GAME STORY: Charlotte - 5 at Lehigh Valley - 3 (12/3/21)

ALLENTOWN, Pa. - The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (3-11-5) once again got off to a solid start, taking a 1-0 lead into the middle frame Friday night against the Charlotte Checkers (9-9-2). The story of the night - and ultimately of the first quarter of the 2021-22 season - for the Phantoms is that they haven't been able to sustain and maintain their early leads and build them into wins.

A back-and-forth game went in favor of the Checkers to the tune of a 5-3 final score, extending the Phantoms' winless skid to a season-high eight games.

Adam Clendening gave the Phantoms a 1-0 lead in the final minute of the first period, Nick Lappin's first as a member of the Phantoms tied the game at 2-2 midway through the second period and Garrett Wilson's fourth of the season tied the game at 3-3 in the third for Lehigh Valley in a losing effort. Felix Sandstrom stopped 24 of the 28 shots he faced in defeat.

Logan Hutsko and Henry Bowlby tallied second period goals for the Checkers, while Cale Fleury, Cole Schwindt and Zac Dalpe (EN) tallied goals in the third period. Evan Fitzpatrick stopped 25 of the 28 shots he faced to pick up his first win of the season.

Lehigh Valley Phantoms Lineup Notes

Felix Sandstrom got the start in net for Lehigh Valley Friday night, while Jon Gillies served as the team's backup goaltender.

Forwards Connor Bunnaman and Max Willman were called back up to Philadelphia prior to Friday night's game.

Forward Nick Master was released from his PTO.

Wade Allison, who Flyers' GM Chuck Fletcher said earlier this week was a possibility for tonight's game, was not in the Phantoms' lineup.

Phantoms Scratches: Samuel Ersson, Mason Millman, Wade Allison, Linus Sandin, Westin Michaud, Ryan MacKinnon, Cam York and Tyson Foerster

Lines/Pairings:

Brennan Saulnier - Cal O'Reilly - Gerry Mayhew Garrett Wilson - Jackson Cates - Charlie Gerard Maksim Sushko - German Rubtsov - Hayden Hodgson Isaac Ratcliffe - Matthew Strome - Nick Lappin

Egor Zamula - Adam Clendening Cooper Zech - Wyatte Wylie Linus Hogberg - Logan Day

Felix Sandstrom - Jon Gillies

Charlotte Checkers Lineup Notes

Evan Fitzpatrick got the start in net for Charlotte Friday night in Allentown. Antoine Bibeau served as the Checkers' backup goaltender.

Olli Juolevi was reassigned to Charlotte from the Florida Panthers on a conditioning loan.

Checkers Scratches: Christopher Gibson, Max McCormick, John Ludvig, Liam Pecararo and Frank Hora

Lines/Pairings:

Scott Wilson - Alexander True - Logan Hutsko Carsen Twarynski - Zac Dalpe- Serron Noel Henry Bowlby - Cole Schwindt - Grigori Denisenko Ryan Lohin - Luke Henman - Max Zimmer

Gustav Olofsson - Cale Fleury Olli Juolevi - Chase Priskie Max Gildon - Connor Carrick

Evan Fitzpatrick - Antoine Bibeau

GAME RECAP

1st Period

A pair of early penalties on Charlotte put Lehigh Valley on an extended five-on-three power play.

Egor Zamula hit the far post to begin the two-man advantage, and then Gerry Mayhew hit the near side post seconds later on a one-timer from the left-wing circle.

As the first penalty expired, Matthew Strome centered one for Isaac Ratcliffe, whose net-front bid was denied by Checkers' netminder Evan Fitzpatrick.

The chances were there for the Phantoms, but they were unable to get one past Fitzpatrick despite an early 8-2 edge in shots on goal in the opening 7:45 of play.

The pace of play was almost non-existent in the middle part of the period as the two teams traded icing calls, offsides whistles and some shots from the outside corralled by the two goaltenders.

Charlotte started to generate some chances, and shots on goal, as the period wore on. One of their more dangerous chances came as Phantoms' netminder Felix Sandstrom made a left skate save to keep the game scoreless with less than five minutes left before the first intermission.

Moments later, former Phantoms/Flyers forward Carsen Twarynski hit the post on a 2-on-1 bid in the waning moments of the period.

A seemingly harmless icing by the Checkers in the final minute of the period proved deadly for Charlotte as the Phantoms were able to score off of the ensuing offensive zone face-off to take a 1-0 lead into the middle frame.

Cal O'Reilly won the face-off back to Egor Zamula, who slid the puck across to the right point for Adam Clendening. Clendening's shot through traffic eluded the Checkers' netminder to put Lehigh Valley on the board first.

2nd Period

Charlotte didn't have to wait long to tie the game up at 1-1. In fact, they scored on the opening shift of the middle frame to even the score.

