Everything went rightar for the Phantoms on Sunday as they pushed past the Syracuse Crunch 6-1 at the Glens Falls Civic Center. It was the largest margin of victory this year for Adirondack and came against the team that won the league championship last year when they operated as the Norfolk Admirals.

David Laliberte (2nd and 3rd)led the way for Adirondack with a pair of goals. Erik Gustafsson (4th), Matt Mangene (2nd), Jeff Dimmen (3rd) and Cullen Eddy (3rd) all cranked up goals of their own as well. It was a combined effort for the scoring punch in this one that included goals from three defensemen among the six total.

"I think that's what has to happen with our hockey club" Head Coach terry Murray said. "We gotta get four lines and we hae to have six D joining the attack whenever it's possible. We're not a dynamic group here with having to play just two lines a lot. We can roll four lines and I think everyone feels confident. If we can get that kind of production for those guys it makes it easy for me to get them out there."

But the top star of the game honor went to goalie Scott Munroe who was less than two minutes away from a shutout before Tyler Johnson would finally get the Crunch on the board with a power play goal. Take nothing away from Munroe though. Without his spectacular effort it most certainly could have been a very different game.

Munroe's best stop of the game may have come in the first period when it was still a very tight contest. On a rebound that got to the other side, Munroe somehow dove backwards and lunged across with his stick to rob Crunch captain Mike Angeledis. Almost everyone in the building had notched it as a 1-1 game at the time but somehow Munroe came up with the spectacular denial.

"The last two games I played have been kind of quiet and not a lot of shots," Munroe said after the game with his baby son, Jack, on his lap. "Tonight was kind of nice to be honest with you and just get a lot of work and get into the game and be involved all game. I think in a way that's kind of what I needed to get myself comfortable again."

For David Laliberte, he capped off a nice weekend in which he scored three goals across Adirondack's two games. The 27-year-old returned to the Phantoms organization in January 24 after recovering from a knee injury he suffered in Germany last season.

"It fees great. That was a big win tonight," Laliberte said. His diving goal in the second period to make the score 4-0 knocked the goalie out of the game and was typical of the type of goal the Phantoms want to see more of. "Absolutely. In this game right now it's all pucks coming from rebounds and you have to go and find pucks. You have to put some pressure in front of the net and hide the goalie and get the rebounds done. A lot of goals are scored like that in the NHL."

Laliberte's three goals this weekend were his first with the Phantoms since November, 2010 before he was traded. Coincidentally, his trade sent him over to play for Syracuse who were the Anaheim Ducks affiliate at the time.

The game was especially physical and chippy and a number of scraps developed including Zack FitzGerald vs. Syracuse's Jared Nightengale in the first period that drew a roar from the crowd. Andrew Johnston dropped the gloves in the second period for his first AHL fight and, in fact, the first penalty minutes of his career.

Erik Gustafsson started the scoring in the first period with his slapshot goal from the top of the left circle for his fourth of the year and Adirondack led 1-0 at the first intermission.

Then a wild second period developed in which the Crunch outshot the Phantoms 22-7. But Munroe was terrific and turned away everything he saw, and perhaps a couple he might not have seen. It was the most shots on goal allowed in a period by Adirondack all season equalling the 22 shots surrendered to Providence in the second period on December 10, 2012 on the road.

The Phantoms scored three goals on their seven shots in that frame as they knocked starting goalie Riku Helenius from the game.

The University of Maine tandem of Matt Mangene and Jeff Dimmen would score consecutive goals. Mangene's coming in the opening minute of the second period to make it 2-0. And then Dimmen's big slapper over a scrambling goalie following a Mangene wrap-around try by Mangene that set up Dimmen for the line-drive straight at a mostly open net.

On the power play, Danny Syvret's shot would get through hit the crossbar, bank off the back of Helenius, and then would be pounced on by a diving David Laliberte who got their first with his lunging effort to knock in the team's fourth of the game.

Eric Wellwood would follow the rebound of his own shot driving in early in the third and find a wide-open Cullen Eddy on the right side who buried his open shooting chance.

