SPRINGFIELD, Mass. ... The Philadelphia Phantoms have defeated the Albany River Rats, 3-2, in the longest game in the 72-year history of the American Hockey League.
Ryan Potulny's goal at 2:58 of the fifth overtime period gave the Phantoms the win and a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven East Division semifinal series. Game 6 is Saturday afternoon in Philadelphia.
The winning goal was scored at 12:39 a.m. EDT on Friday morning, five hours and 38 minutes after the game began.
Philadelphia took an incredible 101 shots on goal in the game, and Albany's Michael Leighton, who won the Aldege "Baz" Bastien Award as the AHL's outstanding goaltender during the 2007-08 regular season, made 98 saves, believed to be an AHL record. The Phantoms' Scott Munroe stopped 65 of 67 shots to earn the win.
The marathon surpassed the previous longest game, a 2003 Calder Cup Final game between Hamilton and Houston that went 14:56 into a fourth overtime. It was also longer than all but three NHL games ever played.
Longest games, Calder Cup Playoffs (by OT played)
1. Apr. 24, 2008 -- Philadelphia 3 at Albany 2 -- 82:58
2. May 30, 2003 -- Houston 1 at Hamilton 2 -- 74:56
3. Apr. 10, 1982 -- Rochester 2 at New Haven 3 -- 74:08
4. Apr. 4, 1938 -- Syracuse 3 at Cleveland 2 -- 62:42
5. Apr. 14, 1953 -- Cleveland 2 at Pittsburgh 3 -- 61:46
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