Phantoms vs. Springfield Falcons, 10-09-2009, Second Period

The Phantoms begin the period with 13 seconds of PK remaining.

Speaking of scooches who were Bears last year, there goes Dean Arsene. At least our returning players will have a good idea of how Arsene and Brennan play, considering that we played against Hershey about eight bazillion times a year.

Anyway, back we go to even strength. Curry/Bartulis is one of the D pairs I couldn't quite pick out earlier.

In the first couple of minutes of the period, we have gotten five SOG and allowed none, so we have nearly caught up in shots (14-12). And of course, juat as I type that, Laliberte goes off for slashing a Falcon's stick, so it appears we will be giving up some shots as we kill a penalty.

The Falcons take a penalty with 14 seconds left in their PP, and you know, I don't think we have given up a shot yet in this period sfter all. There we go, Laliberte is out of the box. so now it's a Phantoms PP. We had a lot of activity on this PP, but not a whole lot of SOG.

Even strength again, and Matsumoto gets a nice end-to-end rush. With 7 minutes gone in the period, the Phantoms have outshot the Falcons 10-0 in the period. Wow. Nice.

Ah, Ryan Potulny is on the Falcons, too. Now there's a Phantoms alumnus I always liked. Nice guy, good player.

Brennan hooks Matsumoto and here comes another PP. Ratchuk and Jones appear to be our primary PP D pair. Laliberte, Matsumoto, and Maroon are our forwards. Boy, we cycle A LOT on PPs. Some of the fans are getting restless and wanting our guys to shoot, but that's not always an option as the Falcons are doing a good job of clogging the path between the puck and the net. On the other hand, we also have gotten some NICE shots in this man advantage, so when we get it on net, we do it well.

Here we go with a 5 on 3 for 35 seconds, Ross, Maroon, and Kolanos with Ratchuk and Bartulis. Potulny and Brennan are blocking shots like mad. Finally, a Falcon breaks out shorthanded, and Ratchuk stays with him all the way. He never winds up getting a shot off. Nice D.

Aah, after we return to even strength, we get a penalty of our own. As the announcer has said several times, we have done "everything but score". The Phantoms now have 13 shots to SPringfield's 0 in this period, as our PK begins.

Oh, !*&@^#*!@&#^. Springfield puts in a PP goal. Nuts. We have done so well in this period, and we wind up trailing.

Oh, dear, make that 2-0 with a shot from the right faceoff circle. Ouch, that's not pleasant, seeing these guys bust their tails and dominate all period long and now within a minute we fall behind by a pair. Crud.

And to add to the agita, Matsumoto promptly goes off for holding. I hate it when our top PKers are the ones in the sin bin. ROSS with Beaulieu rush shorthanded, ut the shot misses the net. Beans. Mormina squashes someone in the corner behind our net. Another SH rush, this time for Kalinski. He buys us time for a line change by hanging onto the puck in the Falcons end. NODL BREAKAWAY which results in a penalty shot! Come on, Noodle, put it in! SCOOORE, what a beauty of a shot! :) 2-1 Springfield and the fans are going bananas. Sweet!

Matsumoto attacks the net, gets hauled down, and the Phantoms are going back on the PP. Man, this period has been Penalty City. But we really need to keep this momentum going that Nodl regained for us.

Oh, the picture is freezing up, GRRRRRR

but SCOOOORE, Bartulis ties it! NICE! Not that I can SEE any of the proceedings, but at least I can hear them. Ah, here we go, the video lives with under a minute to go in the period. WHEW. Relief. We get out of the second period tied 2-2.

SOG at the end of the second period: Springfield 23, Phantoms 28.