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Glens Falls, NY-Mike
Testwuide registered his first career hat trick
and Michael Ryan chipped in a couple more as the
Phantoms racked up a franchise record nine goals
in a 9-5 rout of the Albany Devils Friday night.
A six goal second period pushing the Phantoms to
a 9-2 lead sparked the crowd of 4,148 into a frenzy
on the wild night of action at the Glens Falls Civic
Center.
Testwuide's third goal of the game was the team's
ninth of the night and the Colorado College product
celebrated his hat trick by doing his own version
of the Lambeau Leap into the end-boards behind the
Albany goal. The fans promptly showered Testwuide
with a few hats and a LOT of green foam-fingers
which were given away before the game.
Along with Testwuide's three goals and Ryan's two
were single tallies by Syvret, Read, Eddy and Hamel.
Ryan also had three assists to go with his two goals
for a five point night. His five points equals Erik
Gustafsson for the most in a game for the Phantoms
this year.
Testwuide's hat trick was the third of the year
for the Phantoms and the first ever Adirondack hat
trick at the Glens Falls Civic Center. Michael Ryan's
hat trick at Syracuse and Denis Hamel's hat trick
at Hamilton were the two others.
Testwuide now has 16 goals on the season after
scoring only one goal in the first half of the year.
15 of his goals have come since January in an impressive
second half performance.
"We want ten! We want ten!" chanted the
crowd in the final minutes of the game as Adirondack
went on another power play to try to reach double
digits for the first time in franchise history.
But it wasn't to be.
Albany goalie Mike McKenna took the loss allowing
seven of the nine goals before he was replaced in
net by Jeff Frazee. Michael Leighton allowed five
goals in the win but actually played very well in
net and made several dazzling stops to prevent Albany
from entertaining any realistic thought of an improbable
comeback.
The game pulls the Phantoms to within a game of
the Devils in the Time Warner Cable Cup Series at
6 games to 5. Adirondack would win the Time Warner
Cable Cup 14 points to 13 if they win in regulation
in their last encounter coming up next Wednesday.
if the Phantoms win in overtime or a shootout or
if Albany wins then the Devils would win the Cup.
As for the wild Friday night encounter, it looked
at first like the two teams were going to pick up
with some of the chippyness and intensity and penalties
that have been the character of the rivalry the
past few encounters. The teams were going at it
early and getting after each other with Letourneau-Leblond
of Albany and Matt Clackson of Adirondack both taking
unsportsmanlike conduct penalties just a couple
minutes in. In the second period, Letourneau-Leblond
would get a hit on Phantoms goalie Michael Leighton
and would drop the gloves with Cullen Eddy. Brett
Mills of the Devils and Zac Rinaldo of the Phantoms
would also engage in the fisticuffs earlier in the
game.
The wild scoring would begin innocently enough
in the first period with the Devils actually striking
for the initial tallies. Albany raced out to a 2-1
advantage in the first period before the Phantoms
would take over with eight in a row. Mike Hoeffel
scored his first pro goal for Adirondack but the
Phantoms quickly got it back a little over a minute
later tying the game at 1-1 as Ben Holmstrom gave
it to Testwuide who curled the puck around the goalie
Mike McKenna for his first of the night and 14th
of the year.
Ryan Ginand tipped a centering feed by Chris Murray
to push the Devils in front again at 2-1. But Danny
Syvret's slapshot from the left point at 13:40 into
the first for his 10th of the year tied the game
at 2-2. And Michael Ryan lit up his 19th of the
year on the power play exactly one minute later
giving Adirondack a 3-2 lead at the first intermission.
Then the Phantoms would put in six through an impressive
display in the second period almost making it look
at times with their crisp, quick passing around
the Albany zone.
Mike Testwuide's second of the game came just 40
seconds in the period on a nice feed to the middle
by Michael Ryan to make the score 4-2.
Matt Read took a cross-ice feed from Hamel from
the right-wing corner and scored his third goal
in just five pro games to make it 5-2 at the 6:02
mark. Just 41 seconds later Harry Zolierczyk's pass
to the middle went behind Eric Wellwood but landed
on the stick of Cullen Eddy at the top of the right
circle who blasted home his third of the year pushing
the advantage to 6-2.
Denis Hamel would score a little less than two
minutes later for his team leading 22nd of the year
on quick passing by Bordson and Read. The play was
sparked by an aggressive forecheck by Ben Holmstrom
winning the puck in the Devils zone. Hamel and Read
connected back-and-forth on several combinations
and look like a duo who have played together all
year and hardly look like a couple of players who
just met for the first time a little over a week
ago.
The Phantoms led 7-2 but weren't done lighting
it up. Michael Ryan's 20th of the year from Hamel
and Gustafsson came at 13:44 to make it 8-2. Mike
Testwuide's third of the game and 16th of the year
from Ryan and Jancevski pushed the game to 9-2 leaving
everyone rubbing their eyes to make sure they were
believing what they were seeing.
The game actually could have been a bit different
if the Devils caught some breaks. Albany hit the
post past Leighton three different times, had a
goal disallowed on a high stick, and were robbed
on some spectacular stops by the Phantoms goalie
that surely would have been tallies against many
other netminders.
Albany struck with 14 seconds left in the 2nd period
when a Nathan Perkovich deflection of a puck was
accidentally punched into the net by Adirondack's
Dan Jancevski.
