils are ranked last in the AHL on the power play (11.7%) and on the penalty kill (76.7%). In addition, Albany has given up the most goals in the league (248) while they are 25th in goals (194).

Final Meeting with the Crunch

Saturday, April 2 - 7:00 p.m. - Glens Falls Civic Center - Glens Falls, NY

vs. Syracuse Crunch (29-36-3-4, 65 pts)

Tied-6th Place in East Division, Eastern Conference

This is the eighth and final meeting between the Phantoms and Crunch. The Phantoms lead the season series 6-1. In their last meeting on February 16, Adirondack scored three goals in the final six minutes of the game to defeat the Crunch 4-2 at the Glens Falls Civic Center. Logan Stephenson scored his first of the season to tie the game at 2-2 on a shot from center point that beat goaltender J.P. Levasseur. Rob Bordson scored the game-winner with 3:07 remaining stuffing one past Levasseur on his left leg side following a fine steal by Wellwood behind the Crunch goal.Ben Holmstrom sealed the game for Adirondack as he backhanded one into an empty-net from the red line with 13 seconds remaining. Syracuse has been playing well as of late; they are currently on a three-game winning streak and are 7-3-0 in their last ten. Rookie Kyle Palmieri has a team-high 23 goals and is second on the team in points (43) while fellow rookie teammate Nicolas Deschamps leads the Crunch in assists (26). Goaltender J.P. Levasseur is 1-5-0 against the Phantoms this season. He starts the week with a 3.01 GAA and .911 save percentage. Syracuse is 20th in the AHL on the power play converting 17.4% of the time and 17th on the PK (82.5%).

Week 24 Game Results

March 22, 2011 - Adirondack 2 @ Charlotte 5

Charlotte ended Adirondack's three-game winning streak as they defeated the Phantoms 5-2 at the Time Warner Cable Arena. Rob Bordson (7th) and Mike Testwuide scored for Adirondack in the first game in a stretch of five games in six days. Mike McKenzie scored his first goal of the season 7:42 into the first period to give Charlotte a 1-0 lead. Less than four minutes later, Rob Bordson tied the game at 1-1 with assists given to J.P. Testwuide and Luke Pither. The Checkers regained the lead at 2-1 before the end of the period on Chris Terry's 29th goal of the season. It was the first of four power play goals on the night for Charlotte. Zac Boychuk tallied the first of his two power play goals extending the Checkers lead to 3-1 at the 15:56 mark of the second period. Less than 2 minutes later, Jacob Micflikier scored his 24th goal of the year to give Charlotte a 3-goal lead going into the second intermission. Mike Testwuide scored with 5:46 remaining in the third to cut the Checkers lead to 5-2. It was Mike Testwuide's 12th goal since the New Year. The game finished with 124 penalty minutes with Adirondack going 0-for-4 on the power play while Charlotte finished 4-for-12. Michael Leighton made 35 saves in the loss while Justin Pogge finished the season 2-0 against Adirondack stopping 17 of 19.

March 23, 2011 - Adirondack 1 @ Norfolk 2

The Phantoms finished their three-game roadtrip 1-2-0-0 as Adirondack fell to the Norfolk Admirals 2-1. Mathieu Roy (9th) and Mike Angelidis (18th) gave the Admirals a 2-0 lead less than 5 minutes into the second period. Adirondack would cut the deficit to 2-1 late in the period on the power play. Luke Pither scored his ninth goal of the year from the right wing circle past Admirals netminder Dustin Tokarski.Adirondack had several chances in the final minutes to tie the game including a Rob Bordson shot that rang off the post and a Michael Ryan drive that deflected away off the edge of Tokarski's skate but they could not get the equalizer. Adirondack finished 1-for-5 on the power play and 4-for-4 on the penalty kill. Johan Backlund, getting his first start since March 11 against Albany, made 24 saves in the loss while Admirals goaltender Dustin Tokarski stopped 32 shots to earn his second win against Adirondack on the season.

