Game 66 Recap: The Springfield Shutout - Phantoms Inch Closer To Postseason Berth
ALLENTOWN - The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (42-16-8) inched closer to securing their spot in the 2018 Calder Cup Playoffs Sunday with their second consecutive shutout on the weekend in a 3-0 decision over the Springfield Thunderbirds (28-31-6).
One night after Dustin Tokarski stopped all 33 shots he faced, John Muse entered the game Sunday and followed that up with a 23-save blanking of Springfield - extending the Phantoms' team shutout streak up to 156 minutes and 41 seconds.
Danick Martel broke the scoreless tie with 4:30 left before the second intermission after a great play, and pass, by Mikhail Vorobyev. Chris Conner tallied a power play goal early in the third to extend the Phantoms' lead to 2-0, and Greg Carey capped the scoring with a deflection atop the crease for his team-leading 27th of the season.
Playoff Update: The Phantoms' win combined with Bridgeport's regulation loss to Providence has Lehigh Valley three points away from clinching a playoff spot in the Atlantic Division playoff race.
Looking Ahead: The Phantoms have a pair of crucial games in Providence next weekend beginning Friday night.
Phantoms' Lines (Starters in Bold/Italics)
Greg Carey - Phil Varone - Alex Krushelnyski Tyrell Goulbourne - Corban Knight - Colin McDonaldDanick Martel - Mikhail Vorobyev - Nicolas Aube-Kubel Radel Fazleev - Cole Bardreau - Chris Conner
T.J. Brennan - Reece WillcoxJames de Haas - Phil Myers Will O'Neill - Max Lamarche
John Muse - Dustin Tokarski
Scratches: Sam Morin, Steven Swavely, Mike Vecchione and Mark Friedman
POST-GAME REACTION
POST-GAME RECAP
It felt very much like the third game of the weekend for the Phantoms and Thunderbirds Sunday afternoon in the opening period.
Bit of a strange play in the early-going, as a Reece Willcox shot from the right point looked - depending on your vantage point - to go in past Thunderbirds goalie Harri Sateri and pop back out of the net. It was so convincing that the play was reviewed after the first stoppage in play following that sequence.
The replay showed the puck go past Sateri and slam off the arm of a Thunderbirds defender who was behind and to the side of the net - hence explaining why the puck bounced back out to where it was shot from but without making the sound a puck normally does when it hits the post or top shelf bar atop the back of the net.
Despite dominating the first 20 minutes in terms of puck possession and offensive zone time, the Phantoms found themselves in a scoreless tie headed to the first intermission.
Things started opening up a bit in the middle frame, due to plenty of penalties being called. It didn't produce any goals though.
It wasn't until a magnificent play from Mikhail Vorobyev that the game's first goal would occur, and that came with 4:30 left before the second intermission.
Vorobyev picked up the puck in the defensive zone along the right wing wall and skated his way cross-ice, deking and side-stepping Springfield players before threading the needle on a stretch pass to Danick Martel. Martel flew down the right wing and fired a wrist shot that tipped of a Thunderbirds defender's stick and into the top shelf past Sateri. It marked Martel's 22nd of the season as matched a career high for goals in a season at the pro level.
An early third period penalty on Thunderbirds defenseman Tim Erixon gave the Phantoms all they would need to extend their lead.
Phil Varone rushed down the right wing and centered it to Chris Conner for a tap in past Sateri 33 seconds into the ensuing man advantage to put the Phantoms ahead 2-0. Greg Carey had Will O'Neill's shot bounce in off of him later in the third to complete the 3-0 final score.
GAME SUMMARY
1st Period
16:21: LV - (PP) Conner, minor (goaltender interference)
2nd Period
5:20: SPR - (PP) Horvat, minor (roughing) 6:57: LV - Martel, minor (roughing) 6:57: SPR - Schemitsch, minor (roughing) 6:57: LV - (PP) Martel, minor (cross-checking) 9:22: LV - Carey, minor (slashing) 9:22: SPR - Brown, minor (cross-checking) 10:56: SPR - (PP) Kurker, minor (hooking) 11:56: LV - (PP) Myers, minor (hooking) 14:45: LV - Goulbourne, major (fighting) 14:45: SPR - Brown, major (fighting) 15:30: LV - Martel (22) - Vorobyev
3rd Period
2:22: SPR - (PP) Erixon, minor (delay of game) 2:55: LV - PPG Conner (16) - Varone, Muse 3:53: SPR - (PP) Kurker, minor (high-sticking) 5:18: LV - (PP) Myers, minor (holding) 5:42: SPR - (PP) Hunt, minor (interference) 16:21: LV - Carey (27) - O'Neill, Krushelnyski
BOXSCORE
Lehigh Valley 0 - 1 - 2 = 3 Springfield 0 - 0 - 0 = 0
Shots
Lehigh Valley 7 - 9 - 5 = 21 Springfield 6 - 10 - 7 = 23
Goalies
LV -John Muse (23 saves - 23 shots) SPR - Harri Sateri (18 saves - 21 shots)
Power Play
LV: 1-for-5 SPR: 0-for-4
Penalty Kill
LV: 4-for-4 SPR: 4-for-5
Attendance: 8,425
