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PHILADELPHIA PHANTOMS
The Phantoms are back in action today, taking on the Admirals in Norfolk. The Phantoms shut out Albany 3-0 last Saturday to halt a five-game losing skid. The game drew some outside attention because of a late-second period fight in which Tim Conboy bit Steve Downie's hand and earned 27 minutes worth of penalties.
Individual player updates:
Claude Giroux has not scored since opening night, and according to general manager Paul Holmgren is "pressing a little bit right now." In seven games played, he has one goal and one assist and is minus-five. In the Albany game, he joined Steve Downie on a two-on-one rush. Downie (the puck carrier) elected to shoot, and scored.
Steve Downie has played two games since he demotion from the Flyers. He has a goal, an assist and seven penalty minutes (all picked up in the Conboy altercation). He also racked up seven shots on goal in the two games. The thing to watch with Downie, however, isn't his minor league offense but his all-around play and discipline.
Jonathan Matsumoto is centering Giroux's line. He leads the Phantoms in goals with three (all on the powerplay) and shots on goal (26), but the line is minus-six.
Patrick Maroon scored his first AHL goal and point on Sunday, converting a breakaway opportunity. He's dressed in all seven games.
Danny Syvret leads the Phantoms with six points and is playing on the top defensive pairing. He's minus-one.
Michael Ratchuk has a pair of assists but the swift-skating offensive defenseman is still something of an adventure in his own end of the ice.
Oskars Bartulis is pretty much where he was at the end of last season. In hockey, it's not good enough to stagnate. He's a decent young AHL defenseman but is capable of more.
Garrett Klotz has dressed in two games. He has not yet had his first AHL fight.
MISSISSIPPI SEA WOLVES
The Flyers/Phantoms have goaltender Jeremy Duchesne, forward Freddy Cabana and defenseman Chris Zarb playing with the Sea Wolves. Seeing as how neither defenseman Patrik Hersley nor goalie Michael Lee Teslak have been able to get into the lineup for the Phantoms, I would not be surprised to see them shuffled the ECHL at some point.
EUROPEAN ELITE/JUNIOR LEAGUES
Joonas Lehtivuori is back in the Ilves Tampere lineup after missing most of the last month with a hand injury. The defenseman scored a goal and added an assist while playing 21:47 against HIFK. He did not have a point in yesterday's 4-2 loss to SaiPa.
Denis Bodrov continues to play solidly for a mediocre HC Lada team. He's averaging 19:02 of ice time and is a plus player (plus one) on a club that has only scored 2.42 goals per game in 21 games played.
Andrei Popov is ninth on Traktor Chelyabinsk with two goals and five points in 20 games played. He was apparently in the doghouse recently for several bad minor penalties but his ice time has been up again in his last two games.
Mario Kempe has been seeing increased ice time in recent games. He did not have a point in Rögle's 6-3 win over the Frölunda Indians earlier this week. In 13 games, he has one goal and four points, all of which have come over his last seven matches.
Jakub Kovar has been loaned by Czech Extraliga team HC Ceske Budejovice to minor league team SK Slavia Trebic. In his first start, he allowed three goals on 45 shots and got the victory.
Joacim Eriksson is in action today. His Brynäs J20 team is in Stockholm to play the Djurgården J20 team. Eriksson is slated to start the game. In his first 10 starts, he has a 2.00 GAA, .926 save percentage and a pair of shutouts.
QMJHL
Marc-Andre Bourdon had an assist and five shots on goal in Rouyn-Noranda's 4-3 win over PEI. His team is back in action on Friday against Quebec. In 12 games, the team capain is averaging a point per game (3 G, 9 A) and has 27 penalty minutes.
Kevin Marshall will go head-to-head with Bourdon's club in the next game. In the Remparts last game (a 7-1 romp over the MAINEiacs), Marshall had a pair of assists. For the season, he has three goals (all powerplay), six points, 16 penalty minutes (low for him) and a plus-10 rating in 12 games for the dominant Quebec team.
WHL
Jacob DeSerres had his best start of the season in Seattle's 3-2 win over Spokane. For the season, DeSerres has a 4.88 GAA and .855 save percentage.
OHL
Zac Rinaldo has returned to the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors lineup. He scored a goal and added an assist over the course of his last two games. For the season, he has one goal, three points and 17 PIM in eight games played.
NCAA
James vanRiemsdyk and his UNH team enters a home-and-home series with ninth-ranked Northeastern University this weekend. In five games to date, the second overall pick of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft has three goals and five points.
R.J. Anderson and the Gophers will take on Minnesota State this weekend for the first time since last season’s heated WCHA playoff series that saw three overtime games, including a pair of double-OT contests. Defenseman Anderson has no points and is minus-two in the first four regular season games this year.
Brad Phillips is out for the season after his surgery.
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