PHILADELPHIA PHANTOMS vs. WILKES-BARRE/ SCRANTON PENGUINS
Wachovia Spectrum
Sunday, October 14, 2007
TONIGHT'S GAME – Tonight, the Philadelphia Phantoms 4-0-0-0 (Philadelphia Flyers) welcome the Wilkes-Barre/ Scranton Penguins 2-2-0-0 (Pittsburgh Penguins). This is the second time this season that the Phantoms have hosted the Penguins. Philly captured a 4-1 win over the Pens a week ago. This is the Phantoms third game of the weekend and the back end of a home-and-home with the Penguins. The two teams tangled last night in Northeast PA, with the Phantoms coming out on top 3-2.
PHANTOMS/PENGUINS LAST GAME – Last night, in the Phantoms first road game of the season, the Phantoms beat the Penguins 3-2. The Phantoms never trailed in the game, as for the fourth straight time, the Phantoms scored first. Jonathan Matsumoto set the table on a Kyle Greentree goal in the first stanza. In a developing theme, Jeff Taffe answered for the Penguins soon after on the power play. In the second it was Darroll Powe that furnished the Phantoms with another lead. Taffe responded with the man advantage just 70 seconds later. In the third Taffe and the Penguins had no retort, as Boyd Kane lit the lamp with Philadelphia on a 5-3 power play. The Phantoms finished the night 1-9 on the power play, while the Penguins went 2-9. Adding more drama to the affair was a third period penalty shot. Phantoms backstop Brian Boucher used his wisdom and left pad to stop Tyler Kennedy’s attempt to tie the game with 8:16 gone in the third. Boucher finished the game with 26 saves. Ty Conklin, who has only two blemishes on the season and both as a result of facing the Phantoms, stopped 24. Taffe swayed the home vote and managed the number one star of the game despite the loss. Kane, with the game-winner, was the second to take a bow. With the primary assist on the Powe goal and a solid effort on the rear line, Nate Guenin was the number three star.
ALL-TIME - This is the 886th regular season game in Phantoms franchise history. Philadelphia has an all-time record of 452-314-36-17 and 65 ties. The Phantoms have 1022 points in 884 games.
THE SERIES – Tonight’s game is the third of 10 scheduled contests between the Phantoms and Penguins this season. Last Sunday here at the Spectrum, the Phantoms beat the Penguins 4-1. Philly used three power play goals en route to their second win of the season. Boyd Kane, Jonathan Matsumoto, Pete Zingoni and Stefan Ruzicka scored in that order for the Purple. The Pens lone marker cut a 2-0 lead in half. It came off the stick of rookie Alex Goligoski on the power play. Last year, the Phantoms went 4-6-0 against their intrastate rivals. All-time against the Pens, the Phantoms are 43-35-3-2-1 (W-L-T-OTL-SOL) in 82 games.
PHANTOM FILES – With a win in each of their first four games, the Phantoms have matched their best start in franchise history. The 2001-02 squad dashed out to a 4-0 record with wins over the Worcester IceCats, the Penguins, Rochester Americans and Bridgeport Sound Tigers before falling to the Cleveland Barons in Ohio---The Phantoms have scored at least one goal in 11 of the 12 periods that they have played this season. The only frame that they neglected to find the back of the net was the third period of opening night on October 5 against the Norfolk Admirals---The Phantoms have not trailed in a game this season. They have scored first in all four games thus far. The Penguins first period goal last night was the first opening period goal allowed by the Phantoms---So far this season, the Phantoms are 8-34 on the power play (23.5%). They have allowed three goals in 30 man down situations (90%)---Jonathan Matsumoto has points in four straight games totaling three goals and two assists (3/2/5). He was held without a goal last night, ending his goal scoring streak at three games---Brian Boucher has all four wins this season for the Phantoms. He has a 1.50 goals against average and a .952 save percentage.
PENS WITHOUT INK – Jeff Taffe is the only Penguin to record a point in each of the club’s first four games. He had a goal on opening night against Hershey and equaled that effort against Syracuse. In the first game of the season he had an assist. Last night, he scored both goals on a 3-2 loss to the Phantoms. Taffe was originally drafted in the 1st round by the St. Louis Blues in 2000, but never played for the organization. He was dealt as part of a pact in March of 2001 that sent Keith Tkachuk from Phoenix to St. Louis. Along with Taffe, the Coyotes acquired former Flyer Michal Handzus, Ladislav Nagy and St. Louis’ 1st round choice in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. That 1st round choice ended up being former Phantom and current Flyer Ben Eager. Taffe was signed by the Pittsburgh Penguins as a free agent. Like Phantoms forward Ryan Potulny, defenseman Mike Vannelli and teammate Alex Goligoski, Taffe attended the University of Minnesota.
ON THE AIR – Expanding on an already premium partnership, the Philadelphia Phantoms announced Thursday that the club has teamed up with the Philadelphia Area Dodge Dealers to provide free audio broadcasts of all remaining Phantoms games home and away this season. It will be the first time in the team's 12-year history that fans will have the opportunity to enjoy audio broadcasts for all 80 of the Phantoms regular season games plus playoffs. The Phantoms official website, Phantomshockey.com, in conjunction with league and team partner B2 Networks, will provide the home for the audio. Broadcaster Mike Thornton will handle the play-by-play. In addition to the games, Dodge will also bring the ever-popular Coaches Corner to fans on Phantomshockey.com. New editions of the weekly sit-down with Phantoms head coach Craig Berube will be posted to the site every Tuesday.
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