ALBANY -- The scores may be a little different each time, but all three of the Adirondack Phantoms' losses to Albany this year have played out pretty much the same way.
Saturday's 3-1 defeat at the Times Union Center included: Bad start, not enough offense, too much time playing from behind, and a coach disappointed in the effort. Three of the Phantoms' five losses this season are to Albany.
This time the Phantoms didn't get their first shot until less than seven minutes remained in the first. Albany had the first 11 shots of the game.
Thanks to Johan Backlund's 14 first-period saves and a late Jon Matsumoto goal, the Phantoms escaped the first with a 1-0 lead - their first of the season against Albany - but that didn't make Phantoms coach Greg Gilbert any happier.
"Why should we sit back and have to weather the storm?" Gilbert said. "Every time we play these guys. It's ridiculous. Just mental preparation and taking the battle personally. We didn't have enough guys tonight that did that."
After back-to-back wins in which the offense broke out of its slump to score 10 goals, it was back to the type of offense that scored a league-low 19 goals in its first nine games.
Matsumoto's power-play goal - a fluttering shot from the right circle that went through the wickets of Justin Peters - was his 11th point in his last seven games and his sixth in his last three.
But the grit the Phantoms showed in earning ugly goals in the last two games was absent.
"You can't go into any game in any sport with half a crew that's willing to pay the price, that take one-on-one battles personally and are disappointed when they don't win them," Gilbert said. "We got guys who don't even want to get into the battles, never mind winning it."
It was exactly those kinds of hard-working goals that gave the River Rats a two-goal lead in the third.
A minute into the period Jay Harrison threw a puck at Backlund from the point that found a way through. About four minutes later, Jerome Samson went to the front of the net and poked a puck through the prone Backlund 5:36 into the third period.
"(Samson's) a horse down there. He's really strong with the puck and he's tough to get the puck from..." Albany coach Jeff Daniels said. "When he's determined he's tough to stop."
Despite his 29 saves, it was probably not Backlund's best night as a Phantom. The first two Albany goals trickled through. However, Gilbert wasn't about to blame his goaltender, who has been stellar so far this season.
"The first one, I don't know if it hit something or whatever, but it was a little soft,' Gilbert said. "If you ask him he'd probably say the same thing. But you know what? He weathered 13 or 14 shots in the first period for no reason. He gave us an opportunity to stay in the game."
Loose pucks: Defenseman Sean Curry and forward Krys Kolanos each missed their third straight game with injuries. Both are day-to-day and should be practicing this weeks. Gilbert expects both to play next weekend.
Adirondack (6-5-1-0) 1 0 0 - 1
Albany (7-6-0-1) 0 1 2 - 3
First period - 1, Adirondack, Matsumoto (Maroon, Lehtivuori), 19:29 (pp). Penalties - Adirondack, Bartulis (high-sticking), 4:32; Adirondack, Marshall (slashing), 4:45; Albany, Blanchard (interference), 5:38; Albany, Dodge (slashing), 15:23; Albany, Rodney (interference), 18:29.
Second period - 2, Albany, Rodney (Samson, Chaput), 17:21. Penalties - Albany, Blanchard (charging), 0:15; Adirondack, Bellamy (slashing), 6:35; Adirondack, Bourdon (roughing), 15:46; Albany, Goertzen (roughing), 15:46.
Third period - 3, Albany, Harrison (Chaput), 1:03; 4, Albany, Samson 5 (Bowman, Chaput), 5:36. Penalties - Albany, Angelidis (closing hand on puck), 5:53; Adirondack, Stephenson (interference), 11:55; Adirondack, Marshall (delay of game), 12:56; Adirondack Legein (boarding), 15:01.
Shots on Goal - Adirondack 6-10-13-29; Albany 14-5-12-31.
Power Play Opportunities - Adirondack 1 of 5; Albany 0 of 5.
Goalies - Adirondack, Backlund (31 shots-28 saves). Albany, Peters (29 shots-28 saves).
Referee - Terry Koharski.
Posted in Sports, Hockey on Sunday, November 8, 2009 12:45 am | Tags: Phantoms, Ahl, Albany River Rats, Tim Mcmanus
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