The Lehigh Valley Phantoms were at the Giant Center Sunday afternoon to take on the Hershey Bears with seven games left in the season. Lehigh Valley is coming off a 4-2 loss to the Binghamton Devils yesterday and were looking to bounce back in the race for first place.
The Phantoms record is 15-5-3-1 on the season and five points behind the Bears for the North Division. They are 6-2 against the Bears this year. Scratches for the game were Mason Millman, Maksim Sushko, Logan Day, Ralph Cuddemi, Pascal Laberge, Eamon McAdam, and David Kase. Cam York returned to the lineup after missing a couple of games due to injury. Felix Sandstrom got the start at goalie.
Hershey took control from the drop of the puck in the first period. Felix Sandstrom stopped every shot that came his way, and there were plenty. The Phantoms almost scored twice, once by Max Willman on the breakaway and another by Cam York. Still, Hershey goalie Hunter Shepard denied the shots. Shepard was making his AHL debut.
Late in the first period, a fight broke out involving Tanner McMaster and Philippe Maillet. Other players joined in as well. Hershey center Matt Moulson was called for three penalties. One for fighting, two for instigating, and three for misconduct.
The Phantoms went on the power play. At the end of the first period, they still had time left over that would continue into the second. The first period ended with no score as Hershey dominated the shots 17-3.
Sandstrom made more great saves in the second period, including a rocket from Joe Snively. The Phantoms did a better job this period, spending much of the time in Hershey’s zone. Chris Mueller almost put the Phantoms up, but Shepard stopped him. With 10:02 left in the second period, the Bears won the faceoff. Brett Leason moved to the middle of the ice shooting a wrister that went shot top shelf over Sandstrom’s right shoulder to put Hershey up 1-0. It was Leason’s seventh goal of the season.
Lehigh Valley continued to play in the Bears’ neutral zone, getting plenty of chances to tie the game, but Shepard stopped all of them. Hershey got a two-on-one play, but Sandstrom held the net and stopped the shot. The Phantoms had a couple more chances to tie the game with Brennan Saulnier and Chris Mueller, each having shot opportunities to no prevail. Hershey led 1-0 after the second period and had the shot advantage 14-13. The Phantoms were getting chances but were unable to finish the plays.
Derrick Pouliot came close to tying the game early in the third period, but Shepard stopped his shot. Hershey would then head to the Phantoms’ zone. However, Lehigh Valley was able to keep the puck out of its zone. Ryan Fitzgerald came close to scoring, but Shepard stopped him. Both teams continued to get chances to score; however, both goalies were doing a fantastic job all game long.
With 2:16 left in the third period, Scott Gordon pulled Sandstrom for the extra attacker. However, it backfired, and the Bears added an empty-net goal from Axel Jonsson-Fjallby to go up 2-0. Sandstrom got pulled again shortly after the puck drop. Still, the Phantoms could not get by Ryan Shepard as Hershey defeated the Phantoms 2-0. The Phantoms had twelve shots in the third period.
Lehigh Valley finished the day with 28 shots, 0-6 on the power play, and Felix Sandstrom made 40 saves. The Phantoms now trail the Bears by seven points with two more meetings left in the season. The Phantoms record is now 15-6-3-1.
The Phantoms will return home to the PPL Center on Wednesday, May 5th, against the Hershey Bears at 7:05 pm on AHL.tv.
