Whale lose in OT but giving up two short-handed goals hurts

GLEN FALLS, N.Y., April 13 – The Whale erased a two-goal deficit to take the lead only to give up a game-tying goal and a goal in overtime in a 4-3 loss to the Adriondack Phantoms on Saturday night.

Connecticut (35-29-6-3) still picked up a point for being tied after regulation. The Whale is tied for seventh place in the AHL’s Eastern Conference with Norfolk, a 4-3 winner in OT over Worcester. The top eight teams qualify for the playoffs. Connecticut and Norfolk are four points ahead of Hershey and Manchester with three games remaining in the regular season.

Jason Akeson’s second goal of the game with 3:31 left in OT gave the host Phantoms the victory.

Adriondack scored a pair of shorthanded goals in the game — a stunning accomplishment considering that Connecticut had given up just three in the entire season to this point.

The Phantoms took a 1-0 lead on a shorthanded goal from Scott Laughton, a first round draft pick of the Flyers. Laughton broke up a Whale pass at center ice and moved down right wing into the Whale zone. Using the lone Connecticut defender back as a screen, Laughton snapped a shot that Whale goalie Cam Talbot appeared not to see.

The Phantoms made it 2-0 in the second period after a Whale turnover. A Mike Vernace pass went hit the skates of Nick Palmieri, allowing Bordson to steal, and Talbot got a big piece of Bordson’s shot off of right wing but could not stop it.

Connecticut tied the game with two goals in a span of 35 seconds with goals from Marek Hrivik and Benn Ferriero. Connectcut’s Christian Thomas passed the puck out of the left-wing corner to Hrivik high in the slot, and Hrivik’s shot went by the glove side of Phantom goalie Cal Heeter (28 saves), who was being screened by Kelsey Tessier.

Benn Ferriero tied the score at 6:38, putting a shot past Heeter from a nearly impossible angle. The right-handed-shooting Ferriero got to the right-wing corner to track down a Mashinter dump-in, and managed to fire the puck from below the goal line high into the net behind Heeter.

Connecticut took a 3-2 lead with 7:12 left in the second period when Brandon Mashinter scored on a tip-in. Vernace wristed the puck toward the net from the left point, and Mashinter got to the slot to deflect it past Heeter.

Adirondack tied the game three minutes later with its second shorthanded goal of the game from Rob Bordson.

Talbot made 13 of his 32 saves in a scoreless third period before the game went into overtime. Marshinter had a goal and an assist for Connecticut. For Adirondack, Bordson had a goal and two assists.

Reports from the Connecticut Whale and AHL.com used to help compile this report.

For more of our coverage of the Connecticut Whale, search for AHL or CT Whale on our website.

Adirondack 4, Connecticut 3, OT
At Glen Falls, N.Y.
Connecticut 0 3 0 0 – 3
Adirondack  1 2 0 1 – 4
1st Period: 1, Adirondack, Laughton 1 16:28 (SH). Penalties-McIlrath Ct (fighting, misconduct – continuing altercation), 7:38; FitzGerald Adk (fighting, misconduct – continuing altercation), 7:38; Akeson Adk (slashing), 10:46; Syvret Adk (tripping), 14:50; Vernace Ct (holding), 18:37.
2nd Period: 2, Adirondack, Bordson 10 3:19. 3, Connecticut, Hrivik 6 (Thomas, Klassen), 6:03. 4, Connecticut, Ferriero 8 (Mashinter, Miller), 6:38. 5, Connecticut, Mashinter 11 (Vernace, McIlrath), 13:12. 6, Adirondack, Akeson 18 (Bordson), 16:15 (SH). Penalties-Bickel Ct (fighting), 6:20; Mathers Adk (fighting), 6:20; Manning Adk (boarding), 14:20.
3rd Period: No Scoring. Penalties-Tessier Ct (tripping), 3:08; Manning Adk (diving), 3:08; Collins Ct (interference), 3:51; Newbury Ct (slashing), 5:47; Kreider Ct (goaltender interference), 11:05; served by Hrivik Ct (bench minor – too many men), 15:46.
OT Period: 7, Adirondack, Akeson 19 (Syvret, Bordson), 3:31. Penalties-No Penalties
Shots on Goal: Connecticut 9-14-6-2-31. Adirondack 10-10-13-3-36.
Power Play Opportunities: Connecticut 0 / 3; Adirondack 0 / 5.
Goalies-Connecticut, Talbot 25-26-1 (36 shots-32 saves). Adirondack, Heeter 11-15-3 (31 shots-28 saves).
A: 3,739