Game 34 Recap: Phantoms Cruise Past Charlotte

ALLENTOWN - Don't look now, but the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (21-9-4) are rolling along as the 2017-18 season is coming up on the midway point after a 3-1 win against the Charlotte Checkers (20-12-1) Friday night in front of 7,494 fans at the PPL Center.

The win moves them to 5-0-1 in their last six games, and a strong all-around performance tonight limiting the high-flying Checkers offense to just one late goal in the third period.

The Phantoms' top line of Greg Carey (one goal, two assists), Phil Varone (two assists) and Tyrell Goulbourne (two assists) paced the Phantoms' attack, but the game could have easily been a 5-1 or 6-1 final the way Lehigh Valley was creating offensive chances. Several empty nets were missed throughout the game, and Charlotte goaltender Jeremy Smith really kept his team afloat - especially in the first period.

Alex Lyon was strong in his first game action in four weeks, stopping 28 of 29 and looking rather comfortable in net.

Looking Ahead: These two teams rematch tomorrow night at PPL Center.

Phantoms' Lines (Starters in Bold/Italics)

Greg Carey - Phil Varone - Tyrell Goulbourne Danick Martel - Corban Knight - Nicolas Aube-KubelOskar Lindblom - Mike Vecchione - Chris Conner Alex Krushelnyski - Steven Swavely - Radel Fazleev

T.J. Brennan - Reece WillcoxWill O'Neill - Mark Friedman James de Haas - Phil Myers

Alex Lyon - Dustin Tokarski

Scratches: Sam Morin, Cole Bardreau, Colin McDonald, Mikhail Vorobyev, Max Lamarche and Matt Read

Lineup Notes

Alex Lyon got the start in net Friday night for Lehigh Valley, his first start since December 1st. Dustin Tokarski served as his backup.

Only one other lineup change for the Phantoms from their last game Wednesday night in Wilkes-Barre, as Mark Friedman returned to the blue line paired alongside Will O'Neill and Max Lamarche rotated out as the healthy scratch.

POST-GAME REACTION

GAME RECAP

It was a slow start to the night for both teams, but the Phantoms got to their game first and took a 2-0 lead in the first period on a pair of goals in the middle part of the period.

First, it was a tic-tac-toe passing display from Greg Carey to Phil Varone to Tyrell Goulbourne. Goulbourne's initial shot was stopped by Checkers' goaltender Jeremy Smith, but Carey was in position to tap in the rebound for his 17th of the season - tying him for 2nd in the AHL in goals with teammate Danick Martel - to put the Phantoms ahead 1-0 at the 6:01 mark of the first frame.

Lehigh Valley extended the lead to 2-0 with 10:45 left in the period on an Oskar Lindblom power play goal - his 10th tally of the season.

Lindblom got a puck behind the net from Varone and wheeled it to the other side before sending a puck to Carey at the half-wall. Carey returned the puck down low to Lindblom, who brought it out in front and stuffed it home.

If not for the Checkers' goaltender, things would have gotten ugly in the first period.

Smith made a terrific stop on Danick Martel on a 2-on-1 shortly after the Phantoms killed off Martel's roughing minor, and moments later he came up big on Nicolas Aube-Kubel's mini-breakaway. Instead, Smith kept the Checkers afloat heading into the middle frame down just 2-0.

The Phantoms kept their foot on the gas in the middle frame, only allowing two shots on goal against in the opening 13 minutes of the period.

In fact, they nearly took a 3-0 lead with 9:25 left in the 2nd period when Varone got a puck to Goulbourne and his shot rolled on edge across the goal line before a defender scooped it out of the crease. The play was initially ruled a goal, but was correctly overturned and no goal.

Despite all the chances Lehigh Valley had created, it was still a 2-0 game as the final minute was ticking off the second period clock.

That's when the Phantoms got rewarded for their efforts.

The Phantoms' top line was at it again, and this time they set up T.J. Brennan with a milestone goal at a crucial moment in the contest to extend the lead to 3-0.

Carey got a puck to Brennan along the right-wing wall, and the defender did the rest - taking it to the net and beating Smith with 10.5 seconds left before the intermission. The goal marked Brennan's 400th career AHL point.

Charlotte scored a late third period goal to make things interesting, but Lehigh Valley closed it out with the 3-1 win.

GAME SUMMARY

1st Period

6:01: LV - Carey (17) - Goulbourne, Varone 8:38: CHA - (PP) Brown, minor (holding) 9:15: LV - PPG Lindblom (10) - Carey, Varone 13:24: LV - (PP) Martel, minor (roughing)

2nd Period

1:38: CHA - (PP) Brown, minor (interference) 11:41: LV - (PP) Aube-Kubel, minor (tripping) 19:49: LV - Brennan (4) - Carey, Goulbourne

3rd Period

4:50: LV - (PP) Brennan, minor (delay of game) 8:03: CHA - (PP) Stortini, minor (elbowing) 10:53: CHA - Foegele (16) - Miller 12:45: LV - (PP) Myers, minor (cross-checking) 15:04: CHA - (PP) Carrick, minor (slashing)

BOXSCORE

Lehigh Valley 2 - 1 - 0 = 3 Charlotte 0 - 0 - 1 = 1

Shots

Lehigh Valley  12 - 13 - 3 = 28 Charlotte 12 - 10 - 7 = 29

Goalies

LV - Alex Lyon (28 saves - 29 shots) CHA - Jeremy Smith (25 saves - 28 shots)

Power Play

LV: 1-for-4 CHA: 0-for-4

Penalty Kill

LV: 4-for-4 CHA: 3-for-4

Attendance: 7,494