GAME STORY: 2019-20 Season - Bridgeport at Lehigh Valley 2/14/20

ALLENTOWN, PA -- The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (21-23-6) host the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (18-27-5) for the first time this season to kick off another three-in-three weekend Friday night at PPL Center.

Lehigh Valley Phantoms Roster Notes

Lines/Pairings:

Andy Andreoff - Mikhail Vorobyev - Isaac Ratcliffe Maksim Sushko - Cal O'Reilly - David Kase Greg Carey - Kyle Criscuolo - Max Willman Steven Swavely - Gerry Fitzgerald - Kurtis Gabriel

Tyler Wotherspoon - Andy Welinski Nate Prosser - Mark Friedman Chris Bigras - Reece Willcox

Alex Lyon - J-F Berube

Phantoms scratches: James de Haas, German Rubtsov, Carsen Twarynski, Morgan Frost, T.J. Brennan, Pascal Laberge and Chris Stewart

GAME STORY

1st Period

Lehigh Valley got to their game as the first period wore on, opening up a large advantage in time spent in the offensive zone and scoring chances.

The early momentum translated into the game's opening goal with 8:44 left after Kyle Criscuolo got a puck behind the net from Tyler Wotherspoon and connected in front with Andy Welinski for his 6th goal of the season.

During a stoppage with 6:05 remaining before the first intermission, the Phantoms played a video tribute to the return of former Lehigh Valley Phantoms captain Colin McDonald - appearing in his first game back at the PPL Center since signing an AHL contract with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers over the summer. McDonald was Lehigh Valley's first-ever captain in franchise history, and his totals with Lehigh Valley rank among the top in games played (243 - third), goals (60 - fourth) and points (129 - fifth).

The Phantoms drew themselves a power play in the final minute of the period, taking the 1-0 lead and some carry over power play time to the middle frame.

2nd Period

The fast pace from the first period continued into the middle frame, as the whistles were few and far between in the opening eight minutes of the period.

With Greg Carey tagged for tripping with 12:02 left in the 2nd period, the Phantoms' PK went to work and got off to a strong start as Criscuolo got a puck out and entered the offensive zone. The Phantoms forward was tripped up in the offensive zone, but the referees continued play.

Bridgeport re-grouped, and tied up the game on their ensuing rush up the ice. After Olivier Wahlstrom tried to weave his way through the neutral zone, Parker Wotherspoon got a puck to Otto Koivula at the right-wing and the Sound Tigers' forward got the edge before centering for a quick shot by Travis St Denis got past Phantoms' goaltender Alex Lyon with 11:09 left in the middle frame.

The Sound Tigers' goal snapped a streak of 26 straight man advantage opportunities without a power play tally, which is sort of ironic given the Phantoms' season-long struggles with their own power play. Lehigh Valley was shorthanded again just over two minutes after St. Denis' power play goal, but the penalty killers were able to successfully kill off Andy Andreoff's cross-checking minor and keep the game in a 1-1 deadlock.

The one shot the Phantoms allowed during Andreoff's minor penalty was the final shot they allowed in the period, as Lehigh Valley continued to put pucks on net. Unfortunately for the home team, Bridgeport's goaltender came to play. Lehigh Valley out shot Bridgeport 15-5 in the middle frame, but St. Denis' power play tally was the lone goal of the middle frame, sending the two teams to the third period in a 1-1 tie.

3rd Period

The Phantoms continued peppering Gibson with pucks in the third period, but credit Alex Lyon for two early-period stops to keep the game even at 1-1.

Later in the period, Bridgeport took their first lead of the night as a seeing-eye shot from the point eluded traffic in front and the Phantoms' goaltender with 10:43 left to play. Simon Holmstrom was credited with his fifth goal of the season on the play.

Lehigh Valley responded in a big way less than two minutes later to tie the game. Max Willman made a nice move at the bottom of the right-wing circle to free himself up to take the puck to the net. His shot attempt was stopped by Gibson, but the rebound darted up the middle where Tyler Wotherspoon slammed home the rebound to tie the game at 2-2 and ultimately force overtime.

Overtime

Travis St. Denis hit the post on the opening shift of the 3-on-3, but it was Mikhail Vorobyev playing the role of hero Friday night.

Vorobyev took a pass from Andy Welinski in the offensive zone, and skated to the net with the puck before flipping to his backhand and lifting one past Gibson to give the Phantoms the 3-2 overtime win.

GAME SUMMARY

1st Period

11:16: LV - Welinski (6) - Criscuolo, Wotherspoon 19:01: BRI - (PP) Kubiak, minor (holding)

2nd Period

7:58: LV - (PP) Carey, minor (tripping) 8:51: BRI - PPG St Denis (8) - Koivula, Wotherspoon 11:02: LV - (PP) Andreoff, minor (cross-checking)

3rd Period

9:17: BRI - Holmstrom (5) - Hutton, Carpenter 11:07: LV - Wotherspoon (4) - Willman, Criscuolo

Overtime

2:38: LV - Vorobyev (10) - Welinski, Criscuolo

BOXSCORE

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

Shots

Bridgeport  7 - 5 - 14 - 0 = 26 Lehigh Valley  15 - 15 - 11 - 2 = 43

Goalies

BRI: Chris Gibson (40 saves - 43 shots) LV: Alex Lyon (24 saves - 26 shots)

Power Play

BRI: 1-for-2 LV: 0-for-1

Penalty Kill

BRI: 1-for-1 LV: 1-for-2