Sweep Brings Renewed Confidence

I’m not sure what triggered it, whether it was just a matter of the team finally converting their chances, or it was the fact that they were finally concentrating on the details which in turn resulted in a scoring explosion; but those wins couldn’t have come at a more critical time.

Scoring 12 goals against a gritty Alpena team is no easy task. Chasing one of the division’s top goaltenders from the net – twice – and his backup once – is something to be proud of. Holding the league’s second best powerplay unit to just one goal in 17 chances is quite a feat as well.

But most encouraging was the way the Phantoms seemed to just shrug off the fact that they had lost three in a row, and seven of their last 10, and went about their business like it was all part of the plan.

What a world of difference a little bit of confidence makes. From the point when Boeckman buried the first goal of the weekend midway through Friday’s first period, everyone in the building could sense the renewed attitude for the rest of the weekend.

Great to see Graham putting points on the board again. Graham is such a great two-way player, it has to be encouraging to everyone on the team to see him finally get rewarded on the scoreboard for the effort he puts out each night – two goals, three assists, and an honorable mention for player of the week.

When Hirschfeld returned to the line-up on Saturday, it was almost as if that line with Blakey and Graham hadn’t even missed a shift, let alone 11 games. It took just 76 seconds for them to each get a point, and they had combined for seven points by the time the final 58:44 played out.

With Alpena then winning against the U.S. on Sunday, the sweep proved to be even more important – keeping them in second place in the division. Traverse City has now gone 9-0-1 in their past 10 after winning in overtime last night. Especially with the North Stars having a weekend off now to prepare, the three showdowns next weekend at the Ice Zone will be phenomenal.

First things first, however. The Phantoms have one last regular season road trip this weekend at Marquette. The Rangers have lost four out of their last five, are 4-12-1 in their last 17 games, and are sitting on the outside of the playoffs, looking in right now. The Rangers have a chance to get back into the playoffs by taking three of four points against the Phantoms, and obviously have a lot to play for.

Hurting the Marquette cause, however, is the injury to Aaron Pietila, the team’s leading scorer. He has been out since the Top Prospects Tournament. Josh Bussell, James Gallagher, Nick Weight, and Mike Macari have led the way since. They have all fared well against the Phantoms as well, as has defenseman Derek Grogan.

The Phantoms are 4-1-1 in six previous games this year with the Rangers, including a weekend split the last time these two met on February 8-9 at the Ice Zone.

The Phantoms can secure at least a fifth place finish in the division with a sweep this weekend, and depending on how the U.S. National Teams do this weekend (both the Under-17s and Under-18s play twice each), the Phantoms may be able to clinch a playoff spot as well.

Second place is far from secure though, and most likely won’t be until the last weekend of the season. With the way the Phantoms play at home – 16-6-1 this year – second place is key… earning them home-ice advantage in the opening round of the playoffs.

Another interesting playoff note – since the Bandits are hosting the Robertson Cup this year, they have an automatic berth. So, assuming the Bandits win their first round playoff series, whoever faces St. Louis in the second round, will automatically have their ticket punched as well, as the North Division representative.

On a more serious note, the Relay for Life Phantoms jersey auction had another very successful night, earning thousands of dollars for the fight against cancer – Thank you to everyone that participated.

The Phantoms special edition St. Patrick’s Day jerseys are now available for on-line bidding. The live auction will take place on March 15 as the Phantoms take on the Traverse City North Stars.