The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (16-17-6-2) kicked off the weekend with the first of three straight games, starting with the Hershey Bears (23-13-3-3) Friday night at PPL Center.
Before the game, Jackson Cates was recalled by the Flyers under emergency circumstances. Felix Sandstrom started in goal, and the scratches for the game were Morgan Frost (illness), Nick Lappin, Ryan MacKinnon, Tyson Foerster, Sam Ersson, Pat Nagle, and Garrett Metcalf.
A minute and twenty-one seconds into the first period, Matthew Strome (7) made a nice pass to Brennan Saulnier (3) with a wrap-around goal down low to the left side that put the Phantoms up 1-0.
The Phantoms were pounding the Bears’ zone. Matt Strome and Linus Sandin had chances but missed their shots wide of the net. With 11:38 left, Adam Clendening (20) stole the puck to keep it in the Bears’ zone before passing it to Matt Strome (8). Then, Strome found Alex Kile (3) with a nice backhand flip-down low on the right side for a 2-0 lead.
Cam York took a late hit in the neutral zone and jammed his hand in the middle of the first period. He stayed on the ice for a bit. However, he headed to the locker room and didn’t return for the rest of the game.
After Matt Strome took an interference call, the Bears went on the power play. With 3:34 left in the first period, Hershey was in Lehigh Valley’s zone when Cody Franson (17) took a shot from center point that Brian Pinho tipped in (4) for a power-play goal, cutting the Phantoms lead 2-1. Mike Vecchione (18) was credited with the secondary assist.
Matt Strome would make up the penalty with 36-seconds left when Garrett Wilson (11) found Linus Sandin (8) from center-point before Sandin passed it to Matt Strome (2), who jabbed the puck into the net for a 3-1 lead. The Phantoms led 3-1 after one period, and the shots were 8-6 Bears.
Felix Sandstrom made a couple of nice saves in the second period while the Bears were on two power plays. The Phantoms killed off both power plays. With 5:47 left, Logan Day (2) snipes a shot top shelf on the left side that extended the Phantoms lead 4-1. Hayden Hodgson (9) and Cal O’Reilly (20) assisted the goal.
The Phantoms went on the power play late in the second period after Macoy Erkamps was called for unsportsmanlike conduct. With 1:11 left, Cal O’Reilly (10) sniped a shot to the top right circle for a 5-1 lead. Hayden Hodgson (10) and Garrett Wilson (12) assisted the goal.
The Phantoms led 5-1 after two periods with the shots 13-12 Bears. The Phantoms were doing a great job with puck control, taking shots, and killing penalties.
Before the third period started, the Bears switched goalies with Hunter Shepard in for Zach Fucale. Twenty-one seconds into the third period, the Bears cut the Phantoms 5-2 after Axel Jonsson-Fjallby (14), with a nice pass from Mike Vecchione (19), sprinted towards Sandstrom and snipes it to the right-side top shelf for the goal.
The Phantoms received more bad news when Linus Sandin did not return to the game after getting walloped in the second period. With 9:45 left, Matt Strome fell on the ice when Cody Franson pushed Strome, hitting his head on the ice, and no call was made. The refs missed several calls that should’ve gone in the Phantoms favor. Luckily, Strome returned to the game.
With 5:56 left, the Bears pulled Shepard for an extra attacker. They would cut the Phantoms lead to two 5-3 after Mason Morelli (5) pushed the puck in on the left side with 4:51 left in the game.
After the Bears pulled Shepard again with 1:31, the Phantoms had not registered a shot on goal until Garrett Wilson out-hustled Cody Franson before making a backhand shot into the empty net that sealed the game for the Phantoms 6-3.
The Phantoms finished the night with 14 shots, the second-fewest in team history behind 12 in 2001 when they were the Philadelphia Phantoms. Lehigh Valley finished 1/1 on the power play, and Felix Sandstrom made 17 of 20 saves.
The Phantoms welcome the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins today at 7:05 pm at the PPL Center.
