Phantoms Weekly

Published on December 12, 2011 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Adirondack Phantoms News Release


Phantoms Results

Tuesday, Dec. 6 - Hamilton Bulldogs 1 - Adirondack Phantoms 0 (OT)

Friday, Dec. 9 - Portland Pirates 3 - Adirondack Phantoms 2

Saturday, Dec. 10 - Adirondack Phantoms 3 - Rochester Americans 2

Phantoms Upcoming Games

Friday, December 16, 7:00 - Adirondack Phantoms at Binghamton Senators

Saturday, December 17, 7:30 - Adirondack Phantoms at Syracuse Crunch

Sunday, December 18, 3:00 - Binghamton Senators at Adirondack Phantoms

The Week That Was

The Adirondack Phantoms recent trend of down-to-the-wire games continued while the team earned a point in two out of their three contests going 1-1-1 on the week. All three were one-goal games and were decided in the closing seconds with two of the three going to overtime. The weekend finished with a bang with the team's exciting come-from-behind victory against Rochester on Saturday night with Ben Holmstrom scoring the big overtime game-winner in front of a large crowd at the Glens Falls Civic Center.

The Phantoms improved on their strong-hold on second place in the Northeast Division stretching their advantage over the third place Albany Devils by three points. Adirondack trails first place Connecticut by three points for the top spot. Adirondack's 30 points are good for 7th place in the Eastern Conference but with only 25 games played, the Phantoms have games-in-hand on every team ahead of them. The top 8 teams out of 15 will advance to the Calder Cup Playoffs in April.

The Phantoms now have points in six of their last eight games.

Coming Up

Adirondack has a three-in-three on the way including a pair of contests with the defending Calder Cup Champion Binghamton Senators. The weekend begins with back-to-back away games at Binghamton and Syracuse on Friday and Saturday nights. The Phantoms return to the Glens Falls Civic Center on Sunday afternoon for their last home game before the holiday break. Sunday's game features the Sunday Family 3-Pack for only $39. Get great savings when you purchase the 3-pack with 3 tickets, 3 sodas, 3 hot dogs, 1 large program and a popcorn.

Northeast Division Standings

1. Connecticut Whale (33 pts)

2. Adirondack Phantoms (30 pts)

3. Albany Devils (27 pts)

4. Bridgeport Sound Tigers (26 pts)

5. Springfield Falcons (25 pts)

Tuesday, December 6 (HAM 1 - ADK 0, OT) - Goaltenders Dual Goes Down to Wire

The Adirondack Phantoms and Hamilton Bulldogs battled through 60+ minutes of scoreless hockey at Copps Coliseum with Michael Leighton and Nathan Lawson putting a terrific goaltenders' show. Aaron Puhlushaj scored with 45 seconds remaining in overtime to break the deadlock and give Hamilton the win.

The overtime loss earned the Phantoms a valuable standings point in the Northeast Division and broke them out of their second place tie with the Albany Devils.

Adirondack had 24 shots on goal in the third period and overtime combined and 34 in the game but could not break Lawson who got the shutout win. It was the first time this year the Phantoms have been shutout. It was also the first 0-0 deadlock after 60 minutes involving a Phantoms team since at least 2005. Michael Leighton had a streak of over 124 consecutive shutout minutes at Hamilton broken. He also won 4-0 win the Bulldogs on February 4, 2011.

Leighton's last 1-0 decision was an exciting victory at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on February 11, 2011 when he out-dueled Brad Thiessen. Leighton is the active AHL leader in shutout with 35 which is sixth all-time and the most in the AHL since 1975.

The game ended a long three game road-trip that took the team from Norfolk, Va. all the way up to Hamilton, Ont. The Phantoms earned points in two out of three games on the roadie going 1-1-1. The game was Adirondack's lone trip to Hamilton in 2011-12.

