Clendening: "We Have To Lead By Working"

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. - Wednesday night in Wilkes-Barre, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms looked to be turning the corner offensively and finally getting on track in their fifth game of the 2021-22 season.

They tallied two goals in the opening 13:27 of the contest, took a 2-1 lead late into the first period and generally looked much better than they had during their two previous losses last weekend.

"I think we were just hard. We were pretty direct, north-south game. I think we did that for most of the night, which is kind of frustrating," Phantoms defenseman Adam Clendening told Inside AHL Hockey after the game.

The frustration returned for the Phantoms in the final 75 seconds of the period.

The Penguins made the most of a late-period penalty to tie the game at 2-2 with 1:15 left. Then, a mostly blocked shot attempt from Radim Zohorna fluttered up and into the back of the Phantoms' net on a fluky goal with 2.4 seconds left before the first intermission to send the Phantoms to the dressing room trailing 3-2.

"It's getting to the point where it's just one of those things where you got to keep working. It'll come, but it sucks when you're in it like this," Clendening explained. "We'll work through it, we're fine."

The Phantoms never recovered, allowing a second goal from Zohorna in the middle frame in route to falling to a 4-2 decision - extending the Phantoms' season-opening winless skid to five games (0-4-1).

Clendening told Inside AHL Hockey that for the Phantoms to get out of their current funk, it's on everyone to step up their game and work together as a team to end the seaon-opening losing streak, with the veteran players leading by example.

"We have to lead by working. We have to lead by doing the right things and not necessarily put anybody on your back, but it's a grab onto the rope and pull with me kind of thing," Clendening told InsideAHLHockey.com. "Just kind of get the motivation, the team and the work ethic and everything pulling in one direction and believe in what we do, because it's going to work."

Lehigh Valley doesn't have to wait long to get back on the horse, as they're on the road for a Friday night matchup against the North Division leading and undefeated 3-0-0 Utica Comets (NJD) at 7:00 p.m. ET before returning home to host the Syracuse Crunch (2-2-1) Saturday night at the PPL Center at 7:15 p.m. ET.

"I think our younger players will learn and we'll battle and we'll score some ugly ones, and then the nice ones will come," Clendening said. "We'll get it on track. It's still early."