Friday, March 27, 2009
By Tom Williams
Thursday’s 6-2 victory over Alpena kept the team atop the North Division.
YOUNGSTOWN — With one game to go in the North American Hockey League’s regular season, the Mahoning Valley Phantoms have assured themselves of opening the playoffs next week at home.
They’re going to need some help to earn a top seed and home-ice advantage for two postseason rounds.
Snapping a two-game losing streak, the Phantoms immediately overpowered Alpena goaltender Nick Graves, beating him three times on their first four shots in Thursday’s 6-2 win at the Chevrolet Centre.
“That was definitely the difference,” Phantoms coach Bob Mainhardt said of the quick start. “We executed very well early. We got away from our game plan a little in the latter half of the game.”
The victory assured the Phantoms (36-16-5, 77 points) of finishing no worse than second place in the NAHL’s North Division. The top four teams in the division qualify for the postseason.
“I don’t know who we’re going to be playing, but we’re up,” said forward Erik Higby who assisted on the Phantoms’ first two goals.
With only tonight’s rematch with the IceDiggers on their remaining schedule, the Phantoms have a four-point lead over the U.S. National Team (34-16-5, 73). Team USA, however, has three games remaining — two against the last-place Motor City Machine (11-43-2, 24) and one with the IceDiggers.
Tonight’s game will be at The Ice Zone in Boardman at 7:15 p.m.
The Phantoms’ magic number for clinching first-place outright is three (points earned by the Phantoms or lost by Team USA).
If the Phantoms and Nationals are tied on Sunday, the first tiebreaker is most wins. The second tiebreaker favors the Nationals — head-to-head records. The Phantoms and Nationals split the 10 games they played, but one of the Phantoms’ wins came in overtime, giving the Nationals a 5-4-1 record for 11 points versus 5-5, 10 points for the Phantoms.
The Ice Diggers (26-24-6, 58) also are desperate for points as they are tied with the Marquette Rangers for fourth place and the final playoff spot in the division. Their desperation multiplied about two minutes into the game when Erik Higby set up George Saad for an even-strength goal.
“The puck hit off my stick to one of their defensemen, but I pressured him and beat him pretty quick,” Higby said. “We ended up with a 2-on-0 and I fed [Saad]. It’s nice to get a break like that.”
With Phantoms forward Jordy Trottier in the penalty box for hooking, Higby blocked a shot that helped spring Nick Shkreli for a breakaway shorthanded goal.
“It went off the boards and [Shkreli] picked it up and went down and scored,” Higby said.
Seven minutes into the game, the rout was on as defenseman Carl Nielsen tipped a long shot by Robert Harrison past Graves for a power-play goal.
“It was a great start for us, to deflate their balloon a little bit,” said Nielsen, who’s hoping for a repeat tonight. “We definitely have to come out flying. We want to stay in first so it’s going to take a much better effort.”
John Houston and Nielsen scored goals in the second period while Johnny Meo scored in the final period.
After surrendering five goals on just 11 shots, Graves was lifted for Tyler Stamler at the start of the third period.
Alpena’s Jon Puskar and Sam Cheraso scored in the final period. Cheraso’s goal, a wraparound goal against goaltender Jordan Tibbetts, was Cheraso’s fifth goal in the seven games he’s played against the Phantoms.
The Phantoms completed their Chevrolet Centre schedule with a 15-4-1 record.
williams@vindy.com