February 13, 2012

Upcoming Games

Tuesday, February 14, 7:00 - Adirondack Phantoms at Toronto Marlies
Friday, February 17, 7:00 - Manchester Monarchs at Adirondack Phantoms
Saturday, February 18, 7:00 - Adirondack Phantoms at Bridgeport Sound Tigers
Sunday, February 19, 3:00 - Adirondack Phantoms at Manchester Monarchs

Phantoms Results

Friday, February 10 - Norfolk Admirals 2 - Adirondack Phantoms 0
Saturday, February 11 - Norfolk Admirals 7 - Adirondack Phantoms 3


Coming Up

The Phantoms have a Friday home game in the midst of their stretch of seven out of eight games on the road. Adirondack will play the Manchester Monarchs a couple of times this weekend with an opportunity to gain ground on one of the teams holding one of the Eastern Conference playoff spots. And aother important conference and division matchup against Bridgeport is on tap as well.

Adirondack plays four games in six days this week beginning with a Valentine's contest at Toronto against the Marlies on Tuesday night. The Phantoms are unbeaten in regulation against Western Conference teams this year (4-0-1) and will try to maintain that stature against the North Division leading Marlies in the finale of a three-game road-trip.

The Phantoms return home on Friday against the Manchester Monarchs. The Los Angeles Kings affiliate features former Phantom Stefan Legein who has eight goals for Manchester this year. Friday night's game features $2 draft-beer specials (Bud Light and Labatt Blue Light) through the first intermission and also a ceremonial puck-drop with Adirondack Red Wing great and Adirondack Hockey Hall of Fame member Glenn Merkosky who will also be available to sign autographs.

Then Adirondack hits the road again for back-to-back games Saturday and Sunday at Bridgeport and Manchester. The Saturday night game is at 7:00pm and the Sunday game up in New Hampshire is at 3:00pm.


More Big Promotions on February 26

The Sunday, February 26 game at the Glens Falls Civic Center is packed full of great promotions and you will absolutely want to BE HERE for all the fun.

The Phantoms take on the Syracuse Crunch at 3:00 on another Sunday Family 3-Pack Day. Get 3 tickets, 3 sodas, 3 hot dogs, 1 large popcorn and 1 program all for only $39. These great packages must be purchased in advance of game-day. Call the Phantoms at 518-480-3355 to find out more.

Sunday's game is also Phantoms Poster giveaway day for the first 3,000 fans in attendance courtesy of Glens Falls Printing. And then take your posters direct to the players for our post-game Autograph Session also courtesy of Glens Falls Printing.

Toronto Homecoming

It's familiar territory for some of our Phantoms during the conclusion of the road-trip at the Toronto Marlies.

Head Coach Joe Paterson is a Toronto native who also spent five seasons as an assistant coach for the Toronto Marlies (and Toronto Roadrunners) from 2003-09.

Harry Zolnierczyk originally hails from Toronto and scored his second ever professional goal in this city at Ricoh Coliseum on March 13, 2011 in front of many friends and family cheering him on.

Luke Pither is from a little northeast of here by 55 miles in Burketon and played his Major Juniors in Barrie which is also in the region.

Tye McGinn is from 70 miles away in Fergus, Ontario.

Tyler Brown's home of Wasage Beach, Ontario is about 80 miles from Toronto.

Jason Akeson was a star for the nearby Kitchener Rangers in leading the Ontario Hockey League in assists (84) and points (108). Kitchener is about 65 miles from Toronto.

Phantoms Ticket Specials

The Adirondack Phantoms have announced a couple of great ticket specials. Get 'em while they're hot!

Get into the St. Patrick's Day spirit and feel the luck of the Irish and the O'Phantoms! Two tickets plus a specially designed green Adirondack O'Phantoms T-Shirt are only $30.

The Northway 2-Pack including two tickets to each of Adirondack's upcoming Time Warner Cable Cup rivalry games on March 6 and April 10. The package also includes a hockey stick autographed by an Adirondack Phantoms player. The whole package is a great bargain at $65.

Call the Phantoms to find out more and order your great ticket packages today. 518-480-3355.

Roster Moves

Eric Wellwood has been recalled by the Philadelphia Flyers and played in his fifth all-time NHL game and second game this season in last Sunday's contest at the Detroit Red Wings. The 21-year-old younger brother of Winnipeg's Kyle Wellwood has nine goals and 11 assists in 31 games with the Phantoms this year. Last season was his rookie campaign as a pro and he scored 16 goals and 12 assists for Adirondack while also playing in three games with the Flyers including his NHL debut on October 30, 2010.

