March 2, 2010

2009-10 Record: 28-28-2-2, 60 points (16-11-2-0 Home, 12-17-0-2 Road), Fifth Place - East Division

Week 22 Recap:

Adirondack responded nicely from a heart-breaking 6-5 loss to Syracuse on Wednesday night by earning a pair of home wins against Norfolk and Lowell over the weekend. Jason Ward was the hero on Friday night as he had a direct hand in both second period goals against the Admirals; he scored and then set-up the eventual game-winner on a power play to sink Norfolk 3-2. Saturday night Ward scored again to put the Devils on their heels early, but the visitors stubbornly chipped their way back into the game before eventually bowing out to the Phantoms in a shootout. The back-to-back home victories put Adirondack up to 60 points on the season, just three points behind Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for the fourth and final playoff spot in the East Division.

Week 23 Preview:

With 60 games in the books and 20 left in the regular season, Week 23 is going to be a real test for the Phantoms as they try to rally themselves into the playoffs. They start by traveling to Ontario to face the Hamilton Bulldogs on Wednesday, March 3rd for a 7:30 pm face off at Copps Coliseum. Adirondack will then return home for two games at the Glens Falls Civic Center; Friday, March 5th against the Rochester Americans (7:30 pm) and Saturday, March 6th against the Binghamton Senators (7:00 pm). Capping off the week the Phantoms will leave after Saturday’s game with Binghamton and travel to Hershey for a 5:00 pm face off with the first place Bears on Sunday, March 7th at Giant Center. Friday night the team will be giving away Phantoms Youth Hockey Jerseys to the first 1,000 kids age 14 and under, courtesy of the Glens Falls Hospital Rehabilitation Center. Saturday’s game is another Dollar Dog Night where all hot dogs are just $1 at the concession stands.

Denis Bodrov and Krys Kolanos remain the two players out of the lineup with injuries for Adirondack. Bodrov, hurt against Hershey on February 19th, may return to action this weekend, while Kolanos is undergoing longer term post-surgical rehab.

Week 23 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, March 3 – 7:30 pm – Copps Coliseum – Hamilton, ON

@ Hamilton Bulldogs (39-14-3-5, 86 pts)

First Place, North Division

This will be the third of four meetings between Adirondack and Hamilton this year. The Bulldogs have won both games by a combined total of 9-0 over the Phantoms and goaltender Cedrick Desjardins has recorded shutouts in both contests. Their last meeting of the season will take place in Glens Falls on Wednesday, March 17th. The Phantoms are 1-8-0-1 against the Bulldogs over the last five years. Hamilton is currently riding a five-game winning streak and they are in the middle of a season-high ten-game home stand. Leading scorer Brock Trotter has five points (3 goals, 2 assists) and a +5 rating in two games against Adirondack this year, while David Desharnais has four points (1 goal, 3 assists) and a +4 rating. Desharnais is on a for-game assist streak and a five game point streak (9 points). Ben Maxwell has scored goals in his last three games (four total) and Mike Glumac has assists in three straight games.
Leading Scorer: Brock Trotter (C) – 61 points (28 goals, 33 assists) in 57 GP.
Leading Goaltender: Cedrick Desjardins (G) – 1.93 GAA, 0.925 save pct., 22-7-2, 6 SO in 34 GP.
Who’s Hot: Ben Maxwell (C) – 5 points (4 goals, 1 assist) and a +3 rating in his last three games played. David Desharnais (LW) – 9 points (4 goals, 5 assists) and a +6 rating in his last five games played. Brock Trotter (C) – 6 points (2 goals, 4 assists) and a +6 rating in his last five games played.
Friday, March 5 – 7:30 pm – Glens Falls Civic Center – Glens Falls, NY

vs. Rochester Americans (34-26-2-0, 70 pts)

