The Phantoms won in the shoot-out last night at home versus the Cleveland Monsters. The AHL affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets came in with a better record and more points, but the Phantoms, fresh off the All Star Break, came out swinging. It was a fun game and a great win, but there were a couple things…
The Phantoms pulled out to a 2-0 lead, but couldn’t add any insurance and couldn’t hold on as the Monsters came back to tie the game. If this team is going to go anywhere this season they need to capitalize on that kind of advantage. The Hamilton Street Heroes were the more physical team on the evening. That is something I appreciate.
To say, “The Refs let them play” is an understatement. I’m reminded of my days playing high school soccer. One game, our coach was so angry at the lack of calls he shouted, “I bet you don’t even HAVE a red card.” Of course, he spent the rest of the game sitting on the bus. But last night I wondered if one or more of the Refs had forgotten to bring a whistle. Obvious stuff just not getting called…either way. Yeah, it made for a fun game to watch and play moved along nicely without the interruptions of a “Ref Show” so it all worked out. But this is why this column has a section on “Scouting the Refs.” The Phantoms did not have a power play in the game. That is the first and only time this season that has occurred. And, I didn’t think Cleveland played a “perfect” game, by any means.
Good game in net by Parker Gahagen. Law of arbitrary starting points maybe, but since December 28, he is 6-0-0, 1.29, .949. He has the third best GAA in the AHL among goalies with three or more games in that stretch.
In case you didn’t see, the black-on-gray midnight steel pre-season-jerseys-came-in-late sweaters we saw home and away just before the break have started showing up on the auction block. Last night we took warm-ups in a stars-and-stripes get-up which is probably for President’s Day coming up, then took the ice in the orange jerseys. It has received criticism out on the blogosphere, but I like switching it up to the colors at home in the second half of the season.
The “Set-Up”: The shoot-out went so, so well. JR Avon went first and in his time with the Phantoms he’s been about the best shoot-out guy we’ve had. Frost was really good, but he wasn’t here that long. Anyway, he went first and went to the back-hand late and scored a goal. Olle Lycksell went second for the Phantoms, now leading 1-0, and went right back to the well. He tried to flip to the back-hand late but the goalie was ready for him and wasn’t gonna get beat by the same move twice. He was able to stop it. Now up 2-0, Samu Tuomaala went third. He didn’t wait until the last second, but he went to the backhand once again. Then when the goalie stretched to stop the back-hand shot, Samu shoved it through the five-hole for the score and the win. It was a thing of beauty and excellent team-work setting up the opposing goalie. Gahagen, for his part, didn’t allow a goal in the shoot-out.
Records:
Overall: 22-17-5-1 (5th Place in Division)
Home: 12-7-2-1
Away: 10-10-3
White Jerseys: 11-7-1
White-Out Jerseys: 1-1
Orange Jerseys: 6-4-1
Black Alternate Jerseys: 3-2-2-1
Black-Out Jerseys: 0-1-1
Black On Charcoal Gray: 1-2
Fridays: 6-5-2
Saturdays: 9-5-2
Sundays: 0-3-0-1
Wednesdays: 6-1-1
Tuesday/Thursday: 1-3
Sunday 3/3: 0-2-0-1
Post-Game Player Event Day: 2-0
October: 2-3-1-1
November: 7-3-2
December: 4-7-1
January: 8-4-1
February: 1-0
Roster Update
No roster changes yesterday, one thing I missed in yesterday’s pre-game column: Ginning returned from the Flyers.
Lines and pairs from last night:
20 Marody 22 Gardner 72 Gendron
17 Wilson 73 Rizzo 27 Tuomaala
43 Eklind 13 Furry 16 Avon
15 Lycksell 56 Gaucher 74 Wisdom
19 McDonald 7 Belpedio
37 Ginning 3 Grans
55 Bernard 5 Samson
31 Parker (Backup: 80 Petruzzelli)
Scratches: 8 Gleason 23 Cassaro 32 Makiniemi 36 Boulton 40 Petersen 91 Desnoyers
Notes: Didn’t notice Eklind on the ice a ton; he didn’t register a shot. I’d like to see more from him. Rizzo with a goal for the second straight game. Look out if he starts getting hot. Wisdom once again looked good, playing some good hockey. He had a hattie up in Bridgeport before the break. The Bernard/Samson pair was on the ice for both regulation goals and for none of the Cleveland goals. Nice work by them.
GAME DAY!
It’s Saturday Night Hockey Live! And, there’s post-game autographs with the players. And, remember post-game raffles at Chickie’s! Brave the snow and sleet and come on out it should be a great night.
Tickets: Folks might stay away because of the weather, but there’s been good pre-sale so if you’re going grab your tickets now. Not a ton on the secondary market, but that might change approaching game time if folks start bagging out. And, they will play. The Wolf Pack and the Officials should be in town already so they will play regardless of the weather outside.
Parking: Choose a parking deck under cover so that you don’t have to brush your car after the game. Oh, and choose your footwear wisely; the city is pretty good about cleaning the streets downtown in the arena district, but not so much the sidewalks sometimes.
Hartford: All but once, these games have gone to overtime with the Phantoms and Wolf Pack this season. The one time it didn’t, Parker Gahagen just decided that the Hartford team wasn’t going to score. We’ve seen them a couple times this season, and not really any “old friends” on the team to speak of. They’ve been struggling as a team lately coming in on a 0-5-2 streak, 2-6-2 in their last 10. They got blanked by Charlotte at home last night 3-0. They are in 7th place ahead of only Bridgeport.
Post-game: As above, get in line for autographs early if you don’t mind missing the end of the game. Tables with player names should be set up during the last-half of the third period or so. Just make sure you get to Chickie’s before 10PM to get a raffle ticket, if that’s what you’re doing.
OFFICIALS
Referee Tyler Spott (#38)
Referee Adam Tobias (#16)
Linesperson Josh Cleary (#45)
Linesperson Michael Magee (#41)
Scouting the Refs: Last night was the second time Spott has been observed just not blowing the whistle much at all or for any reason. Tobias was involved in a very very poorly called game in Hershey earlier this season.
MEDIA KIT
What To Watch
- Gahagen has been good. He’s been very good versus Hartford. Does he go back-to-back here or do we give Petruzelli a shot?
- Watch Rizzo. Is he getting hot?
- Watch for Desnoyer. He could be nicked up. Or, he could be des-moted.
- Watch #38 and #16 on the stripe team. Who is the one calling the penalties? Does Tobias #16 hate the Phantoms? Or, does he just favor the home team?
- Watch to see if Eklind can get it going.
- Watch Wisdom. He’s playing some good hockey right now.
- Watch the line-up. Absent any reinforcements from Philly, I’d expect about the same after the win last night and with tomorrow off.
- Prepare to be annoyed: Plenty of Eagles nonsense if you’re not an Eagles fan, and plenty of obnoxious Rangers fans who don’t understand that Hartford is not the real Rangers.
Up Next
The team is off for the week. Next weekend they will have a 3/3 starting Friday in Wilkes for a Valentines Soirée then home for Syracuse on Saturday and a rematch with the Penguins affiliate on Sunday for meLVin’s birthday. That pens team is playing some good hockey currently so next weekend should be a good test to see where we are right now. I would like to get a couple guys back from the Flyers this week, though.
See you at the arena,
@Kram207