Friday, December 9 (POR 2 - ADK 1) - Late Game Heart-stopper Again

The Phantoms played another goaltenders' duel down to the wire on Friday night at the Glens Falls Civic Center. This time it was Michael Leighton going up again Curtis McElihinney. Adirondack seemed poised to snag the late victory when they were awarded a power play with 37 seconds remaining in regulation in a 1-1 tie but Portland received a fortuitous bounce on a blocked shot and converted on the other end with a short-handed goal to dramatically turn the tables for a 2-1 win. Ethan Werek's first career professional goal came with 19.2 seconds remaining.

Cullen Eddy scored his first goal of the season early in the third period to tie the game at 1-1. Adirondack held Portland to 0-for-1 on the power play to run their amazing penalty-kill streak to 33 in a row. Michael Leighton took the tough-luck loss despite a 35 save effort on 37 shots. Portland leads the season series two games to one.

Forward Andrew Rowe made his return to the lineup after missing the first two months of the season with an upper-body injury. The Michigan State University product scored a total of 13 goals in his rookie season last year including seven with the Phantoms.

Saturday, December 10 (ADK 3, RCH 2, OT) - Overtime Winner for Holmstrom

Ben Holmstrom's rebound of a Blake Kessel slapshot gave the Phantoms an exciting 3-2 overtime win on Saturday night to finish the weekend with a bang. The large crowd of 4,232 was abuzz with anticipation when Adirondack was granted a 4-on-3 power play in the extra period after Jason Akeson was hit with a high-stick. And it took the Phantoms only 34 seconds in the man advantage to pick up their second overtime win of the season.

Both Adirondack overtime wins have come on home-ice in front of large Saturday night crowds. Jon Kalinski's OT winner against Albany two weeks earlier came in front of the largest crowd of the year of 4,733.

Holmstrom's goal was his sixth of the season. The 24-year-old captain of the Phantoms had 16 goals last year in his rookie campaign.

Shane Harper scored his fourth of the year on a two-on-one rush with Denis Hamel feeding it to him across the slot. Harper's goal triggered the annual First Goal Teddy Bear toss with thousands of donated teddy bears being thrown to the ice to benefit the Salvataion Army.

Garrett Roe had a sharp chip-in from the left side of the cage on a nice assist by Dan Jancevski faking the slapper and finding the rookie winger open for the game-tying goal. Roe's third of the year tied the game at 2-2 with 6:54 remaining in the game.

Rochester scored a power play goal in the second period by Evan Rankin. Thus bringing to an end Adirondack's amazing penalty-kill streak at 34.

Phantoms Breakdown

--Adirondack has played four straight one-goal games, all of which have been deciding in the closing seconds. Two of the last four games have gone to overtime.

--The Phantoms penalty kill put together an amazing streak of 34 straight opposition power plays extinguished from Thanksgiving, November 24 through Saturday, December 10. The streak came to an end in the second period of Saturday's game. Adirondack's P.K. is tied for fifth in the league with an 85.2% success rate.

--Adirondack's power play rates 11th in the AHL at 19.4%.

--Michael Leighton is second in the AHL in total saves with 558. He is tied for fourth in wins with 11. his 20 games played are second in the league His 2.29 goals against average is third among all goalies with 15 or more games played and is 10th among all goalies (logging at least 480 minutes).

--Denis Hamel leads the Phantoms with 10 goals and 21 points. He is fourth in the league in total shots with 95. Four of his goals have come on the power play as well as seven of his assists.

--Adirondack is 6th in the AHL in total defense allowing just 2.6 goals per game. They have slipped to 12th in the AHL (out of 30) in total offense at 3.0 goals scored per game.

--Adirondack is 4-0-1 in games in which they outshoot the opponent.

--The Phantoms are 10-1-1 when leading after two period and are 4-2-1 when tied after two.

--The Phantoms are 12-3-1 when they score first.

--Adirondack is 8-3-1 at home this year and now stands at an amazing 15-3-1 since mid-March of last season. The Phantoms have just three regulation losses in their last 28 home games going an impressive 19-4-5 since last February.