March 25, 2011 - Hershey 1 @ Adirondack 2

The Phantoms defeated the two-time defending Calder Cup Champions 2-1 on Friday night at the Civic Center in front of 3,563 screaming fans. Adirondack opened the scoring 14:25 into the first period on Ben Holmstrom's 14th of the season. Rob Bordson started the play on the fore-check behind the Bears net. He then sent a pass to the front of the net where Ben Holmstrom beat Bears goaltender Nolan Schaefer top shelf to give Adirondack the 1-0 lead. Michael Leighton made 13 of his 33 saves in the middle frame including a glove save on Maxime Lacroix point blank to keep the Bears off the scoreboard. Adirondack had opportunities to extend their lead including an Eric Wellwood shot that rang off the post but both teams could not find the back of the net. Less than 2 minutes into the third period, Adirondack extended their lead to 2-0 on a Cullen Eddy blast from the right point beating Nolan Schaefer five-hole. It was Eddy's 2nd goal of the season assisted by Tom Sestito. It was believed at first that the newly-signed Matt Read had re-directed the Eddy shot from the point but Read later notified the official that he had not tipped it past Schaefer. Hershey then cut the Adirondack lead to 2-1 at the 10:14 mark of the period. Brian Willsie scored his team-leading 29th goal of the season on a shot from the blue-line that snuck past the right skate of Michael Leighton. Matt Read made his pro debut tonight against the Bears after he signed an entry-level contract with the Philadelphia Flyers on March 23 and then an Amateur Tryout (ATO) with the Phantoms for the rest of the 2010-11 season.. The forward out of Bemidji State scored a team-high 22 goals and was second on the team in points (35).Adirondack hung on thanks in part to Michael Leighton who finished with 33 saves earning his tenth victory of the season and is went to 4-1-0 in his last five starts.

March 26, 2011 - Wilkes-Barre 2 @ Adirondack 3

Matt Read's first pro goal on the power play with 5:05 remaining in the third period led Adirondack to a 3-2 victory over the Eastern Division leading Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins. Read grabbed the rebound off a Cullen Eddy shot and flipped the eventual game-winner past Penguins goalie John Curry. The goal sent the Phantoms largest crowd of the season of 4,365 into a frenzy. Ben Holmstrom had scored the first two goals for the Phantoms, his 15th and 16th of the year. It was Holmstrom's second multi-goal game of the season and of his career on his way to earning number one Star of the Game honors. Adirondack had to kill off a 6-on-4 attack for the Penguins in the final two minutes of the game to get their 26th win of the season. Wilkes-Barre opened the scoring on the power play 14:03 into the first period on Brian Lerg's 19th goal of the season. On a shot from the left point, Lerg beat Phantoms netminder Michael Leighton five-hole giving the Penguins a 1-0 lead. Less than 3 minutes later, Ben Holmstrom scored the first of his two 5-on-3 power play goals on the night sending one top shelf over the sprawling John Curry on a sharp angle from the left-wing goal-line. Danny Syvret and Erik Gustafsson assisted on Holmstrom's 15th of the year to tie the game at 1-1. Each team went 1-for-4 on the power play in a penalty-filled opening frame. The Penguins regained the lead at 2-1 4:23 into the second period on the power play. Ben Street scored his 11th of the season from the right point slapping one past the right skate of Michael Leighton. Less than five minutes later, Ben Holmstrom scored his second 5-on-3 goal of the game to tie the score at 2-2. Michael Ryan sent a back-door pass to Holmstrom who again buried it from the left-wing goal-line but this time keeping it along the ice. He now leads all rookies with 16 goals. Later in the third, Leighton preserved the lead after Robert Bortuzzo blasted one off the post. Leighton dove backwards after the puck bounced off his back and laid inches from the goal-line. He was able to get the cover just in time to keep the Phantoms on top as Bortuzzo celebrated what he thought was a game-tying goal. Michael Leighton finished the game with 24 saves to earn his 11th win of the season while counterpart John Curry stopped 14 to fall to 3-2 against the Phantoms this season. Adirondack went 3-for-9 on the power play and 7-for-9 on the penalty kill.

March 27, 2011 - Adirondack 1 @ Worcester 3

The Phantoms finished their stretch of five games in six days and their third game in three nights at Worcester on Sunday afternoon. Jonathon Kalinski scored the lone goal for Adirondack but former Phantom netminder Carter Hutton stopped 35 of 36 shots to lead the Sharks to a 3-1 victory. Kevin Henderson opened the scoring for the Sharks as he deflected a Nick Petrecki drive from the right point past Phantoms goaltender Michael Leighton who was starting his third game in three nights. Henderson's 8th of the year gave Worcester the 1-0 lead. The Phantoms tied the game early in the second as Harry Zolniercyzk dropped a pass back to Kalinski (6th) who blasted one top shelf past Hutton tying the game at 1-1. Minutes later, the Phantoms thought they had taken a 2-1 lead on a Danny Syvret shot from the point on the power play but referee Gino Binda called off the goal as the net was off its moorings. Worcester took a 2-1 lead midway through the third as T.J. Trevelyan deflected a Nick Petrecki shot barely across the goal line. The Sharks added an empty netter with 14 seconds remaining as Patrick Davis scored his seventh of the season to secure the win. Adirondack and Worcester each finished the game 0-for-4 on the power play.

