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Sixth Shooter Straka Ships Successfully

December 13, 2013 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Adirondack Phantoms News Release


Rookie Petr Straka went top-shelf in the sixth-round of the shootout as the Adirondack Phantoms pulled off a 3-2 win at the Hartford Wolf Pack on Friday night. Adirondack's third straight win improved their overall record to 12-10-2. Jason Akeson (5th) and Ben Holmstrom (5th) both scored in regulation for the Phantoms.

Cal Heeter had another terrific performance with 37 saves, including a big penalty-shot save in the third period, as he notched his eighth win of the season.

Former Phantom Danny Syvret, who had three shootout winners for Adirondack last year, would be denied by his former teammate Heeter on a backhand flip attempt that Syvret had successfully used last season. Petr Straka rushed back the other way at the end of the sixth round and blasted his top-shelf drive off the underside of the netting. He caught a little bit of iron on it's way in and out but it was good for the game-winning goal and the 21-year-old rookie from the Czech Republic finished the Phantoms' third straight victory.

It almost wasn't to be though. Late in the overtime Hartford was awarded a 4-on-3 power play. But the Phantoms have excelled on the penalty kill this season and were able to dive and scramble their way to the end of the overtime to give themselves a chance for the second standings point in the shootout. Heeter made a big save going across with the glove to rob J.T. Miller. Ben Holmstrom an Bruno Gervais had a couple of big blocks and Rob Bordson a pair of valuable clears to get to the end of the 65 minutes of exciting hockey.

31-year-old veteran goalie for Hartford Dov Grumet-Morris arrived earlier in the day via a trade with San Antonio and was thrown into the fire with his first start in Hartford since he played for Connecticut in 2010-11. He performed extremely well also and matched Heeter big-save for big-save throughout the contest.

J.T. Miller scored his sixth of the season for the Wolf Pack on the backdoor of a power-play give aross by Danny Kristo as Hartford led 1-0 at the first break.

Jason Akeson put the Phantoms on the board late in the second period cutting in from the right circle and somehow shaking his stick free from a defenseman to put a rebound of a Kris Newbury shot from the other side.

The third period saw some of the wildest action of the night with a couple goals, a breakaway, a penalty shot, and one of the best saves of the evening all happening in a stretch of less than 60 seconds.

Ben Holmstrom found a rebound in the slot of a Tyler Brown shot and the Phantoms' captain scored his 41st career goal with Adirondack for a 2-1 lead. Holmstrom is seven behind Denis Hamel's all-time Adirondack Phantoms record of 48 career goals but Jason Akeson is close behind with 39 career goals.

Just 18 seconds later, Shawn O'Donnell was denied on a tremendous breakaway-save by Heeter and then was awarded a penalty shot only to get stonewalled by the Phantoms netminder again.

Right before that was Petr Straka on the right-wing getting denied by the Hartford goalie, Grumet-Morris, who barely got a glove on Straka's top-shelf blast. That would prove to be even more interesting given that Straka would eventually score the winner to that same corner in the shootout.

Marek Hrivik scored with a rebound of a point-slapshot as he curled the puck around while falling in the left circle.

To overtime and the shootout the game would go. But both teams had some impressive chances the rest of the way including the dramatic penalty-kill for the Phantoms to get to the finish of the overtime.

Adirondack is 2-1-1 against Hartford this year with still six games remaining in the season series.

Hartford outshot the Phantoms 39-35 in the game. Adirondack was 0-for-5 on the power play while Hartford went 1-for-4.

The Phantoms return to the Glens Falls Civic Center on Saturday night hosting the Eastern Conference leading Manchester (NH) Monarchs, AHL affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings. Saturday night's game features a postgame open skate for the fans with all of the Phantoms players. Call the Phantoms for tickets in advance to save: 518-480-3355.

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