Phantoms win 3-2 in OT at Cincinnati

Published on March 28, 2003 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Adirondack Phantoms News Release


(NORFOLK, Va., March 28, 2003) - Jamie Wright scored a pair of goals, including the game-winner 3:33 into overtime, as the Philadelphia Phantoms rallied for a 3-2 win over the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks tonight at the Cincinnati Gardens.

Trailing 2-1 late in the third period, Philadelphia forced overtime with 7:12 to go on Andre Savage's 10th goal of the year. Sixteen seconds after Cincinnati's Peter Podhradsky was sent off for hooking, Mark Greig and Brad Tiley set up Savage for a power-play goal.

The Phantoms outshot the Mighty Ducks, 5-0, in overtime and had a 4-on-3 advantage for two minutes thanks to Podhradsky's high-sticking minor. Cincinnati managed to kill the penalty, but 20 seconds later, Wright and Dennis Seidenberg embarked on a 2-on-1, as Seidenberg faked a shot on the play before setting Wright up for an easy tap-in from the doorstep with 1:27 remaining in the extra session.

Wright tallied his 11th and 12th goals of the season, while Greig and Seidenberg each finished with two assists. Goaltender Antero Niittymaki recorded 20 saves to help Philadelphia improve to 6-3-1 in its last 10 games and give head coach John Stevens his 100th career coaching win.

The Phantoms (74 points) also moved into a tie for ninth place in the Western Conference with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, who suffered a 3-2 loss tonight at home vs. Binghamton. Philadelphia and Wilkes-Barre both have six games remaining and will end the season against each other on Sunday, April 6 at the First Union Spectrum.

Making his eighth straight start, Ilja Bryzgalov stopped 39 shots for Cincinnati, which had won six of its last seven games at home. The Phantoms ended the season series with a 3-0-1 mark and extended their unbeaten streak vs. the Mighty Ducks to six games (5-0-1).

The teams played scoreless hockey in the opening period, despite Philadelphia outshooting the Mighty Ducks, 18-5. The score remained the same deep into the second stanza until Wright netted his 11th of the year and eighth as a Phantom on a 3-on-2 rush. After receiving a drop pass from Greig, Wright beat Bryzgalov with a shot from inside the circle at the 11:42 mark. Seidenberg also assisted on the play.

Playing in his 600th AHL game, Greig extended his current assist streak to seven games, which ties for the longest in the league this season. Overall, Greig has 13 points (3G, 10A) in his last seven games.

Cincinnati assumed a 2-1 lead with a pair of goals in the first seven minutes of the third period. Podhradsky knotted the score at 1-1 at the 2:25 mark - 35 seconds after Savage received a tripping minor. Tony Martensson and Jonathan Hedstrom set up Podhradsky's ninth of the year.

Hedstrom then netted his 12th goal at 6:59 to put the Ducks on top, with Martensson receiving the assist on the play.

The Phantoms conclude their three-game road trip on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. in Cleveland before returning home to play four of their final five games, beginning Sunday at 5:05 p.m. vs. the Norfolk Admirals.

Phantoms Notes: Philadelphia's 18 shots in the first period fell one shy of a season high for a period. The Phantoms attempted 19 shots during the third period on Feb. 11 at Cleveland ... Seidenberg has seven points (3G, 4A) in his last six games ... Ben Stafford played in his 100th AHL game ... Wright has nine points (4G, 5A) in his last seven games ... The Phantoms hold a commanding 31-8-3 lead in the all-time series, including a 14-6-1 mark when playing in Cincinnati ... Niittymaki ended a personal four-game losing streak, winning for the first time since March 2 vs. Manchester.

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American Hockey League Stories from March 28, 2003


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