LEIGHTON LOCKS DOOR

Albany Netminder Blanks Phantoms With 39 Saves In 4-0 Win

ALBANY – The Philadelphia Phantoms outshot the Albany River Rats 39-25, but River Rats goaltender Michael Leighton stopped all of those bids to anchor a 4-0 Albany win in Game 1 of the East Division Semifinals. Leighton, who led the American Hockey League with seven shutouts during the regular season, blanked a Phantoms squad that was the only team in the league not to be shut out in a game during the 2007-08 campaign.

Albany scored the first goal of the series 7:20 into the game. At the end of a two-minute sentence for tripping, Jakub Petruzalek exited the penalty box and took an outlet pass from Mike Angelidis well behind the Philadelphia defense. He skated in on the breakaway and beat Scott Munroe between the pads for the 1-0 lead.

The Rats doubled their lead late in the second period during a power play. Jerome Samson had the puck in the slot and tried to snap a shot on net, but it rolled off his stick for a partial whiff. That whiff, however, slid to the right of Munroe, hit a defenseman’s leg and banked in. Samson didn’t call his shot but it counted anyway, and Albany had a 2-0 advantage with 2:54 to play in the middle frame.

That lead then became 3-0 less than two minutes later. Albany stole a puck along the right-wing boards and put two shots on net that Munroe stopped. The second rebound slid out to Bryan Rodney on the left side of the slot, and he put it home with 63 seconds left in the period.

A second power-play goal gave Albany a 4-0 lead in the early minutes of the third. Former Phantom Marc Cavosie took a pass in the slot and pulled it to his right, around a prone Munroe, and slid it off the backhand into the net

Munroe finished with 21 saves in the loss, while Leighton took home the first star for his winning efforts.

The series returns to Philadelphia for Game 2 this Friday, April 18 at 7:05 PM when the Rats and Phantoms meet at the Wachovia Center. The Phantoms will try to rebound by improving on an 11-game home winning streak in the playoffs that dates back to 2004, while Albany did not win in Philadelphia in four tries this season. Tickets are available at the Wachovia Complex box office, online at ComcastTIX.com or phantomshockey.com, or by phone at 1-800-298-4200.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008