The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (3-11-4-1) were back in action Friday night at the PPL Center against the Charlotte Checkers (9-9-2). This is the fourth meeting between these teams. Charlotte leads the season series 3-1.
The Phantoms had not played since last Saturday against Bridgeport. They were also looking to snap a seven-game losing streak.
Felix Sandstrom was in goal, and the scratches were Mason Millman, Wade Allison, Linus Sandin, Sam Ersson, Wes Michaud, Ryan MacKinnon, Cam York, and Tyson Foerster.
The Phantoms whiffed on several shots in the first period, including three hitting the post. They had a chance to score on a 5-3 power-play but were unsuccessful. Despite the missed opportunities, the Phantoms were aggressive on offense and kept Charlotte in check.
With 50-seconds to go off the faceoff, Egor Zamula (8) made a cross pass to Adam Clendening (2), who blasted a line drive shot to the lower right circle for a 1-0 lead. Cal O’Reilly (4) also assisted Clendening’s goal. The Phantoms led 1-0 after the first period with 13 shots, while the Checkers had seven shots.
Twenty-two seconds into the second period, the Checkers tied it up 1-1. Felix Sandstrom stopped Alexander True (6) and Scott Wilson’s (3) shots, but Cale Fleury (2) scored off the rebound. Then, with 10:38 left, the Checkers took a 2-1 lead after Olli Juolevi’s (1) shot hit the stick of Gerry Mayhew before Henry Bowlby (2) deflected the puck into the net.
The Phantoms were having problems getting the puck out of their own zone. Felix Sandstrom was making great saves to keep it a one-goal game.
The Phantoms responded with 9:04 left in the second period when Nick Lappin (1) scored his first goal by flipping the puck over the shoulder of Evan Fitzpatrick from the left circle that tied the game 2-2. Isaac Ratcliffe (3) and Matthew Strome (2) assisted Lappin’s goal.
The game remained tied 2-2 after two periods, with the shots in favor of the Checkers 16-11. The Phantoms killed off two Checkers’ power-play in the second period. The penalty-killing unit is the Phantoms’ strongest suit and currently ranks eighth in the league (82.9%).
In the third period, Brennan Saulnier and German Rubtsov each had got off a shot but both missed. With 15:24 left, Carsen Twarynski (6) set up Cale Fleury (2) for a one-timer to the right circle that hit Sandstrom’s glove for the Checkers to take a 3-2 lead.
Once again, the Phantoms responded with 8:39 left. The Phantoms were at the Checkers zone when Garrett Wilson (4), from behind the net, banked shot the puck that was kicked in by Evan Fitzpatrick for a 3-3 tie. Linus Hogberg (3) assisted Wilson’s goal.
Just when it seemed the Phantoms had momentum going their way, the Checkers quickly killed it. With 5:18 left on the faceoff, Cole Schwindt (8) shot’s hit his teammate Henry Bowlby and before Bowlby redirected the shot for the goal and the Checkers took a 4-3 lead. Schwindt was credited with the goal, and the assists went to Connor Carrick (8) and Grigori Denisenko (7).
Phantoms head coach Ian Laperriere pulled Sandstrom with 1:28 left for the extra attacker. It backfired, and the Checkers sealed the game 5-3 with an empty-net goal by Zac Dalpe (5) with assists from Carsen Twarynski (7) and Cole Schwindt (3). The shots in the third period were 6-4 Checkers.
The Phantoms played a well-balanced, fast pace game. The Phantoms finished the night with 28 shots, 0-3 on the power-play, and Felix Sandstrom made 24 of 28 saves. Ian Laperriere continues to make questionable calls regarding pulling goalies out trailing by one goal. Tonight, he didn’t need to do it. The Phantoms losing streak is now at eight games.
The Phantoms next game is next Friday, December 10th, against the Hartford Wolf Pack from the PPL Center. The Wolf Pack are currently one of six teams out with COVID-19.
Lehigh Valley’s game against the Hershey Bears that was scheduled for today is postponed. The game will be rescheduled at a later date.
