A quick offensive burst in the first period provided Adirondack with an early lead that they would be able to hold onto for the rest of the night in a 4-2 victory over the Albany Devils. An action packed first period had the Phantoms and Devils going back and forth with a total of 5 goals scored, and Adirondack was able to come out of the period with a 3-2 which would prove to be enough as Scott Munroe would turn aside everything he saw from that point.

Andrew Johnston opened up the scoring for the Phantoms 1:50 into the game. Marcel Noebels was able to get the rebound of Johnston’s first shot back to him and Andrew was able to sail it past Albany goalie Jeff Frazee for his second goal of the year.

The Devils answered back just 29 seconds later with a shorthanded goal by Chris McKelvie who appeared to push Scott Munroe into the net. The goal was reviewed by the officials and was held up to tie score at 1-1. The goal came just seconds after Albany’s Tim Sestito took a roughing penalty.

Brandon Manning got the lead back with a power play goal off the same Sestito penalty that the Devils scored their shorthanded goal on. Manning’s sixth goal of the year came 3:38 into the game with an assist by Erik Gustafsson.

Albany again responded quickly as Harri Pesonen scored his tenth goal of the season. That goal came at 6:42 into the game and tied the game at 2 apiece.

The Phantoms went up for good when Rob Bordson scored his seventh goal of the year with assists by David Laliberte and Erik Gustafsson putting the Phantoms up 3-2 at 11:13 of the first period.

The quick offensive start with all those goals gave everyone the idea that maybe this was on its way to being some wild 7-6 type of game. Things settled down after that and the goalies made some big saves. But the quick start with Adirondack able to come out with that lead was an important key.

"You have to push. Goals are going to happen," head coach Terry Murray said. "You come out and get a good first goal, they come back and get a quick shorthanded and tie it up. But we kept pushing and that's the most important thing. That you just respond and you just keep playing. And you end up getting another goal and it was a little bit of a back and forth there in that first period."

Albany was largely dominant in the second period and had Adirondack pinned in their zone on a few occasions with long possessions. The Phantoms were able to persevere through the rough spots with several key blocks by defensemen and other big saves by Munroe.

"They took it to us in the second period pretty good," Murray said. "We had a tough time getting out of our end. We turned too many pucks over. They were changing on the fly and keeping fresh people coming at us. It was pretty hectic for us."

Later in the third period, a loose puck squirted through Scott Munroe and lay in the blue paint while the Phantoms net-minder was way outside the crease. But in the big race for the puck, Rob Bordson was able to crash his way in and steer the puck back to Munroe for the key whistle and potentially game-saving play just inches from the goal-line.

"We had a bit of a tough period in the second there. Scrambly.," Munroe said. "But we were able to pull it out and we had a good third."

With the goalie pulled, the Phantoms extended the lead to 4-2 by scoring an empty net goal with 1:15 left in the third. Shane Harper was able to intercept a pass but his attempt fell short as he was hung up by Albany defenders. Eric Wellwood was then able to get up to the loose puck and direct it in for his fifth of the year and thirtieth all-time as a Phantom.

But it all went back to the second period when Albany was surging. Somehow Adirondack was able to survive the push and maintain the lead.

"We just kind of contained the situation," said alternate captain Brandon Manning who had one of the first-period goals. "They had a few shifts where they kept us hemmed in. Anything we did, Muny was good to settle it down and get a few face-offs for us. Whereas early in the year we might panic and start shooting pucks all over and break-down and give them better scoring chances, I don't think we gave them any high quality scoring chances tonight. Just from the outside and the offensive-zone time if anything."

Scott Munroe had another great game as he racked up 31 saves and was named the number 1 star in back-to-back games for the Phantoms while improving to 11-11-0.

Albany's Mattias Tedenby collided with Scott Munroe in the third period in a scary collision in which a Phantoms' defensive skate gashed the Devils' forward in the face. Tedenby left a lot of blood on the ice as he was rushed away by the team's trainer to quickly to the hospital. No further update was available on his condition.

