For the final time of the 2021 season, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (18-7-4-1) hosted the Binghamton Devils (6-20-5-2) at the PPL Center Sunday afternoon.
The Phantoms were 8-3 this year against the Devils. This was Binghamton’s final game before relocating to Utica next season, where they will be called the Comets. Lehigh Valley was looking to finish the season on a strong note.
Felix Sandstrom got the start at goalie. The scratches for today’s game were Mason Millman, Maksim Sushko, Isaac Ratcliffe, Logan Day, Ralph Cuddemi, Wyatte Wylie, Pascal Laberge, Eamon McAdam, and Tyson Foerster.
Thirty-two seconds into the first period, the Devils took a 1-0 lead. Ryan Schmelzer was initially stopped by Sandstrom; however, the puck was not secured, and Fabian Zetterlund put it into the net. Binghamton dominated the early minutes of the first period before the momentum shifted to the Phantoms.
Lehigh Valley went on the power play at 6:25 for a boarding call on Jeremy Groleau. The Phantoms tied the game at one apiece after Ryan Fitzgerald found Linus Sandin for a one-timer into the net. Then with 8:24 left in the first period, Max Willman scored to put Lehigh Valley up 2-1.
The Phantoms had several more chances to add another goal in the first period but could not convert. The first period ended with the Phantoms leading 2-1. The shots were 12-8 for Lehigh Valley.
Lehigh Valley continued with the scoring and added another goal with 12:04 left in the second period. Tyler Wotherspoon intercepted the puck, passed it to Cal O’Reilly, then onto Ryan Fitzgerald, who made a juke move on Evan Cormier for a 3-1 lead.
With thirty-one seconds left in the second period, the Devils pulled within one on a backhanded goal by Graeme Clarke. The Phantoms led 3-2 after the second period. The shots were 10-7 Phantoms.
Both teams went back and forth to each other’s zones missing shots. The game took a turn for the worse, with 5:40 left in the third period. Chris Bigras’s goal was waved off due to contact with the goalie. The instant replay showed that Evan Cormier fell on his own, and the Phantoms goal should’ve counted. Since instant replay was not used this season, there was nothing the Phantoms could do.
With 2:32 left in the third period, the Devils pulled Cormier for the extra attacker. The Devils scored with 1:25 left when Nolan Foote redirected Graeme Clarke’s shot for the goal. The game was now headed to overtime tied at three apiece, and the shots were 13-10 Devils.
For the second time in this game, the Phantoms were robbed of another goal with 2:10 left in overtime. Ryan Fitzgerald scored, but the referee waved it off. The replay showed the puck completely crossed over the line. The Phantoms let the referees have it. The game then headed to a shootout.
Graeme Clark sealed the game in the shootout to give the Devils a 4-3 win over the Phantoms. Lehigh Valley finished the game with 35 shots, 1-3 on the power play, and Felix Sandstrom made 28 saves. The Phantoms ended the season at 18-7-4-2.