Phantoms Leaders (Goals - Assists - Points):

Denis Hamel - 10-12-22

Jason Akeson - 7-12-19

Garrett Roe - 3-12-15

Tom Sestito - 8-6-14

Ben Holmstrom 6-7-13

Michael Leighton - 11-8-0, 2.29, .925

Jason Bacashihua - 3-2-1, 3.37, .904

Upcoming Opponents

Binghamton Senators (Ottawa Senators) - The Phantoms play the Senators on Friday and Sunday this weekend. Binghamton leads the eight-game season series one game to nothing.

The defending Calder Cup Champions struggled out of the gate this year and have been besieged by injuries. Their 9-16-1 mark is the worst in the AHL. Binghamton is currently on a three-game losing streak. They recently lost one of their top defensive prospects, Patrick Wiercoch, in a scary injury in which he was hit in the throat by a puck. Wiercoch is in stable condition in his recovery.

Last week, the Senators lost on Wednesday to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 1-0 and then were swept at home by the Norfolk Admirals on Friday and Saturday by scores of 5-1 and 5-2.

Mark Parrish leads the Senators with 8 goals and 7 assists. Rookie Pat Cannone out of Miami of Ohio University is second with 6 goals and 9 assists.

Binghamton is 28th out of 30 in the AHL in total offense at only 2.2 goals per game. Their defense is 19th at 3.0 goals. Their shot discrepancy is their most noticeable statistic. They are 29th in total shots taken at 27.1 per game. And they are 30th in shots allowed giving up 34.8. Binghamton's penalty kill has also been especially alarming at dead-last in the league at only 75.2%.

20-year-old prospect Robin Lehner has split the goaltending duties with former Albany Devil Mike McKenna. Lehner was key to the team's Calder Cup title run last year. He is 6-10-1 with a 2.92 goals against average and .915 saves percentage this year. McKenna has gone 3-7-0, 3.01, .914.

Adirondack lost a 5-2 encounter at Binghamton on Thanksgiving in the only matchup of the season series thus far between the two in-state rivals.

Syracuse Crunch (Anaheim Ducks) - Sandwich in-between the two games against Binghamton will be a Saturday night encounter at the Syracuse Crunch. The season series between the Phantoms and the Crunch is tied at two games apiece with six games still remaining on the docket.

Syracuse in fourth in the East Division at 11-10-3 for 25 points and are currently outside the top eight in the conference and looking to work their way back into playoff contention.

The Crunch are led by 2009 first rounder Kyle Palmieri with 17 goals and 26 points, but currently the Long Island native is up in the NHL with the Anaheim Ducks.

Their active leading scorer now is former Phantoms Patrick Maroon who has 10 goals and 25 points. Maroon scored five goals for the Phantoms last season before being traded to the Ducks organization in November.

Nick Bonino and Dan Sexton are two more talents offensively for the Crunch, both with five goals and 21 points apiece.

Iiro Tarkki from Finland has received the majority of playing-time in net going 7-7-1, 2.67, .921. Former Edmonton Oilers goalie Jef Deslauiriers is 4-5-0, 4.44, .858 thus far.

The Crunch are especially dangerous on the power play clicking at 24.3% which is second in the AHL trailing only Hershey. Their penalty kill has not been as strong at 24th out of 30 for 77.9%. Syracuse is 4th in the league in total offense at 3.3 goals per game but their overall defense has been lacking at 3.4 goals allowed per contest for 29th in the league.

Transactions

November 29 - Kevin Marshall recalled by Philadelphia (NHL)

November 29 - Brayden Schenn recalled by Philadelphia (NHL)

November 29 - Andy Thomas signed to Professional Tryout from Trenton (ECHL)

December 2 - Brandon Manning cleared to play and assigned to Adirondack

December 3 - Johan Backlund loaned to Trenton (ECHL)

December 5 - Johan Backlund reassigned to Adirondack (AHL)

December 6 - Andrew Rowe loaned to Adirondack (AHL)

Phantoms Day-by-Day

Monday, December 12 - Optional Practice, GFCC (10:00am)

Tuesday, December 13 - Practice, GFCC (10:00am)

Wednesday, December 14 - Practice, GFCC (10:00am)

Thursday, December 15 - Practice, GFCC (10:00am)

Friday, December 16 - Practice, GFCC (10:00am). Bus departs (2:00pm). Game at Binghamton (7:00pm). Bus to Syracuse following game.