Second Place, North Division

The Americans loss in Glens Falls on February 10th sparked a downward trend where Rochester went 1-6-0-0, including a four-game losing skid. They have since closed out February with three wins in their last four games, including a 4-3 overtime win over Binghamton courtesy of Jeff Taffe’s game-winning goal. In the first three games of the season series between the Phantoms and Amerks the home team has been victorious; this will be the fourth and final game of the series. Rookie goalie Alexander Salak had a season worst four-straight losses in February, but has won his last three games. NHL veteran Mike York returned to the ice on February 19th against Manitoba, after missing 33 games due to injury; he has 9 points in six games since getting back to action.
Leading Scorer: Jamie Johnson (C) – 60 points (23 goals, 37 assists) in 62 GP.
Leading Goaltender: Alexander Salak (G) – 2.75 GAA, 0.913 save pct., 26-12-0, 1 SO in 40 GP.
Who’s Hot: Mike York (LW) – 9 points (2 goals, 7 assists) in his last six games played. Jeff Taffe (C) – 7 points (3 goals, 4 assists) and a +1 rating in his last five games played. Jamie Johnson (C) – 5 points (2 goals, 3 assists) in his last five games played.
Saturday, March 6 – 7:00 pm – Glens Falls Civic Center – Glens Falls, NY

vs. Binghamton Senators (22-29-4-3, 51 pts)

Seventh Place, East Division

After losing the first two games against Binghamton by a combined 12-0, Adirondack has gone 4-0-0-1 since, including wins in the last three games. This will be the eighth of ten meetings this season; the final three games of the series are all in Glens Falls. Binghamton is currently on a seven game winless streak (0-5-1-1), not winning since February 14th vs. Rochester and their shootout loss to Norfolk ended a five-game losing streak. Binghamton begins a stretch of five games in six days on Tuesday as they play an 11:00 am game at Albany. Going in Tuesday’s day game the Senators have played the fewest games of any team in the AHL (58), but will quickly make up the gap in a jam-packed week.
Leading Scorer: Martin St. Pierre (C) – 52 points (17 goals, 35 assists) in 55 GP.
Leading Goaltender: Mike Brodeur (G) – 3.21 GAA, 0.896 save pct., 9-10-2, 2 SO in 29 GP.
Who’s Hot: Josh Hennessy (C) – 6 points (3 goals, 3 assists) in his last five games played. Martin St. Pierre (C) – 5 assists in his last five games played. Zack Smith (C) – 4 points (3 goals, 1 assist) and a +4 rating in his last four games played.
Sunday, March 7 – 5:00 pm – Giant Center – Hershey, PA

@ Hershey Bears (46-12-0-2, 94 pts)

First Place, East Division

Since the Bears lost at Adirondack 5-3 on February 19th, Hershey has gone 5-1-0-0, including a 9-2 thumping of Bridgeport last Saturday. The Phantoms are 3-2-0-0 against the Bears this season, 1-1-0-0 at the Giant Center, and have three more games in the series. Adirondack is the only team with a winning record against Hershey this season (with more than one-game played) and the only AHL club with three wins over the Bears. Mathieu Perreault scored four goals and had a +5 rating during their 9-2 win over the Sound Tigers last Saturday. Goaltender Jason Bacashihua has only started nine of Hershey’s last 31 games, but has won all nine starts; he is 14-2-1 overall in 18 appearances for the Bears.
Leading Scorer: Keith Aucoin (C) – 80 points (29 goals, 51 assists) in 53 GP.
Leading Goaltender: Braden Holtby (G) – 2.36 GAA, 0.917 save pct., 18-5-1, 1 SO in 25 GP.
Who’s Hot: Steve Pinizzotto (C) – 5 points (1 goal, 4 assists) and a +6 rating in his last two games played. Chris Bourque (LW) – 6 points (3 goals, 3 assists) and a +4 rating in his last five games played. Keith Aucoin (C) & Alexandre Giroux (LW) – Each have 6 points (1goal, 5 assists) in their last five games played.
Week 22 Game Results:

February 24, 2010 Syracuse 6 @ Adirondack 5

February 26, 2010 Norfolk 2 @ Adirondack 3

February 27, 2010 Lowell 2 @ Adirondack 3 - Shootout

Phantoms Player of the Week: (Week 22)