And then Jason Akeson made one of the most spectacular series of moves of his young career as he dangles and spun wide and around three different Syracuse defenders on his to way to finding Laliberte on the back-door for the conversion and the Phantoms final goal of the night.

Munroe kept making some spectacular saves into the third period but finally was burned by Tyler Johnson's 23rd of the year with just 1:22 remaining to spoil the shutout bid.

The big night was Laliberte's first multi-goal game at the Glens Falls Civic Center and his second all-time as a Phantom. He also scored two goals in a game for Adirondack on March 27, 2010 at Manchester as part of an 18-goal campaign. It is his ninth multi-goal game all-time in the AHL and his eighth with the Phantoms which includes six of them with the Philadelphia Phantoms in 2008-09 as part of a 28-goal season.

Adirondack has a well-deserved day off Monday and will return to practice on Tuesday. They host back-to-back games next weekend at the Glens Falls Civic Center with the Albany Devils coming to town Friday night and then the Worcester Sharks arriving on Dax Bobblehead Night on Saturday. Call the Phantoms for tickets at 518-480-3355.

Syracuse Crunch 1 at Adirondack Phantoms 6 - Status: Final
Sunday, February 10, 2013 - Glens Falls Civic Center

Syracuse 0 0 1 - 1
Adirondack 1 3 2 - 6

1st Period-1, Adirondack, Gustafsson 4 7:02. Penalties-Dimmen Adk (hooking), 7:28; Wyman Syr (double minor - high-sticking), 9:33; Nightingale Syr (fighting), 13:51; FitzGerald Adk (charging, fighting), 13:51.

2nd Period-2, Adirondack, Mangene 2 (Sim), 0:37. 3, Adirondack, Dimmen 3 (Mangene, Sim), 10:56. 4, Adirondack, Laliberte 2 (Syvret, Akeson), 12:34 (PP). Penalties-Harper Adk (tripping), 1:05; Syvret Adk (roughing), 3:59; Gudas Syr (fighting), 7:41; Eddy Adk (fighting), 7:41; Cote Syr (charging), 8:28; Cote Syr (unsportsmanlike conduct), 11:40; Namestnikov Syr (fighting), 13:38; Johnston Adk (fighting), 13:38; FitzGerald Adk (slashing), 18:10.

3rd Period-5, Adirondack, Eddy 2 (Wellwood, Lauridsen), 1:30. 6, Adirondack, Laliberte 3 (Akeson, Noebels), 13:21. 7, Syracuse, Johnson 23 (Connolly, Neilson), 18:38 (PP). Penalties-Gudas Syr (slashing), 2:51; Jacques Syr (roughing), 2:51; FitzGerald Adk (unsportsmanlike conduct), 2:51; Slater Adk (tripping), 7:40; FitzGerald Adk (hooking), 17:55.

Shots on Goal-Syracuse 8-22-13-43. Adirondack 8-7-11-26.
Power Play Opportunities-Syracuse 1 / 7; Adirondack 1 / 4.
Goalies-Syracuse, Helenius 8-8-0 (14 shots-10 saves); Tokarski 18-8-4 (12 shots-10 saves). Adirondack, Munroe 10-11-0 (43 shots-42 saves).
A-3,076
Referees-Chris Brown (86).
Linesmen-Mike Emanatian (69), Steeve Lemay (64).

UPCOMING

Monday, February 11 (7:00) - Phantoms Power Hour LIVE on Q101.7. With special guests Jon Sim and David Laliberte.

Thursday, February 14 (All Day) - Valentine's Day Deliveries by Dax all throughout the region!

Friday, February 15 (7:00) - Albany Devils at Adirondack Phantoms. $2 Draft Beer Specials.

Saturday, February 16 (7:00) - Worcester Sharks at Adirondack Phantoms. Dax Bobbleheads (first 2,500 fans)

Sunday, February 17 (3:00) - Adirondack Phantoms at Springfield Falcons

Call the Phantoms in advance for tickets and Sunday Family Fun Packs and SAVE! 518-480-3355


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