After being dismantled by the Charlotte Checkers (4-4-1) Saturday night 7-3, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (2-6-2) rebounded to a 5-3 win Sunday afternoon at the Bojangles Coliseum.
Felix Sandstrom started at goal, and the scratches for the game were Mason Millman, Maksim Sushko, Linus Sandin, Samu Tuomaala, Wyatte Wylie, Sam Ersson, and Tyson Foerster.
In the first period, it looked like déjà vu all over again when Checkers right-winger Cole Schwindt (3) scored underneath Sandstrom to go up 1-0 with 12:46 left. The assists went to Carsen Twarynski (2) and Matt Kiersted (3).
Then, at 10:26 in the first period, the Phantoms responded when Linus Hogberg’s (2) redirected the puck by Hayden Hodges (3) for the goal that tied it up 1-1. Adam Clendening (3) also assisted the goal. The Phantoms had a couple of opportunities to take the lead on the power-play but were unable to. Thus, the score was tied 1-1 after the first period.
The shots were 11-8 Checkers. However, the Phantoms played an excellent period, hustling for the puck and keeping the Checkers in check.
In the second period, Phantoms defensemen Logan Day (1) found a wide-open Cam York (1), and York shot from the top left circle of the net for a 2-1 lead with 13:39 left. Max Willman (1) also assisted the goal.
Then, at 12:30, Egor Zamula (1) scored his first career goal with a slapshot to the back of the net for a 3-1 lead. Adam Clendening (4) and Cal O’Reilly (1) assisted the goal. The Phantoms were up 3-1 after two periods and led the shots 12-10.
Seventeen seconds into the third period, Gustav Olofsson of the Checkers was called for hooking, sending the Phantoms on the power-play. Then at 42-seconds, Morgan Frost (6) passed the puck between two Checkers’ players to Max Willman (4) before shooting the puck to the right post for a 4-1 lead with 19:18 left.
Then, the Checkers made the game interesting. First, Phantoms center Connor Bunnaman was called for slashing, putting the Checkers on the power play. Then, at 2:45, Connor Carrick (1), with assists from Cale Fleury (2) and Logan Hutsko (6), scored a power-play goal to make it 4-2.
At 4:47, the Checkers made it a one-goal game when Grigori Denisenko (2) wheeled around the net before finding Scott Wilson (2), who had an open net in front of him, and scored to cut the Phantoms lead 4-3.
The Checkers were putting the pressure on the Phantoms as each minute disappeared. With 1:51 left in the game, the Checkers pulled goalie Antoine Bibeau for an extra attacker. Garrett Wilson (1) scored an empty netter in a three-on-one play to put the game away 5-3. Morgan Frost (7) and Gerry Mayhew (2) assisted Wilson’s goal.
The Phantoms won 5-3, and the shots in the third period were 17-7 Checkers. The total shots in the game were 38-27 Checkers. Lehigh Valley Phantoms goalie Felix Sandstrom made 35 of 38 saves, and the Phantoms went one for four on the power play.
The Phantoms’ next game is at the Giant Center on Wednesday, November 10th, against the Hershey Bears at 7 pm.
