HAPPY DAYS FOR POTSIE

Phantoms Top Albany 2-1 Behind Potulny’s Third Game-Winner

PHILADELPHIA – Ryan Potulny scored the game-winning goal for the third consecutive night to give the Philadelphia Phantoms a 2-1 win over the Albany River Rats at the Wachovia Spectrum. The win gives the Phantoms their second three-game weekend sweep of the season, extends their current point streak to nine consecutive games, and pushes the club’s record start to 13-1-1 through 15 games.

All three goals on the evening came on the power play. Albany struck first, picking up a goal from Casey Borer with 4:30 left in the first period. Borer was staked out in the high slot when he took a pass from Bobby Hughes and fired a high slapshot that beat goaltender Scott Munroe just under the crossbar.

The lead stood all the way through the second period, and the Phantoms had fired 34 shots at Albany goaltender Michael Leighton with no success through the start of the third period. But at the 3:36 mark of the third period, Boyd Kane was in the slot and redirected a point drive by Alexandre Picard past the previously impenetrable netminder to tie the game at 1-1.

Potulny, who’s known to his teammates as “Potsie,” posted his winning marker just over six minutes later. Steve Downie was below the left circle and fed Potulny in the high slot for a one-timer that went through traffic and past Leighton at 8:59.

Munroe earned his third win of the weekend with 19 saves and remains undefeated at 6-0, while his AHL-best goals-against average dropped to 1.68. Leighton absorbed the loss despite stopping 45 of 47 Phantoms shots. Potulny’s goal extended his personal scoring streak to six games, while Downie has at least one assist in each of the five games he’s played since joining the team on November 3.

The Phantoms now have at least a point in their last nine games, going 8-0-1 during that stretch. The AHL-best 13-1-1 record continues to be just ahead of the 2004-05 club’s previous best of 13-2 through 15 games. That team, which went on to win the Calder Cup, started off 0-2 before reeling off an AHL record 17-game win streak.

The Phantoms next take the ice this Wednesday morning in the annual School Day Game at the Wachovia Spectrum, an 11:05 AM puck drop against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Click here to order tickets, or visit the Wachovia Complex box office or call 1-800-298-4200.

Sunday, November 11, 2007