The Adirondack Phantoms returned to Philadelphia last night to take on the first-place Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins. In front of the largest crowd they’ve seen all season (and for some, all career), they ground out a stunning 4-2 win.
It’s difficult to say if Eric Wellwood is really this good or if he just wanted to impress the management, as I haven’t been to a game in Glen Falls this season, but he will make the Flyers. Maybe not this season or next, but he stood out almost immediately.
Down 1-0 in the first period, Wellwood skated hard to the net and banged in a rebound from Mike Testwuide. Then early in the second period, he collected an errant puck while on the penalty kill. Flying into the offensive zone (and he is fast!), he suddenly put on the brakes and made a crisp pass to Greg Moore. Moore, who also had a very good game, sunk the one-timer past Penguins goaltender John Curry.
Jon Kalinski was excellent on the penalty kill, especially considering the Penguins had two 5-on-3 opportunities. It’s a shame for him that the Flyers have Blair Betts, as he would fit that role well on any other NHl team.
The game winning goal came from Michael Ryan, who redirected a shot from Erik Gustafsson at the point with 1:30 remaining in the game. Ryan wasn’t spectacular all night, but he was brought on to be a stabilizing veteran presence on a very young team.
On defense, there were highs and lows. Syvret was average while his partner Kevin Marshall was weak on the puck. He was being thrown out of his own crease by the Penguins. His saving grace was a sprawling dive in front of the net during a 5-on-3 that saved the game.
Erik Gustafsson had a quiet game, but moved the puck well at the point. “There were some bad turnovers, but I think as the game went on, we played pretty good,” said Gustafsson. “[A win is] always great for your confidence, for all of us, and [it showed] that we can play with the best teams in the league. I think we showed that today, and managed to come out on top.”
Michael Leighton was named second star of the game behind Wellwood. He was humble afterwards- appreciative of the fans, but carried a tinge of disappointment. “I just wasn’t at the point where I needed to be,” Leighton said, in reflection of his conditioning after spending the first half of the season on IR.
The Phantoms were welcomed with tremendous support last night, and it was nice to see them return the favor with the win. The light at the end of the tunnel for the Phantoms doesn’t look quite as dim as it used to.
Holy hell. Good job kids. Wellwood looked nice in his short time here. Maybe a Leino replacement if we can’t resign him.
Right now, Wellwood’s game is somewhere between Powe and Richards. He needs to work on his finishing, but he has great speed and work ethic.