Harry Zolnierczyk was loaned back to the Phantoms by Philadelphia for an opportunity for increased ice-time for the rookie winger. "Harry Z" has played in 36 games with the Flyers this year and now has played in 15 games with Adirondack. He has scored a total of nine goals this year, six of which have come with the Phantoms. The Ivy League Player of the Year last season out of Brown University joined Adirondack in March of last year playing in 13 games and scoring three goals. Because he played in fewer than 25 games as a professional last season, the Toronto native is still considered a rookie.

Jason Bacashihua was an emergency recall by the Philadelphia Flyers last week when Ilya Bryzgalov came down with the flu. The 29-year-old goalie who was a former first-round pick of the St. Louis Blues dressed for two of Philadelphia's games last week as the backup to Sergei Bobrovsky. Bacashihua last saw action in the NHL in 2006-07 with the St. Louis Blues.

Adirondack called up Brad Phillips from Trenton (ECHL) to serve as Michael Leighton's backup on Friday and Saturday nights.

Northeast Division Standings

1. Connecticut Whale (58 pts)
2. Bridgeport Sound Tigers (55 pts)
3. Albany Devils (52 pts)
4. Springfield Falcons (50 pts)
5. Adirondack Phantoms (46 pts)


Week in Review

Friday, February 10 (Norfolk 2 - Adirondack 0)

The Phantoms road-trip opener at the Norfolk Admirals was a tight goaltenders' battle throughout with Norfolk maintaining a 1-0 lead for most of the contest. A late empty-net goal would provide for the 2-0 final score.

The Phantoms had some great chances on net but would just miss the goal or be denied by winning goalie Dustin Tokarski who posted a 17-save shutout.

Michael Leighton played a terrific game in net for Adirondack allowing just one goal on 27 shots he faced. Philip-Michael Devos blasted home a drive from the right-wing circle early in the second period for the only goal surrendered by either goalie on the night.

Zero power-plays were awarded to either side as referee Jeff Smith let both teams play it out and get away with a few jabs and hits that may have been called as penalties on a different night.

Garrett Klotz came out with a physical presence in his first game in two months since recovering from a lower-body injury and threw a couple of weighty checks. Harry Zolnierczyk also returned to the Phantoms for the first time since his January 25-28 stretch with Adirondack. "Harry Z" has played in 36 games with Philadelphia this year and had played in 13 games with Adirondack prior to the weekend. Six of the total nine goals he has scored this season have been with the Phantoms.

Saturday, February 11 (Norfolk 7 - Adirondack 3)

The team's last game in southeast Virginia got off to a rocky start as Norfolk took advantage of some early power-play opportunities including a pair of 5-on-3's. Over the last 51 minutes of the game, the teams would trade goals and would be tied 3-3. But Norfolk's initial 4-0 advantage in the first nine minutes including three power play tallies would prove to be the difference that Adirondack would not be able to overcome.

Cory Conacher led the way for the Admirals with a pair of goals as the talented rookie increased his league-leading total in lamplighters to 27. The high-flying Admirals showed how they achieved their status as one of the top offenses in the AHL with a league-high 25-shot effort in the first period. That total of blasts against Michael Leighton equals the 25-shot period the Phantoms had a couple weeks prior and was a total also accomplished by Portland in November. Norfolk had 48 shots in the game which is the most the Phantoms have allowed this season.

Tyler Brown scored early in the second period to make the score 4-1 on his sixth of the year on a nice assist by Garrett Klotz.

Jon Kalinski would backhand chip a slap-pass on the short-side by Brandon Manning early in the third period as his ninth of the season cut the gap to 5-2.

And Manning himself would score Adirondack's last goal of the night later in the third period on a nicely placed slap-shot off the far post for his third of the year.

Michael Leighton would gut it out and stay in there for the entire game while the Brad Phillips sat in reserve and the Phantoms attempted to mount their comeback effort.

The Phantoms would play the game without Eric Wellwood who was recalled to Philadelphia close to game-time and had to depart to meet the team in Detroit the next day.

The Phantoms are 2-3-1 against the talented Admirals team and still have two more cracks at the Tampa Bay Lightning farm-club when Norfolk returns to the Glens Falls Civic Center on March 9 and again in the last game of the regular season on April 15.


Phantoms Breakdown

-- Michael Leighton is fifth in the league in total minutes (1967) and third in saves (911). His 30 career shutouts are 6th all-time in AHL history and are the most of any AHL goalie since 1975. He has one shutout this season (at Portland on October 21, 3-0) and had five shutouts with the Phantoms last year.

-- Jason Akeson leads the team in points with 36 including 10 goals and 26 assists. He is fourth of among AHL rookies in helpers and is eighth in points. Akeson led the OHL in assists (84) and points (108) last year with the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL.