Albany scored twice in the opening six minutes
of the third to provide for the 9-5 final. Adam
Henrique scored his Devils leading 25th of the year
on a penalty shot after Cullen Eddy hooked at him
on a breakaway. And Alexander Vasyunov's impressive
backhander across Leighton to the upper-far corner
for his 8th of the year would be the last goal of
the game.
The previous season high for goals in a game for
the Phantoms came in a 6-4 victory at Syracuse in
January. The nine goals equals an all-time franchise
record for the Phantoms done three times by the
Philadelphia Phantoms, most recently in a 9-1 triumph
over the St. John's Maple Leafs in December, 1999.
Joe Paterson is now 21-14-8 as Head Coach of the
Phantoms. Adirondack has won four home games in
a row to up their record at the Glens Falls Civic
Center over the .500 mark at 15-14-6. The last time
Adirondack was over .500 at home was at the beginning
of the year when they were 1-0-0 following their
October 15 opening night win over Syracuse. The
Phantoms are 7-2-2 in their last 11 home games.
There are six games left in the regular season
and just three home games remaining for the Adirondack
Phantoms who are in their last homestand of the
year. The Phantoms host Syracuse on Saturday, Rochester
on Monday and then Albany again on Wednesday to
decide the Time Warner Cable Cup.
Phantoms Notes: Scratches for the game included
Stefan Legein and J.P. Testwuide as well as Matt
Walker, Oliver Lauridsen and Logan Stephenson. The
crowd of 4,148 was the second largest of the year.
UPCOMING GAMES
Saturday, April 2, 7:00 p.m. - Syracuse Crunch
at Adirondack Phantoms - Post-game auction live
on the ice for the Phantoms special Time Warner
Cable Cup Rivalry jerseys
Monday, April 4, 7:00 p.m. - Rochester Americans
at Adirondack Phantoms
Wednesday, April 6, 7:00 p.m. - Albany Devils at
Adirondack Phantoms - Fan Appreciation Night - Last
home game of the year featuring many great giveaways
including autographed Phantoms memorabilia.
Phantoms Season Tickets for 2011-12 are on sale
now! Full season ticket holders get an Adirondack
Phantoms stadium blanket while supplies last and
also will be in the Phantoms mug club for $1 sodas
and coffees in Heritage Hall all season long.
Join us at the Glens Falls Civic Center for exciting
Adirondack Phantoms hockey, the top affiliate of
the Philadelphia Flyers. 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 and flex-packs.
Come watch future NHL stars and up-and-coming Flyers
prospects. 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.
Albany Devils 5 at Adirondack Phantoms 9 - Status:
Final
Friday, April 1, 2011 - Glens Falls Civic Center
Albany 2 1 2 - 5
Adirondack 3 6 0 - 9
1st Period-1, Albany, Hoeffel 1 (Vasyunov, Sova),
4:36 (PP). 2, Adirondack, Testwuide 14 (Holmstrom),
5:43. 3, Albany, Ginand 3 (Murray), 11:04 (SH).
4, Adirondack, Syvret 10 (Bourdon, Ryan), 13:40.
5, Adirondack, Ryan 19 (Hamel, Gustafsson), 14:40
(PP). Penalties-Letourneau-Leblond Alb (unsportsmanlike
conduct), 2:38; Clackson Adk (unsportsmanlike conduct),
2:38; Rinaldo Adk (cross-checking), 2:38; Zolnierczyk
Adk (goaltender interference), 6:19; Mills Alb (high-sticking),
10:11; Davison Alb (hooking), 14:31; Mills Alb (fighting),
17:05; Rinaldo Adk (fighting), 17:05.
2nd Period-6, Adirondack, Testwuide 15 (Ryan, Marshall),
0:40. 7, Adirondack, Read 3 (Hamel, Bordson), 6:02.
8, Adirondack, Eddy 3 (Zolnierczyk, Kalinski), 6:43.
9, Adirondack, Hamel 22 (Read, Bordson), 8:38. 10,
Adirondack, Ryan 20 (Hamel, Gustafsson), 13:44 (PP).
11, Adirondack, Testwuide 16 (Jancevski, Ryan),
14:48. 12, Albany, Perkovich 8 (Urbom, Henrique),
19:46 (PP). Penalties-Jancevski Adk (interference),
3:06; Letourneau-Leblond Alb (goaltender interference,
fighting), 12:54; Eddy Adk (fighting), 12:54; Leighton
Adk (leaving the crease), 12:54; Perkovich Alb (roughing),
14:44; Zolnierczyk Adk (holding), 17:38; Jancevski
Adk (cross-checking), 19:31.
3rd Period-13, Albany, Henrique 25 3:40 (TXT_PS).
14, Albany, Vasyunov 8 5:24. Penalties-Read Adk
(hooking), 6:43; Marshall Adk (interference), 6:59;
McIntyre Alb (interference), 8:49; Letourneau-Leblond
Alb (charging), 12:27; Read Adk (interference),
13:33; Letourneau-Leblond Alb (misconduct), 17:15;
Zajac Alb (boarding), 17:15; Clackson Adk (misconduct),
17:15.
Shots on Goal-Albany 9-15-14-38. Adirondack 17-13-4-34.
Power Play Opportunities-Albany 2 / 9; Adirondack
2 / 6.
Goalies-Albany, McKenna 14-18-1 (23 shots-17 saves);
Frazee 11-14-3 (11 shots-8 saves). Adirondack, Leighton
12-12-3 (38 shots-33 saves).
A-4,148
Referees-Jarrod Ragusin (42).
Linesmen-Mike Emanatian (69), Rich Patry (52).
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