Down but not out. Trailing 3-1 with less than
six minutes remaining, the Adirondack Phantoms
staged a late and dramatic comeback on Saturday
night capped by Jason Akeson's first career professional
hat-trick in a 4-3 thriller over the Connecticut
Whale at the Glens Falls Civic Center. What a
way to win it in the team's last home-game before
a long two-week and seven-game road-trip.
Jason Akeson and Eric Wellwood scored back-to-back
goals 29 seconds apart with under six minutes
left to tie the game at 3-3. And then Akeson dove
head-first into the crease on an extended and
wild scramble in front to chip in the game-winner
with 2:48 left. The goal had to be confirmed by
video-review and then the fans had to wait for
the announcement to confirm it indeed was Akeson
who had scored. But on their next opportunity,
the fans provided the second-year pro with the
traditional showing of hats thrown onto the ice.
From there, Adirondack had to claw their way through
to the finish-line including a 4-on-6 kill for
the last 42 seconds with a penalty and a pulled-goalie
for the Whale.
What a game this was.
"At the end of the day, we ended up potting
a couple there late at the end," Akeson said.
"They don't really ask how...they just ask
how many. It was good. The boys bounced back here
in the third which was what we needed."
"Skating and a lot of speed," head coach
Terry Murray said about Akeson's explosiveness
in the game. "He's got full speed and he's
a guy who can shoot the puck. When he starts to
attack with authority and starts to play with
the top-end speed that he can, he can eliminate
a lot of other opponents from the game because
he is that fast and that quick."
Akeson sped up the left-wing in the first period
on a give from Garrett Roe as Adirondack struck
first 1-0. The Phantoms eventually improved to
16-5-0 in games in which they score the first
goal although this one did not look like it was
going to contribute positively to that stat for
much of the game.
Connecticut scored a pair of goals before the
first break to re-take the lead. Brandon Mashinter
deflected a shot from the point by Dylan McIlrath.
And then Logan Pyett blasted a 5-on-3 slapper
from center-point for the Whale to take the lead.
Brandon Segal converted on a scramble after a
near-miss in the second period for his team-leading
18th of the year as Connecticut stretched the
lead to 3-1 against Scott Munroe.
And it would stay 3-1 until the closing minutes
when the Adirondack comeback train would get rolling.
Jason Akeson blasted another one from the left-circle
with 5:48 left to make the score 3-2. And then
Eric Wellwood drove home his 7th of the year from
the right-circle just 29 seconds later to tie
the score.
With under three minutes remaining, Jon Sim shook
his way free off the end-boards from a Kris Newbury
check and attempted a wide wrap-around on Connecticut
goalie Cameron Talbot. The puck stayed out but
was loose in the blue-paint with everyone rushing
in on the big chance all at once. Akeson nudged
it across the goal-line for the game-winner that
was eventually confirmed after video review as
the GFCC contingent went bananas
"The guys are pretty excited," Akeson
said. "Hopefully we can carry that momentum
into tomorrow (against Albany)."
Akeson's hat trick is the second one this season.
Brayden Schenn had a hat trick on November 14,
2012 at Manchester in a 4-1 win. It was the first
at the Glens Falls Civic Center in about a year-and-a-half.
Brayden Schenn scored three goals in a home game
on October 14, 2011 in the second game of the
season during a 6-3 victory over Bridgeport.
It is the ninth Adirondack Phantoms hat trick
all-time and the fifth at the GFCC as he joins
Schenn, Michael Ryan, Denis Hamel and Mike Testwuide
in that exclusive group.
Akeson leads active Phantoms with 11 goals and
33 points now. He has 88 career points putting
him just 12 away from becoming the first ever
Adirondack Phantom to reach 100 career points.
The first 2,500 fans received Phantoms T-Shirts
courtesy of Olive Garden, Red Lobster and Bartlett
Industries. A crowd of 4,205 raised the roof with
the noise-level during the incredible comeback.
Adirondack out-shot Connecticut 32-28. The Phantoms
were 0-for-5 on the power play while the Whale
went 1-for-4. The Phantoms are 2-1-1 against the
New York Rangers affiliate this year with two
more games remaining in the season series on March
23 in Hartford and on April 13 in Glens Falls.
It was the last home-game in two weeks for the
Phantoms who will not return to the Glens Falls
Civic Center until Sunday, March 24. Coming up
is a seven-game road-trip to six different cities
which begins Sunday afternoon at Albany at 3:00.
The Phantoms then travel to Portland (Wednesday),
Binghamton (Friday) and Hershey (following Sunday)
before heading to Norfolk for a pair of games
the following week.
Connecticut Whale 3 at Adirondack Phantoms 4 -
Status: Final
Saturday, March 9, 2013 - Glens Falls Civic Center
Connecticut 2 1 0 - 3
Adirondack 1 0 3 - 4
1st Period-1, Adirondack, Akeson 9 (Roe), 8:49.
2, Connecticut, Ferriero 5 (Kreider, McIlrath),
10:25. 3, Connecticut, Pyett 7 (Segal, Newbury),
13:53 (PP). Penalties-Eddy Adk (boarding), 12:13;
served by Ford Adk (bench minor - too many men),
13:10; Klassen Ct (boarding), 16:43.
Shots on Goal-Connecticut 7-7-14-28. Adirondack
8-14-10-32.
Power Play Opportunities-Connecticut 1 / 3; Adirondack
0 / 5.
Goalies-Connecticut, Talbot 21-24-1 (32 shots-28
saves). Adirondack, Munroe 12-14-0 (28 shots-25
saves).
A-4,205
Referees-Dave Lewis (46), Jeff Smith (49).
Linesmen-Rich Patry (52), Steeve Lemay (64).
UPCOMING
Sunday, March 10 (3:00) -
Adirondack Phantoms at Albany Devils
Wednesday, March 13 (7:00) -
Adirondack Phantoms at Portland Pirates
Friday, March 15 (7:00) -
Adirondack Phantoms at Binghamton Senators
Sunday, March 17 (5:00) -
Adirondack Phantoms at Hershey Bears
Sunday, March 17 (7:00) - Adirondack
Phantoms at Hershey Bears
Tuesday, March 19 (7:15) - Adirondack
Phantoms at Norfolk Admirals
Wednesday, March 20 (7:15) - Adirondack
Phantoms at Norfolk Admirals
Saturday, March 23 (7:00) -
Adirondack Phantoms at Connecticut Whale
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