Game 65 Recap: Penalty Kill Powers Phantoms Past Providence
ALLENTOWN - In the first of five games between the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and Providence Bruins over the next 23 days, it was the Phantoms taking control of a scoreless tie in the second period in unorthodox fashion - netting a pair of shorthanded goals on their way to a 3-0 win over the Bruins Saturday night in front of 8,015 fans at the PPL Center.
Radel Fazleev broke the scoreless tie 11:36 into the middle frame, going bar down on a shorthanded rush caused by Tyrell Goulbourne forcing a turnover in the neutral zone. Phil Varone scored his 20th of the season moments later on a similar shorthanded steal in the neutral zone, and Steven Swavely - fresh up from ECHL Reading - added an insurance marker to seal the deal behind a 33-save shutout from Dustin Tokarski.
After looking like an uninspired hockey team Friday night in Hartford, the Phantoms bounced back in a big way against a Providence team they not only face four more times in their next nine games but a team chasing Lehigh Valley in the Atlantic Division standings.
Playoff Update: The Phantoms' win lowers their magic number to clinch a postseason berth down to seven points. Bridgeport did not play Saturday, so the Phantoms' magic number only dropped by two points.
Looking Ahead: The Phantoms finish off the 3-in-3 Sunday at home against Springfield, who are coming off a Saturday night loss in Hershey. Bridgeport plays in Providence in a game that could help lower the Phantoms' magic number for a postseason berth to as little as three points as the week ends.
Phantoms' Lines (Starters in Bold/Italics)
Danick Martel - Phil Varone - Alex Krushelnyski Cole Bardreau - Corban Knight - Colin McDonaldRadel Fazleev - Mikhail Vorobyev - Nicolas Aube-Kubel Tyrell Goulbourne - Steven Swavely - Chris Conner
T.J. Brennan - Reece WillcoxJames de Haas - Phil Myers Mark Friedman - Max Lamarche
Dustin Tokarski - John Muse
Scratches: Sam Morin, Will O'Neill, Greg Carey and Mike Vecchione
POST-GAME REACTION
POST-GAME RECAP
It looked very much like two teams who haven't played each other in awhile in the opening period between the Phantoms and Bruins. Both teams exchanged chances back and forth, but it was very much a feeling out process as the two prepare for five of their next 10 games against the same opponent.
Both goaltenders - Dustin Tokarski for Lehigh Valley and Jordan Binnington for Providence - had to be sharp on several occasions to keep the game scoreless through the first half of regulation.
It wasn't until the Phantoms were shorthanded just past the midway mark of the second period that the scoreless tie was broken.
Tyrell Goulbourne made a heads up play in the neutral zone, stealing a puck and carrying it up the right wing before dishing it off to Radel Fazleev in the middle. Fazleev went bar-down on Binnington for his third of the season to give Lehigh Valley the 1-0 lead at the 11:36 mark of the period.
Though not a recipe for success, the Phantoms were back in the penalty box with 2:20 left before the second intermission and ended up extending their lead to 2-0 heading into the third after Phil Varone stole a puck in the neutral zone similar to Goulbourne's play earlier in the period. On this one, Varone, took it up the right-wing himself before making a defender miss and beating Binnington for his 20th of the season with 1:26 left in the period.
The Phantoms clamped down in the third, and took it to Providence to close out the win. Steven Swavely added extra insurance with a rebound goal from a Colin McDonald pass toward the net with 4:20 left in regulation. Swavely's third of the season came after getting the call up to Lehigh Valley today prior to Saturday night's game.
GAME SUMMARY
1st Period
2:40: PRO - (PP) Clifton, minor (hooking) 7:02: LV - (PP) Brennan, minor (hooking)
2nd Period
11:10: LV - (PP) bench minor, too many men (served by Martel) 11:36: LV - SHG Fazleev (3) - Goulbourne 17:40: LV - (PP) Vorobyev, minor (hooking) 18:34: LV - SHG Varone (20) - unassisted
3rd Period
5:51: PRO - (PP) Sparks, minor (elbowing) 10:45: LV - (PP) Bardreau, minor (goaltender interference) 14:50: LV - Swavely (3) - McDonald, Myers 15:38: LV - (PP) Goulbourne, minor (roughing) 18:00: PRO - (PP) bench minor, too many men (served by Sparks)
BOXSCORE
Lehigh Valley 11 - 10 - 13 = 34 Providence 15 - 10 - 7 = 32
Shots
Lehigh Valley 0 - 2 - 1 = 3 Providence 0 - 0 - 0 = 0
Goalies
LV - Dustin Tokarski (33 saves - 33 shots) PRO - Jordan Binnington (31 saves - 34 shots)
Power Play
LV: 0-for-3 PRO: 0-for-5
Penalty Kill
LV: 5-for-5 PRO: 3-for-3
Attendance: 8,015
