GAME STORY: 2019-20 Season - Charlotte at Lehigh Valley 11/20/19

ALLENTOWN, Pa. -- The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (6-5-5) look to snap a four-game winless streak when they host defending Calder Cup champion Charlotte (6-6-2) at 7:15 p.m. ET.

Lehigh Valley Phantoms Roster Notes

Greg Carey - Cal O'Reilly - Nicolas Aube-Kubel Kurtis Gabriel - German Rubtsov - Maksim Sushko David Kase - Gerry Fitzgerald - Pascal Laberge Matthew Strome - Mikhail Vorobyev - James de Haas

T.J. Brennan - Reece Willcox Tyler Wotherspoon - Nate Prosser Mark Friedman - Andy Welinski

Alex Lyon - J-F Berube

Scratches:  Carsen Twarynski, Isaac Ratcliffe, Connor Bunnaman, Chris Bigras and Kyle Criscuolo

GAME STORY

1st Period

The Charlotte Checkers registered the first shot of the contest just over three minutes into the first period, and Alex Lyon held onto it for a whistle.

Moments later, Lehigh Valley made their first shot of the hockey count.

Matthew Strome flipped a puck off the boards from the defensive zone and Mikhail Vorobyev nudged it ahead to Pascal Laberge in neutral zone before Laberge turned on the jets and created a 2-on-1 chance with Reece Willcox.

The Checkers' defender tied up Willcox at the far post, allowing Laberge to cut to the net and put one past Alex Nedeljkovic to put the Phantoms ahead 1-0 with 3:37 gone in the contest.

Later in the period, after killing off a Nicolas Aube-Kubel hooking minor, Aube-Kubel re-entered the playing surface and nearly helped his team to a 2-0 lead - firing a hard shot on a 2-on-1 that nearly beat Nedeljkovic with 7:50 left. The rebound bounced out to Cal O'Reilly, who was absolutely robbed on a diving stop by Nedeljkovic to keep it at a one-goal game.

Charlotte had a close call of their own with just over five minutes left in the period. Casey Bailey's shot from the right-circle beat Lyon, but caught the inside of the left post and remained out. The goal judge threw the red light on, and the play was later reviewed at the next stoppage, but was deemed no goal after a quick review.

Vorobyev drew the Phantoms their first power play opportunity of the night in the final minute of the period, setting the Phantoms up with 1:12 of carryover power play time and a 1-0 lead to start the middle frame.

2nd Period

German Rubtsov was shaken up a bit after a hit at the offensive zone blue line under two minutes into the period, and he later exited the bench with medical staff. Rubtsov never returned to game action.

The Phantoms extended their lead to 2-0 with 12:44 left in the middle frame, as Andy Welinski got a puck to Tyler Wotherspoon at the left point for a hard shot that Nedeljkovic wasn't able to hold on to. The rebound darted to the side of the net right to Vorobyev, who converted the putback for his fifth goal of the season.

Lehigh Valley looked to take the 2-0 lead to the locker room but Charlotte ended Lyon's shutout bid in the final minute of the period, cutting the Phantoms' lead in half after an attempted pass from Alex Lyon behind the net was intercepted and eventually given in front to Casey Bailey for a quick shot with 44.3 seconds left in the period.

Lyon looked really dialed in throughout the opening 40 minutes, but would probably like to have that one back.

3rd Period

Lehigh Valley had a chance to extend their lead back to two when Kerby Rychel was whistled for tripping in the opening minute of the third period, but credit to the Checkers for killing it off and keeping it at a one-goal game.

Moments later, the Checkers tied it up at 2-2 on a goal from Hunter Shinkaruk that was similar to the one Pascal Laberge scored in the first period. A nice move to the net for Shinkaruk after a feed from Chase Priskie. Bailey added a second assist on the play 4:09 into the third period.

But tonight it was Gerry Fitzgerald playing the role of hero, breaking a 2-2 tie with 2:40 left on a play where he went to the net and put home a rebound for his first tally on the season and first in a Phantoms' uniform.

Lehigh Valley held on for the 3-2 win in regulation, snapping a four-game winless streak.

GAME SUMMARY

1st Period

3:37: LV - Laberge (1) - Vorobyev, Strome 9:37: LV - (PP) Aube-Kubel, minor (hooking) 19:11: CHA - (PP) Markison,  minor (tripping)

2nd Period

7:16: LV - Vorobyev (5) - Wotherspoon, Welinski 9:59: CHA - (PP) Forsling, minor (tripping) 12:42: LV - (PP) Prosser, minor (tripping) 19:15: CHA - Bailey (1) - Shinkaruk, Lorentz

3rd Period

0:50: CHA - (PP) Rychel, minor (tripping) 4:09: CHA - Shinkaruk (2) - Priskie, Bailey 17:20: LV - Fitzgerald (1) - Prosser, Wotherspoon

BOXSCORE

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

Shots

Charlotte  13 - 12 - 9 = 34 Lehigh Valley  8 - 7 - 7 = 22

Goalies

CHA: Alex Nedeljkovic (19 saves - 22 shots) LV: Alex Lyon (32 saves - 34 shots)

Power Play

CHA: 0-for-2 LV: 0-for-3

Penalty Kill

CHA: 3-for-3 LV: 2-for-2