-- Denis Hamel is tops on the Phantoms in goals with 15 and is second in points with 29. The 34-year-old veteran is 11th all-time in AHL history with 330 career goals. He played his 1000th career professional game on December 31st which included 192 NHL games mostly with Buffalo and Ottawa. He is in pursuit of an amazing 10th AHL season with 20 or more goals.

-- Hamel is second in the league in total shots with 195 trailing only Chris Bourque of Hershey who has 200.

-- Tyler Brown has scored five of his six goals in 2012.

-- The Phantoms had outshot their opponents in 12 of their most recent 13 games prior to being outshot in both contests at Norfolk last weekend.

-- The Phantoms are 4-1 in overtime games this year and are 2-1 in shootouts for a combined record of 6-2 in games decided past regulation. All four Adirondack overtime wins have come on home-ice although the most recent one was at their home game played at Philadelphia in the Outdoor Classic on January 6. Since an overtime loss at Hamilton on December 6, the Phantoms have won four straight games decided past regulation.

-- Adirondack is 4-0-1 against the Western Conference (games against Rochester, Toronto and Hamilton) and are 2-0-1 against Canadian teams.

--The Phantoms are 16-1-1 when leading after two periods and are an impressive 12-1-1 when leading after one period.

--The Phantoms are 18-7-1 when they score first. The Phantoms are 12-8-2 in one-goal decisions.

--Adirondack is 15-9-1 at home this year and have the most points at home of any Eastern Conference team and second highest total in the AHL . The Phantoms are 18-5-1 when they score three or more goals.


Phantoms Leaders (Goals - Assists - Points):

Jason Akeson 10-26-36
Denis Hamel 15-14-29
Ben Holmstrom 11-15-26
Garrett Roe 6-18-24
Mike Testwuide 8-15-23
Eric Wellwood 9-11-20
Tom Sestito 9-8-17
Shane Harper 6-10-16

Michael Leighton - 15-19-0, 2.87, .906
Jason Bacashihua - 7-6-1, 2.98, .902


Upcoming Opponents

Toronto Marlies (Toronto Maple Leafs) -
Dallas Eakins' Toronto affiliate has risen to the top spot in the North Division standings at 27-17-6. Adirondack is 1-0 against the Marlies this year from a November 11 thriller at the Glens Falls Civic Center in which Jason Bacashihua outdueled Mark Owuya in one of the best goaltenders' duels of the year in a 2-1 shootout final.

This is the last meeting between the two teams in 2011-12.

Veteran Mike Zigomanis who was on Pittsburgh's 2009 Stanley Cup winning team is the leading scorer for the Marlies with 14 goals and 31 assists for 45 points. He has been a pro since 2001 with the Lowell Lock Monsters and has 197 NHL games under his belt, mostly with the Phoenix Coyotes.

Ryan Hamilton is tops in goals with 18. Ben Scrivens is their primary goalie with 24 games going 13-9-1, 2.36, .911. He is eighth in the league in goals-against average.

Toronto's power play is 26th out of 30 at just 15.3% while their penalty-kill is among the best at 2nd in the league at 86.8%. Toronto is in the middle of the pack in total offense, tied for 14th and 15th out of 30, at 2.89 goals per game. Their defense is second best in the AHL at a paltry 2.5 goals allowed per contest.

Toronto is on a five-game point streak going 4-0-1 in the past couple of weeks.

Manchester Monarchs (Los Angeles Kings) -
Adirondack takes on Manchester on Friday and Sunday this weekend in a couple of key Eastern Conference battles against the team currently holding the sixth spot in the playoff standings at 28-23-2 for 58 points.

The Phantoms are 1-1 against the Monarchs this year and this weekend's games are the last in the season series.

Former Adirondack Phantoms Stefan Legein has eight goals since joining the Los Angeles Kings affiliate in late October following a trade from the Flyers organization.

Marc-Andre Cliche is the team's top scorer with 16 goals and 35 points.

Talented, young netminders Jeff Zatkoff and Marty Jones have split the time in goal 50/50. Zatkoff has slightly better numbers. He is a fourth-year pro out of Miami (Ohio) University who is 15-10-1, 2.29, .925. Jones is a former WHL Goalie of the Year who also played on Team Canada at the World Juniors Championships in 2010. The second-year Monarch is 13-13-1, 2.88, .911.

The Monarchs are 24th out of 30 in the AHL in total offense with 2.6 goals scored per game. Their team defense is tied for 9th at 2.75 goals allowed.