Ian Slater and Brandon Manning dropped the gloves simultaneously with Tim Sestito and Darcy Zajac following Zajac's big hit on Jason Akeson. A bevy of fighting majors and misconducts were doled out from the third-period altercation. Prior to that duel-scrap and an earlier hit that Akeson dealt on Eric Gelinas of the Devils, the game was a relatively clean affair with minimal penalties or nastiness as has become characteristic at times of the Time Warner Cable Cup rivalry.

The two assists by Erik Gustafsson in the game now give him a total of 91 points in his Phantoms career. That total passes Ben Holmstrom, who has 90 points, for second on the Adirondack Phantoms all-time points list. Gustafsson now trails only Dennis Hamel with 96 points for the most in Adirondack Phantoms history. "Gus" also has a chance to become the first Adirondack Phantom to reach 100 points in a career.

Garrett Roe returned to the lineup for his first game since taking an injury January 12 at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. And he received a lot of minutes and took several key faceoffs while showing good energy on the ice after his four-week layoff.

The kids from the South High Marathon Dance were here to strut their stuff at the second intermission. The ongoing charitable drive raised close to an unfathomable $400,000 last year in the traditional annual event that will be held on March 1-2 this year.

Also benefiting at the game was a group representing the First Responders at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, CT with funds being raised for those heroes.

The win marks the second straight for the Phantoms. Adirondack will be back in action Saturday night looking to carry on this momentum as they take on the Worcester Sharks at the Glens Falls Civic Center at 7:00 pm. Come early to the game as Dax Bobbleheads will be given away to the first 2,500 fans. For tickets call the Phantoms at (518) 480-3355.

Saturday's game will also feature a Blondes vs. Brunettes on-ice football game at the intermission with proceeds to benefit the Alzheimer's Association of Northeastern New York.

Albany Devils 2 at Adirondack Phantoms 4 - Status: Final
Friday, February 15, 2013 - Glens Falls Civic Center

Albany 2 0 0 - 2
Adirondack 3 0 1 - 4

1st Period-1, Adirondack, Johnston 2 (Noebels), 1:50. 2, Albany, McKelvie 2 (Zajac, Kelly), 2:29 (SH). 3, Adirondack, Manning 6 (Gustafsson), 3:38 (PP). 4, Albany, Pesonen 10 (Sestito, Kelly), 6:42. 5, Adirondack, Bordson 7 (Laliberte, Gustafsson), 11:13. Penalties-Sestito Alb (roughing), 2:13; Lauridsen Adk (interference), 19:29.

2nd Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Urbom Alb (interference), 3:43; Harper Adk (slashing), 10:50.

3rd Period-6, Adirondack, Wellwood 5 (Harper, Bordson), 18:45 (EN). Penalties-Tedenby Alb (goaltender interference), 7:47; Anderson Alb (hooking), 10:39; Sestito Alb (fighting), 14:30; Zajac Alb (fighting, game misconduct - secondary altercation), 14:30; Manning Adk (fighting, game misconduct - secondary altercation), 14:30; Slater Adk (instigating, fighting, misconduct), 14:30; served by Alb (bench minor - too many men), 20:00.

Shots on Goal-Albany 13-10-10-33. Adirondack 12-6-13-31.
Power Play Opportunities-Albany 0 / 3; Adirondack 1 / 5.
Goalies-Albany, Frazee 4-9-4 (30 shots-27 saves). Adirondack, Munroe 11-11-0 (33 shots-31 saves).
A-3,745
Referees-Trent Knorr (44).
Linesmen-Steeve Lemay (64), Frank Murphy (29).


UPCOMING

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

Monday, February 18 (7:00) - Phantoms Power Hour LIVE on Q101.7 with player guest Scott Munroe.

Friday, February 22 (7:00) - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins vs. Adirondack Phantoms. At Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.

Saturday, February 23 (7:00) - Adirondack Phantoms at Hershey Bears

Sunday, February 24 (5:00) - Binghamton Senators at Adirondack Phantoms. Dax's Big Birthday Bash and Celebration! Dax Jerseys with Post-Game Jersey Auction. Dax's Mascot Friends plus Mascot Hockey. Also: Sunday Family 3-Pack for only $43 - Exceptional Value!

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


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