GAME STORY: 2019-20 Season - Utica at Lehigh Valley 12/28/19

ALLENTOWN, PA -- The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (12-14-5) continue their three-game weekend with a rare visit from the Utica Comets (18-10-4) Saturday night at PPL Center.

Lehigh Valley Phantoms Roster Notes

Line rushes in warmup:

Greg Carey - Connor Bunnaman - Pascal Laberge Max Willman - German Rubtsov - David Kase Carsen Twarynski - Gerry Fitzgerald - Maksim Sushko Matthew Strome - Steven Swavely - Kurtis Gabriel

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

Alex Lyon - J-F Berube

Phantoms Scratches: James de Haas, Cal O'Reilly, Isaac Ratcliffe, T.J. Brennan and Kyle Criscuolo

GAME STORY

1st Period

The opening period was mostly uneventful, but it was something that went unnoticed that was the biggest story of the opening frame.

The visiting team, the Utica Comets, submitted an incorrect starting lineup listing Zane McIntyre as their starting goaltender when in actuality Michael DiPietro was in net for the Vancouver Canucks' affiliate.

According to the AHL's rulebook, had the Phantoms noticed prior to the second face-off of the game, they could have been awarded a power play.

Here's the rule's explanation:

Rule 7 - Starting Line-up

7.2 Violation For an infraction of this rule, a bench minor penalty shall be imposed upon the offending team, provided such infraction is called to the attention of the Referee before the second face-off in the first period takes place. This is an appeal play and must be brought to the Referee’s attention prior to the second face-off in the game. There is no penalty to the requesting team if their appeal is unsustained. The determining factor when considering whether or not a player is listed in the starting line-up is that the player’s name, and not necessarily the player’s number, must be correctly listed by the Manager or Coach of that team.

Anyway, Mark Friedman drew a tripping minor on Kole Lind 2:18 into the contest and the Phantoms didn't score on the ensuing power play.

In fact, the Phantoms didn't record their first shot on goal until near the midway mark of the period.  The two teams combined for just six total shots on goal through the opening 15 minutes.

It wasn't until the final two minutes of the period that the game's first goal was scored, as Olli Juolevi caught the Phantoms off the rush - sending a pass across to Lind for a quick wrist shot past J-F Berube to give Utica a 1-0 lead heading to the first intermission.

2nd Period

The middle frame began as uneventful as the first period, as neither team had made it to 10 total shots on goal through the opening half of regulation.

Then, all of a sudden, the flood gates opened and the two teams combined for four goals in a span of 4:42 in true hockey fashion.

Kurtis Gabriel began the scoring onslaught, finishing a backhanded rebound attempt at the side of the net after Matthew Strome was denied in front by DiPietro. Steven Swavely started the play, forcing a turnover in the offensive zone and getting to the net front.

On the next shift, Maksim Sushko stopped on a dime on the left wing wall and centered for a quick shot by Gerry Fitzgerald that gave Lehigh Valley a 2-1 lead with 6:48 left in the middle frame.

Utica responded with two goals of their own to re-take the one goal lead before the period expired on goals from Wacey Hamilton and former Phantoms forward Justin Bailey, but perhaps the most important play came as the period came to an end.

With time expiring, Tyler Wotherspoon fired a shot past DiPietro but it was ruled no goal after a quick review.

3rd Period

The Phantoms only trailed by a goal heading to the third, but a trio of penalties prevented Lehigh Valley from generating enough of an attack to find the equalizer.

Utica tacked on an empty net tally in the final seconds to complete the 4-2 final score.

GAME SUMMARY

1st Period

2:18: UTI - (PP) Lind, minor (tripping) 18:28: UTI - Lind (10) - Juolevi, Jasek

2nd Period

12:43: LV - Gabriel (2) - Strome, Swavely 13:12: LV - Fitzgerald (4) - Sushko, Twarynski 14:30: UTI - Hamilton (2) - Juolevi, Boucher 17:25: UTI - Bailey (11) - unassisted 18:30: UTI - Brisebois, minor (roughing) 18:30: LV - Laberge, minor (roughing) 20:00: UTI - (PP) Juolevi, minor (holding)

3rd Period

8:50: LV - (PP) Willcox, minor (tripping) 12:46: LV - (PP) Friedman, minor (elbowing) 16:35: LV - (PP) Rubtsov, minor (hooking) 19:56: UTI - ENG Baertschi (7)

BOXSCORE

Utica Comets 1 - 2 - 1 = 4 Lehigh Valley  0 - 2 - 0 = 2

Shots

Utica Comets 8 - 6 - 6 = 20 Lehigh Valley  4 - 10 - 10 = 24

Goalies

UTI: Michael DiPietro (22 saves - 24 shots) LV: J-F Berube (17 saves - 20 shots)

Power Play

UTI: 0-for-3 LV: 0-for-2

Penalty Kill

UTI: 2-for-2 LV: 3-for-3