Game 54 Recap: Phantoms Finish Three-Game Weekend With Win Against W-B/Scranton

ALLENTOWN - For the second straight night, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (33-14-7) were in control heading to the third period. Unlike Saturday night against Hartford, Sunday against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (30-15-5) had a different result as the Phantoms clamped down defensively and finished off a 4-1 win to conclude a three-game weekend with a seven-game points streak (6-0-1).

The penalty problem wasn't figured out by any stretch - the Phantoms were shorthanded seven times - but the penalty kill came through with a perfect performance led by goaltender John Muse's 22 saves.

Oskar Lindblom, Phil Varone, Mike Vecchione and Matt Read tallied goals in the win.

For Lindblom, it's goals in three straight games. For Varone, his goal tonight puts him tied atop the league's scoring race.

Looking Ahead: The Phantoms hit the road next week for three games beginning Wednesday night in Utica before a Friday game in Syracuse and a Saturday night affair in Binghamton against the Devils.

Phantoms Lines (Starters in Bold/Italics)

Greg Carey - Phil Varone - Matt Read Cole Bardreau - Corban Knight - Colin McDonaldOskar Lindblom - Mike Vecchione - Chris Conner Danick Martel - Mikhail Vorobyev - Aube-Kubel

T.J. Brennan - Max LamarcheJames de Haas - Mark Friedman Travis Sanheim - Phil Myers

John Muse - Dustin Tokarski

Scratches: Sam Morin (injured), Will O'Neill (veteran), Tyrell Goulbourne (healthy), Radel Fazleev (healthy) and Reece Willcox (injured)

POST-GAME REACTION

POST-GAME RECAP

After penalties haunted the Phantoms in the third period last night, it was probably an uneasy feeling for the orange and black in the opening minute when Greg Carey tripped up a Penguins' defenseman behind Casey DeSmith's net on the opening shift. Luckily for Lehigh Valley, the Phantoms avoided early danger and killed off the Penguins' power play - also successfully negating the Pens' second power play opportunity six minutes into the game.

After the first seven minutes or so, the Phantoms took control of the game - firing 14 first period shots on net, drawing three power plays and cashing in on the man advantage to take a 1-0 lead into the first intermission.

Matt Read made a nice play entering the offensive zone before sending a crisp, cross-ice pass to Greg Carey. DeSmith was able to slide from his right to left to deny Carey's one-timer, but Oskar Lindblom got to the net like he usually does and buried the rebound for his 16th of the season and third in three games this weekend.

The Phantoms kept their foot on the gas to begin the middle frame, and after a near two-minute shift from the top line to start the period their relentless pressure was rewarded.

Travis Sanheim extended his points streak to seven games (one goal, nine assists), sending the puck down low for Carey who eventually worked it out of the corner and fed it in front to Phil Varone for a well-placed shot from the slot to extend the lead to 2-0. Varone's goal moved him into a tie for first in scoring for the league with 51 points.

Lehigh Valley continued to pressure the Penguins, and capitalized on another man advantage to extend the lead to three.

Off of a won offensive zone face-off, the Phantoms' power play unit executed puck movement to perfection with a series of passes across the five man unit before Mikhail Vorobyev left one for Sanheim at the center point. Sanheim's one-timer was stopped by DeSmith, but good awareness by Mike Vecchione allowed him to glove down a loose puck and fire one through traffic for his 13th of the season.

Frustration started to set in for the Penguins late in the period, which ended with a big scrum behind the Phantoms' net after the horn sounded to conclude the middle frame.

The chippy play continued in the third, which peaked 6:58 into the final frame when Garrett Wilson plowed Cole Bardreau from behind into the boards by the penalty boxes.

Wilson was assessed a minor penalty for boarding, and it seemingly benefitted the Penguins as they broke John Muse's shutout bid moments later when Jean-Sebastien Dea re-directed a Jarred Tinordi point shot.

That's as close as the Penguins would get though, and Lehigh Valley tacked on an empty netter to cap the scoring at 4-1.

GAME SUMMARY

1st Period

0:52: LV - (PP) Carey, minor (tripping) 6:10: LV - (PP) Martel, minor (interference) 7:40: WBS - (PP) Johnson, minor (slashing) 14:44: WBS - (PP) Burton, minor (hooking) 15:21: LV - PPG Lindblom (16) - Carey, Read 17:36: WBS - (PP) Sprong, minor (slashing)

2nd Period

1:43: LV - Varone (14) - Carey, Sanheim 10:33: WBS - (PP) Wilson, minor (slashing) 11:54: LV - PPG Vecchione (13) - Sanheim, Vorobyev 13:39: LV - (PP) Myers, minor (tripping) 19:42: LV - (PP) Varone, minor (tripping)

3rd Period

0:40: WBS - (PP) Wilson, minor (interference) 6:04: LV - (PP) McDonald, minor (tripping) 6:58: WBS - (PP) Wilson, minor (boarding) 8:08: WBS - SHG Dea (12) - Tinordi, Johnson 11:53: LV - (PP) Carey, minor (slashing) 16:34: LV - (PP) Brennan, minor (slashing) 18:06: LV - SH/EN Read (6) - Knight 18:22: WBS - (PP) Wilson, minor (cross-checking) 18:22: LV - Bardreau, ten-minute misconduct 19:58: WBS - (PP) Spinozzi, minor (elbowing)

BOXSCORE

Lehigh Valley   1 - 2 - 1 = 4 W-B/Scranton  0 - 0 - 1 = 1

Shots

Lehigh Valley   14 - 8 - 10 = 32 W-B/Scranton  7 - 12 - 4 = 23

Goalies

LV - John Muse (22 saves - 23 shots) WBS - Casey DeSmith (28 saves - 31 shots)

Power Play

LV: 2-for-8 WBS: 0-for-7

Penalty Kill

LV:  7-for-7 WBS: 6-for-8

Attendance: 8,499