FLAMES 4 PHANTOMS 2

Glens Falls, NY – The Adirondack Flames got their first win of the season and their first in franchise history on Saturday night at the Glens Falls Civic Center. The Flames gave the Lehigh Valley Phantoms an unwelcome return to the area in a 4-2 victory, in which Adirondack never trailed.

It was a night of firsts for Adirondack. Not only was it the first win for the franchise, and the first time the Flames have not trailed in a game, it was a night of career highs for many players. Dustin Stevenson had the team’s first three-point game (1-2-3) and was also a career-high in assists. Markus Granlund scored two goals, his first and second of the season, and tied a career high. Goaltender Joni Ortio also finished with 36 saves, a season high.

The Flames came out strong from the beginning in what was a very physical matchup. Less than seven minutes into the game, Mathieu Tousignant and Brandon Manning dropped gloves. Five seconds later, Ferland got the puck past Lehigh Valley goalie Anthony Stolarz at 6:51, giving the Flames a 1-0 lead. Stevenson and Nolan Yonkman recorded assists. It was both players’ first assist of the season.

Less than five minutes later, Granlund launched one from the high slot past Stolarz on an assist from Tyler Wotherspoon to put the Flames up 2-0 on the power play. It was Wotherspoon’s first point of the season.

The Phantoms put a damper on the Flames hot streak on a goal from Scott Laughton 15:30 into the first while shorthanded, with an assist from Oliver Lauridsen.

Adirondack and Lehigh Valley traded shots throughout much of the second period. It appeared it would be a scoreless second until Laughton notched his second goal of the night and fourth of the home-and-home series with the Flames. Ortio had stood tall in the period but Laughton was able to get the puck past the Flames’ netminder with an assist coming from Taylor Leier with just 13.7 seconds left in the period.

The Flames and Phantoms were knotted at 2 goals each throughout the bulk of the third period. After back and forth play, Markus Granlund broke the tie with 3:28 left in the game for his second goal of the night off a pass from Michael Ferland. Stevenson also recorded an assist on the goal. It was Stevenson’s second assist of the night and Ferland’s first of the game and season.

It was Stevenson who sealed the deal with 41 seconds remaining when he scored on a long-range empty netter from his defensive zone to give the Flames a 4-2 lead.

The Flames travel to Utica for a contest versus the Comets on Wednesday before they begin a home-and-home with the Rochester Americans on Friday and Saturday. All games will be carried on the Curtis Lumber Flames’ Radio Network on Hits 95.9, and Talk 1450. The Flames travel to Rochester for a 7:35 affair on Friday evening, before they return home for a game against Rochester on Saturday night, with puck drop slated for 7:00 p.m.