Jason Ward – RW – #17 3 GP, 4 points (2 goals, 2 assists), +2, 0 PIMs

Right wing Jason Ward had a great week for Adirondack, leading the team with four points (2 goals, 2 assists) and a +2 rating as the Phantoms went 2-1-0-0 during their three-game home stand. The Chapleau, Ontario native started the week by playing in his 700th career professional game and recording his 200th career pro assist on Wednesday against Syracuse. Friday against Norfolk Ward led all scorers with a goal and the game-winning assist in a 3-2 win over the Admirals. Saturday he scored his 12th goal of the season, helping the Phantoms beat Lowell 3-2 in a shootout. For the season Ward ranks fourth on the team in goals (12) and sixth in points (29), appearing in 51 games.

Phantoms Player of the Month: (February)

Jared Ross – C– #17 13 GP, 12 points (4 goals, 8 assists), +6, 2 PIMs

Captain Jared Ross has begun to heat up at the right time for the Phantoms. After struggling to find the net early in the season, the Huntsville, Alabama native scored four times in February and added eight assists to lead the team in scoring during the month. Ross put together a five-game point streak from February 10th to February 19th, (2 goals, 4 assists), which equaled an Adirondack season-long streak. Furthermore, he exhibited his out-standing two-way play by only being a minus player in two out of the 13 games, finishing with a +6 rating for the month. Overall this year Ross is tied for the team-lead in assists (26), ranks third in plus-minus (+1) and is fourth in points (33) in 53 games played.

Phantoms Goalie of the Month: (February)

Johan Backlund – G – #31 10 GP, 6-3-1, 3.16 GAA, 0.890 Sv%, 260 Saves

Johan Backlund had yet another strong month, posting a 6-3-1 record in 10 games as he continues to backstop Adirondack. The Skellefteå, Sweden native started the month by earning a point in a tough shootout loss at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and then earning two wins, while holding the high-scoring Manchester Monarchs and Rochester Americans to just one goal apiece. In the same week he made 42 saves to beat Binghamton on the road and then on February 19th he beat the Hershey Bears for the second time this season and then closed out the month with two spectacular performances in wins over Norfolk and Lowell. In February he posted a 3.16 GAA and a 0.890 save percentage over 608:02 minutes. Overall this season Backlund has a 20-13-2 record, with a 2.74 goals-against average and a 0.908 save percentage, with two shutouts and 968 saves.

Phantoms Rookie of the Month: (February)

Marc-Andre Bourdon – D– #5 10 GP, 3 assists, -2, 2 PIMs

Rookie defenseman Marc-Andre Bourdon continues to develop during his first season as a pro. The St. Hyacinthe, Quebec native had three assists in ten games played, including a two-assist performance on February 24th against Syracuse. Highly touted for his offensive skills, Bourdon has improved his play defensively, only a minus player in two of his ten games in the month. The rookie ranks third on the Phantoms in defenseman scoring this season with 13 points (1 goal, 12 assists) and 49 penalty minutes in 54 games played.

Phantoms Quick Hits:

· MAJOR MILESTONE – RW Jason Ward played in his 700th career professional hockey game on Wednesday night against Syracuse. He recorded one assist during the game for his 200th career pro assist; the Chapleau, Ontario native has 348 points (147 goals, 201 assists) in 702 career pro games, including 336 career NHL games.

· LOSING STREAK SNAPPED – The Phantoms 3-2 shootout win over Lowell last Saturday snapped a bizarre losing streak. Adirondack had lost the previous five straight Saturday games prior to beating the Devils; they had not won on a Saturday since a 3-1 win at Norfolk on January 16th, just before the AHL All-Star Break. Overall this season the Phantoms are 8-12-1-0 (17 pts) in 21 Saturday games; they have six more Saturday games remaining on the schedule this year.

· SELECT AHL COMPANY – Greg Gilbert is closing in on joining a very special group of American Hockey League coaches. The Phantoms head coach is four wins away from his 300th career AHL victory. So far, only 14 coaches have reached the 300 win mark and Gilbert (296) ranks second in the league in wins amongst active AHL coaches, trailing on Worcester’s Roy Sommer.