Saturday, December 17 - Practice at Syracuse (11:00am). Game at Syracuse (7:30pm)

Sunday, December 18 - Game vs. Binghamton at GFCC (3:00pm)

Monday, December 19 - Off

Tuesday, December 20 - Practice, GFCC (10:00am)

Teddy Bear Toss A Huge Success Again

Thanks to all our great fans for bringing all those teddy bears for our First Goal Teddy Bear Toss on Saturday, December 12. Shane Harper's goal triggered the indoor teddy bear storm to benefit the Salvation Army and was a lot of fun too! Because of your generosity, we helped donate mountains of teddy bears to help make for a happy holiday season for area children.

Phantoms in the Community

The Phantoms are getting out to area kids and fans throughout the week:

Monday, December 12 - Dax at Harrison Avenue Elementary School

Monday, December 12 - Phantoms Radio Show at McGinny's. Cullen Eddy and Brandon Manning

Tuesday, December 13 - Bolton Central School. Blake Kessel and Garrett Roe speaking with the kids.

Tuesday, December 13 - Jackson Elementary. Jason Akeson reads to the students.

Tuesday, December 13 - Dax at Youth Hockey Practice for the Saratoga Blue Knights

Wednesday, December 14 - Player Appearance at Center for Early Learning, Glens Falls.

Wednesday, December 14 - Celebrity Guest Servers at Uno's in Queensbury, Luke Pither, Shane Harper and Tye McGinn ready to take your order!

Thursday, December 15 - Dax at Scout Pack 15 Holiday Party

Thursday, December 15 - Phantoms staff at Saratoga Chamber Holiday Mixer

Thursday, December 15 - Cosmo Night at Scoville Jewelers. Guest celebrity bartenders Mike Testwuide and Ben Holmstrom serving delicious Champagne Cosmos.

Outdoor Game Ticket Pickup and Bus Trip Info Announced

Phantoms Season Ticket Holders can now pick up their tickets for the team's upcoming outdoor game at the Phantoms office. Adirondack will take on the Hershey Bears at Citizens Bank Ballpark in Philadelphia on Friday, January 6 at 7:00pm. Be a part of history!

Upstate Transit is arranging a day trip to Philadelphia for the game as well. Get bus transportation only ($45 adult, $40 child) OR bus transportation and a game ticket ($70 adult, $65 child)

It will be a ton of fun as you travel with excited Phantoms fans ready to make noise in the huge outdoor venue. Pick up your order forms at the Adirondack Phantoms office located downstairs at the Glens Falls Civic Center during the week and also at upcoming Adirondack Phantoms home games. For more information, call Upstate Transit at 518-584-5252.

Upcoming Events

Monday, December 12, 7:00 - Phantoms Power Hour LIVE from McGinny's Tavern in Glens Falls and on Q101.7 Special guests, Cullen Eddy and Brandon Manning.

Friday, December 16, 7:00 - Phantoms at Binghamton Senators

Saturday, December 17, 7:30 - Phantoms at Syracuse Crunch

Sunday, December 18, 3:00 - Binghamton Senators at Phantoms. Sunday Family 3-Pack for only $39. 3 tickets, 3 sodas, 3 hot dogs, 1 large popcorn, 1 program. A savings of $28. Add extra fans to your 3-pack for only $13 per fan!

Phantoms Holiday Socks are on sale now. $49 package for 4 tickets to a premium Phantoms game, an autographed puck, a program, all in a game-worn Phantoms hockey sock. $59 for an autographed stick with the 4 premium game tickets and game-worn Phantoms hockey sock.

Catch all the action of Phantoms hockey all season long on the team's flagship station, Classic Hits Q101.7 and on phantomshockey.com. Bob Rotruck has the broadcast coverage 30 minutes prior to game-time with Countdown to Faceoff.

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American Hockey League Stories from December 12, 2011


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