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Wilkes-Barre, PA-The
Adirondack Phantoms battled down to the wire with
the top team in the AHL but ended up falling to
the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 3-2 in an exciting
Saturday night game at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey
Plaza. Eric Wellwood (6th) and Ben Holmstrom (5th)
scored the goals in the hard-fought effort for the
Phantoms.
Michael Leighton was stellar in goal particularly
for the first 55 minutes of the contest. The Pens
scored two goals in the game's closing five minutes
breaking a 1-1 tie to improve to an AHL best 20-4-0
on the season.
The game was the first of a two game conditioning
stint for Leighton with the Phantoms as he is recovering
from back surgery from early October. Leighton certainly
did not look like a player getting his first game
action of the season and appeared to be quite sharp
throughout. Leighton turned aside 26 Penguins shots
on the night including 14 out of 15 in the first
period.
It was Leighton's first game in the AHL since 2007-08
when he played for the Albany River Rats (28-25-4,
2.10, .931). It was his first game in a Phantoms
jersey since 2006-07 when he played in five games
for the Philadelphia Phantoms (2-0-2, 1.56, .948).
Eric Wellwood got the Phantoms on the board 8 minutes
into the opening period converting on a 2-on-1 rush
with Andrew Rowe. Wellwood took the pass on the
strong side and flipped the puck backwards between
his legs going five-hole on Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
goalie John Curry to give Adirondack a 1-0. His
highlight-reel goal was the 6th of the year for
the 20 year old rookie out of Windsor, Ontario and
his first since returning to the Phantoms following
his second call-up to Philadelphia.
Dustin Jeffrey ripped a laser from the left-wing
circle ringing off the far post behind Leighton
to tie the game at 1-1 at the 18:00 mark of the
first. It was Jeffrey's 13th of the year to lead
the Penguins.
Leighton was especially solid in the first period
in turning away 14 of 15 Penguins shots to keep
the Phantoms in the game. The scoreless duel would
continue through the the second but the Phantoms
were not without their chances. Greg Moore had multiple
opportunities to score including one shot late in
the period that appeared to bounce of the helmet
of Curry.
The game would remain 1-1 until the closing minutes
of the 3rd period when Tim Wallace would dangle
up the right wing and blast a low shot past the
right skate of Leighton to give the Pens a 2-1 lead.
Less than two minutes later, Eric Tangredi would
pick up a carom off the end boards on the left-wing
side and flip one towards the net banking it in
off of the back skate of Leighton making the score
3-1.
Adirondack would make it a one goal game with 1:40
left on the power play and with a pulled goalie
for an extra attacker. Denis Hamel blasted a shot
from the right wing circle and Ben Holmstrom deflected
the puck on the short side of the net and into the
goal for the 6-on-4 tally to pull the Phantoms to
within one again at 3-2. The Phantoms were able
to pull Leighton again and get a couple more shots
on Curry but weren't able to get the equalizer allowing
the Penguins to escape with the win.
The Phantoms had dominated play for much of the
3rd period as they outshot the Penguins 12-4. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
outshot Adirondack 29-24. The Phantoms were 1-for-3
on the power play while they held the Penguins to
0-for-4.
Adirondack continues their road trip Sunday afternoon
in Atlantic City against the Albany Devils in a
4:00 encounter. It is the third meeting of the 12
game Time Warner Cable Cup rivalry with the season
series currently knotted at 1-1.
Adirondack's next home is Saturday, December 11
against the Portland Pirates featuring the team's
first annual Teddy Bear Toss. Fans get to bring
their teddy bear donations for the Salvation Army
to the game and throw them on the ice after the
Phantoms score their first goal.
Bring a new toy or non-perishable food item to
the Phantoms office for a free ticket for an upcoming
Phantoms game on either Wednesday, December 15 or
Friday, December 17. All our donations go to the
Salavation Army to benefit needy kids and families
in the North Country.
Upcoming Phantoms Home Games:
Saturday, December 11 vs. Portland Pirates: Teddy
Bear Toss
Wednesday, December 15 vs. Connecticut Whale: Check
it Out Night (ticket discount with your library
card)
Friday, December 17 vs. Hershey Bears: Dollar Dog
Night
Saturday, December 18 vs. Abbotsford Heat: Papa
John's T-Shirt Giveaway (first 2500 fans)
Don't be left out! Tickets for all Phantoms games
are on sale now. 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.
The AHL is celebrating their 75th anniversary season
and is the top development league for the NHL. More
than 85 percent of today's NHL players are American
Hockey League graduates and more than 6 million
fans attend AHL games every year.
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.
Adirondack Phantoms 2 at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
Penguins 3 - Status: Final
Saturday, December 4, 2010 - Mohegan Sun Arena at
Casey Plaza
Adirondack 1 0 1 - 2
W-B/Scranton 1 0 2 - 3
1st Period-1, Adirondack, Wellwood 6 (Rowe, Jancevski),
8:01. 2, W-B/Scranton, Jeffrey 13 (Tangradi, Bortuzzo),
18:05. Penalties-Wellwood Adk (hooking), 2:26; Rowe
Adk (roughing), 10:26; Moore Adk (hooking), 16:03;
Marshall Adk (roughing), 20:00; Craig Wbs (roughing),
20:00.
2nd Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Mormina Wbs (slashing),
8:04; Leighton Adk (delay of game), 17:07.
3rd Period-3, W-B/Scranton, Wallace 9 (Potter,
Jeffrey), 15:00. 4, W-B/Scranton, Tangradi 5 (Sneep,
Bortuzzo), 16:46. 5, Adirondack, Holmstrom 5 (Hamel,
Syvret), 18:20 (PP). Penalties-Wagner Wbs (slashing),
10:12; Vitale Wbs (hooking), 18:05.
Shots on Goal-Adirondack 4-8-12-24. W-B/Scranton
15-10-4-29.
Power Play Opportunities-Adirondack 1 / 3; W-B/Scranton
0 / 4.
Goalies-Adirondack, Leighton 0-1-0 (29 shots-26
saves). W-B/Scranton, Curry 9-2-0 (24 shots-22 saves).
A-5,972
Referees-Graham Skilliter (40).
Linesmen-Judson Ritter (34), Jameel Chaudry (51).
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