In January, the Monarchs suffered through a franchise-worst seven-game losing streak but then battled their way out of it with a three-game win streak.

Bridgeport Sound Tigers (New York Islanders) -
This is the sixth and last game of the season series between the Phantoms and Tigers with Bridgeport holding a 3-2 lead so far.

The Sound Tigers have put together one of the more remarkable turnarounds in the AHL this season under first-year head coach Brent Thompson. After a 2-10 stretch in December, Bridgeport rattled off an amazing 11-0-1 streak to begin 2012 and are now 13-1-1 since January 2.

They won both of their games last weekend including an impressive 8-2 thumping of Springfield and then a 2-1 overtime win of Northeast Division leading Connecticut to gain ground on the Whale.

Bridgeport's offense is up to 8th in the league at 3.1 goals per game. Their defense remaining middle-of-the-pack at 15th out of 30 allowing 2.85 goals a contest.

A pair of rookies lead the attack for the Bridgeport crew. Casey Cizikas has 14 goals and 43 points. Matt Donovan has 22 assists and 28 points. Captain Jeremy Colliton is the team's all-time franchise leader in points and is adding to his totals with eight goals and 22 points this year.

Kevin Poulin has been good, and sometimes phenomenal in goal. He threatened the league's all-time consecutive shutout minute record in early January when he had three straight blankings and aimed for a fourth. And he had an incredible 51 save performance on 53 shots from a persistent Adirondack attack in late January in a victory in Glens Falls.


Bubble Hockey Tournament

The Labatt Blue Bubble Hockey Tournament is coming to the North Country! Participation is free. Come join the fun at the following locations:

February 15 9:00 PM - 10:30 PM Gaffney's, Saratoga Springs
Feburary 16 9:00 PM - 10:30 PM JP Bruno's, Glens Falls
February 19 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM The Mill, Round Lake

Transactions

Feb 8 - Harry Zolnierczyk (F) loaned to Adirondack from Philadelphia Flyers.
Feb 9 - Jason Bacashihua (G) emergency recall by Philadelphia Flyers
Feb 9 - Brad Phillips (G) recalled by Adirondack from Trenton (ECHL)
Feb 12 - Eric Wellwood (F) recalled by Philadelphia

Phantoms Day-by-Day

Tuesday, February 14 - Practice at Toronto (11:00am). Game at Toronto Marlies (7:00pm). Bus home.
Wednesday, February 15 - Arrive Glens Falls (7:00am). No practice
Thursday, February 16 - Practice at GFCC (10:00am)
Friday, February 17 - Practice at GFCC (10:00am). Game vs. Manchester (7:00pm). Bus departs for Bridgeport after game.
Saturday, February 18 - Practice at Bridgeport (11:00am). Game at Bridgeport (7:00pm). Bus to Manchester following game.
Sunday, February 19 - Game at Manchester (3:00pm). Bus to Glens Falls following game.
Monday, February 20 - Practice or Optional TBD (10:00am).
Tuesday, February 21 - Practice at GFCC (10:00am)

Upcoming Events

Tuesday, February 14, 7::00 - Adirondack Phantoms at Toronto Marlies

Friday, February 17, 7:00 - Manchester Monarchs at Adirondack Phantoms. $2 draft beer specials. Adirondack Red Wings legend Glenn Markosky to drop ceremonial first puck.

Saturday, February 18, 7:00 - Adirondack Phantoms at Bridgeport Sound Tigers

Sunday, February 19, 3:00 - Adirondack Phantoms at Manchester Monarchs

Monday, February 20, 7:00 - Phantoms Power Hour LIVE from McGinny's. Player guests TBA.

Sunday, February 26, 3:00 - Syracuse Crunch at Adirondack Phantoms. Phantoms Poster Giveaway for first 3,000 fans courtesy of Glens Falls Printing. Post-Game Autograph Session with the Phantoms players. Sunday Family 3-Pack ($39 for 3 tickets, 3 sodas, 3 hot dogs, 1 large popcorn and 1 program).

Get great savings with the Phantoms when you bring your group of 15 friends or co-workers to a game. Group-rates available as low as $13 per person. Call the Phantoms to find out more at 518-480-3355.

Check out the Half-Price Discount Outlet at phantomshockey.com for great savings from some of our awesome Phantoms corporate partners. Get half-off cards to local restaurants and other stores!

Catch all the action of Phantoms hockey all season long on the team's flagship station, Classic Hits Q101.7 and on phantomshockey.com. Bob Rotruck has the broadcast coverage 30 minutes prior to game-time with Countdown to Faceoff.. Be sure to follow the Phantoms on twitter @phantomshockey and on facebook.com/adkhockey