Phantoms Quick Hits

-Matt Read scored his first pro goal in only his second career game on Saturday night against the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins. Read grabbed the rebound off a Cullen Eddy shot from right point and flipped the game-winner past Penguins goalie John Curry. The power play goal came with 5:06 remaining in the third period. The recently signed product out of Bemidji State, registered a team-high 22 goals and ranked second on the team with 35 points in 37 games. He led the Beavers with 15 points on the power play.

-Adirondack has now won three in a row on home-ice for the second time this season and are 6-2-1-1 in their last 10 games at the Glens Falls Civic Center.

-Ben Holmstrom leads all Phantoms rookies with 16 goals. Eric Wellwood is second with 15 goals while Mike Testwuide has 13.

-Adirondack has defeated the Eastern Division Champion Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins three games in a row and have one game remaining in the season series.

-Under Head Coach Joe Paterson, the Phantoms are 20-13-8.

-In the last 22 games, Adirondack is 11-6-5 (since February 5).

-When leading after the second period, Adirondack is 12-1-1-3.

Tidbits

The Phantoms have only 13 regulation losses since December 17. That is the lowest total of all East Division teams. AHL East Division Records since December 17: WBS 30-14-1 61 HER 27-14-7 61 BNG 28-15-3 59 CHA 26-16-5 57 ADK 22-13-8 52 NOR 20-15-9 49 ALB 19-21-5 43 SYR 20-22-3 43 Fewest Regulation Losses since Dec 17: Milwaukee 11 Portland 12 Adirondack 13 Manchester 13 Texas 13 Wilkes-Barre 14 Hershey 14 Lake Erie 14 Hamilton 14 Chicago 14 Houston 14

Phantoms Reebok/AHL Player of the Week (Week 24):

#23- Ben Holmstrom - C - 5 GP (3 goals, 0 assist, 15 SOG, 4 PIM)

The Colorado Springs, CO native scored in both of the Phantoms victories this past week. Holmstrom scored his 14th of the year on Friday night against the Bears as he beat a sprawled Nolan Schaefer top shelf. He then scored twice on the power play against the Penguins to now lead all Phantoms rookies in goals (16).

Adirondack Phantoms Recent Transactions...

Mar 22 - Marc-Andre Bourdon (D) Loaned to Greenville (ECHL)

Mar 22 - Danny Syvret (D) Recalled by Philadelphia (NHL)

Mar 23 - Danny Syvret (D) Returned on Loan to Adirondack (AHL)

Mar 23 - Andrew Rowe (RW) Returned to Adirondack (AHL)

Mar 24 - Matt Read (F) Signed to ATO

Mar 25 - Marc Andre Bourdon (D) Returned from loan to Adirondack (AHL)

Phantoms Practice Schedule this Week

Tuesday, March 29: Pre-Game at 10:00 a.m. / Game @ Albany Devils at 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday, March 30: Practice at 10:00 a.m.

Thursday, March 31: Practice at 10:00 a.m.

Friday, April 1: Pre-Game at 10:00 a.m. / Game vs. Albany Devils at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 2: Pre-game at 10:00 a.m. / Game vs. Syracuse Crunch at 7:00 p.m.

Sunday, April 3: OFF

Monday, April 4: Pre-Game at 10:00 a.m. / Game vs. Rochester Americans at 7:00 p.m.

UPCOMING GAMES

Tuesday, March 29, 7:00 p.m. - Adirondack Phantoms at Albany Devils

Friday, April 1, 7:30 p.m. - Albany Devils at Adirondack Phantoms - Military Appreciation Night and Pack the House Night- Tickets: $10 for Adults and $5 for Kids courtesy of Time Warner Cable

Saturday, April 2, 7:00 p.m. - Syracuse Crunch at Adirondack Phantoms - Post-game auction live on the ice for the Phantoms special Time Warner Cable Cup Rivalry jerseys

Monday, April 4, 7:00 p.m. - Rochester Americans at Adirondack Phantoms

Wednesday, April 6, 7:00 p.m. - Albany Devils at Adirondack Phantoms - Fan Appreciation Night - Last home game of the year featuring many great giveaways including autographed Phantoms memorabilia.

Phantoms Season Tickets for 2011-12 are on sale now! Full season ticket holders get an Adirondack Phantoms stadium blanket while supplies last and also will be in the Phantoms mug club for $1 sodas and coffees in Heritage Hall all season long.

Join us at the Glens Falls Civic Center for exciting Adirondack Phantoms hockey, the top affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers. Discount rates are available for groups of 15 or more. Save off the individual ticket price by asking the Phantoms about their great group rate packages and flex-packs.

Come watch future NHL stars and up-and-coming Flyers prospects. Get your tickets at the Phantoms office inside the Glens Falls Civic Center, online at ticketmaster.com, or by calling the Phantoms at 518-480-3355.

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American Hockey League Stories from March 28, 2011


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