· A SEASON FIRST – Wednesday’s 6-5 loss to the Syracuse Crunch was the first time all season that Adirondack has lost a game in regulation when leading going into the third period. The Phantoms have an impressive 17-1-0-1 record when carrying the lead into the final frame. The loss also marked the first time Adirondack lost when scoring five or more goals in game; they are 5-1-0-0 when scoring 5+ goals.

· ROUND NUMBERS – Captain Jared Ross tallied his 150th career AHL assist on Friday night vs. Norfolk. The Huntsville, Alabama native has 230 career AHL points (80 goals, 150 assists) in 308 career AHL games. Center Jonathon Kalinski played in his 100th career AHL game on Saturday vs. Lowell. The Bonnyville, Alberta native has 39 points (17 goals, 22 assists) in his AHL career, along with five points in 22 career NHL games.

· SHOOTOUT TURN-AROUND – Saturday’s 3-2 shootout win over the Lowell Devils was important in many ways, including helping Adirondack remain firmly in the East Division playoff hunt. It also snapped a short two-game shootout losing streak for both the team and goaltender Johan Backlund. After losing in shootouts at Binghamton on January 22nd and at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on February 3rd, Saturday’s win over Lowell was Backlund’s first career AHL shootout victory, his 20th win overall this season. His other shootout win came during Adirondack’s home pre-season game against Albany on September 25th.

· HOME COOKING – Adirondack’s wins over Norfolk and Lowell on Friday and Saturday was the sixth time this season that the team has won two-straight home games. However, the Phantoms have not won three in a row at home this year; they will have the opportunity to do so on Friday, March 5th as they host the Rochester Americans at 7:30 pm.

· MILESTONES COMING UP – RW Rob Bellamy is 1 game away from playing in his 100th career Pro & AHL game. RW David Laliberte is 1 GP away from his 150th career AHL game and 5 points shy of his 100th career AHL point. RW Jason Ward needs 3 goals for his 150th career Pro goal and 2 points for his 350th career Pro point. LW Garrett Klotz is 6 GP away from his 100th career Pro & AHL game.

· FIVE-HUNDRED HOCKEY – The Phantoms 3-2 shootout win over Lowell on Saturday ensured that the team would continue an interesting streak. Adirondack was 6-6-0-1 (13 points) during the month of February, extending their run of 0.500 winning-percentage hockey in every month so far this season.

Phantoms Recent Transactions

February 25 – Joey Mormina (D) – Recalled from loan by Philadelphia (NHL).

Adirondack Phantoms Team Leaders:

Games Played: Jon Matsumoto (60)

Goals: Stefan Legein (22)

Assists: Patrick Maroon, Jon Matsumoto & Jared Ross (26)

Points: Jon Matsumoto (47)

Plus/Minus: Mika Pyorala (+4)

Penalty Minutes: Matt Clackson (154)

Power Play Goals: David Laliberte & Jon Matsumoto (6)

Short Handed Goals: Stefan Legein (3)

Game-Winning Goals: Jon Matsumoto & Jason Ward (3)

Shots: Jon Matsumoto (183)

Shooting Percentage: Stefan Legein (19.3%)

Wins: Johan Backlund (20)

GAA: Johan Backlund (2.74)

Save Percentage: Johan Backlund (0.908)

Saves: Johan Backlund (968)

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The Phantoms return to action on Wednesday, March 3rd as they travel to Ontario for a 7:30 pm face off with the Hamilton Bulldogs at Copps Coliseum. Adirondack’s next home game is on Friday, March 5th at 7:30 pm against the Rochester Americans at the Glens Falls Civic Center.

There is no better way to watch Phantoms Hockey than by sharing it with a group of your family and friends. Bring a group of 15 or more people to the Glens Falls Civic Center and qualify for incredible discounted ticket prices off the regular box office rates. For more information about group tickets, contact the Phantoms at 518-480-3355 or visit www.phantomshockey.com.