Alexander True fired a shot on net from the left wing, and while Sandstrom was able to stop that and a rebound attempt from Scott Wilson in the slot, a third attempt in front from Logan Hutsko hit paydirt 22 seconds into the second period.

The Checkers held a heavy shots edge to open the period, at one point 7-2  in favor of the Checkers in opening six minutes of the middle frame.

The Phantoms did themselves no favors as the period continued, putting themselves shorthanded at 6:40 after an offensive zone holding minor was assessed to Isaac Ratcliffe on a forecheck dump-in.

Credit Sandstrom with several stellar saves during the Phantoms' penalty kill to keep the game tied at 1-1, but Charlotte continued to force the issue and spent more time on the attack after Ratcliffe's penalty expired - racking up a 14-2 edge in shots on goal in the period before taking a 2-1 lead with 10:38 left. Henry Bowlby was credited with a deflection goal on a re-direct of an Olli Juolevi shot to give the Checkers their first lead of the game.

Lehigh Valley responded, arguably when they needed to most - at least at that point in the contest.

It was the Phantoms' fourth line of Isaac Ratcliffe, Matthew Strome and newcomer Nick Lappin doing the dirty work in the offensive zone, forcing a turnover and later converting on it to tie the game at 2-2.

Lappin was stoned by Fitzpatrick on his first chance, but Strome got the rebound and sent it back to him at the left side of the net for a quick snipe to the short-side top shelf for his first with the Phantoms. Ratcliffe added a secondary assist on the play.

The Phantoms' tying goal seemed to stymie the Checkers' momentum they had been building most of the period.

Hayden Hodgson was tripped entering the offensive zone in the final minute and a half of the period, giving Lehigh Valley a late power play opportunity with a chance to take the lead back.

3rd Period

The Phantoms didn't convert on the carryover power play time to begin the third, but nearly took the lead shortly after it expired on a late-developing 2-on-1 with Maksim Sushko and German Rubtsov. Sushko got the pass across to Rubtsov, but it was partially tipped by a Checkers' defender in front and handcuffed Rubtsov at the far-side post.

Lehigh Valley was much better to start the third period than they were to start the middle frame, nearly taking the lead after a spinning pass from Gerry Mayhew connected on to the tape of Rubtsov's stick in the slot.

Rubtsov's bid at the net was stopped, and Charlotte took the puck up ice and later scored to take the 3-2 lead themselves with 15:24 left in regulation. Ex-Phantoms/Flyers forward Carsen Twarynski got a puck back to Cale Fleury at the right point for a shot that eluded Sandstrom.

It looked like it was going to be another miserable final period for the Phantoms, but an aggressive forecheck from Garrett Wilson changed the game with 8:39 left in regulation.

Linus Hogberg dumped a puck into the offensive zone, and Wilson was first to the loose puck behind the net. The Phantoms' alternate captain attemped to center the puck in front for Charlie Gerard, but his pass got caught up in the back of the Checkers goalies' legs before it eventually crossed the goal line to tie the game up at 3-3 with under nine minutes left to play.

Charlotte came up with a big play of their own moments later to regain their one-goal lead, as Cole Schwindt re-directed a shot from the center point by Connor Carrick past Sandstrom to give the Checkers the 4-3 lead with 5:16 left to play.

Lehigh Valley appeared to tie it back up with 2:28 left as Cooper Zech sprung Charlie Gerard on a breakaway from the blue line, but Gerard's shot hit the bottom of the crossbar and somehow stayed out of the net. The play was reviewed and the no-goal call on the ice stood.

The Phantoms pulled Sandstrom for the extra attacker, but Checkers' captain Zac Dalpe hit the empty net in the final minute to complete the 5-3 final score.

GAME SUMMARY

1st Period

4:51: CHA - (PP) Dalpe, minor (boarding) 5:12: CHA - (PP) Olofsson, minor (delay of game) 19:09: LV - Clendening (2) - Zamula(8), O'Reilly(4)

2nd Period

0:22: CHA - Hutsko (5) - Wilson, True 6:40: LV - (PP) Ratcliffe, minor (holding) 9:22: CHA - Bowlby (2) - Juolevi, Carrick 10:56: LV - Lappin (1) - Strome(2), Ratcliffe(3)13:36: LV - (PP) Wilson, minor (high-sticking) 18:38: CHA - (PP) Priskie, minor (tripping)

3rd Period

4:36: CHA - Fleury (2) - Twarynski, Noel 11:21: LV - Wilson (4) - Hogberg(3)14:44: CHA - Schwindt (8) - Carrick, Denisenko

BOXSCORE

Charlotte     0 - 2 - 3 = 5 Lehigh Valley  1 - 1 - 1 = 3

Shots

Charlotte     7 - 16 - 6 = 29 Lehigh Valley  13 - 9 - 4  = 28

Goalies

CHA: Evan Fitzpatrick (25 saves - 28 shots) LV: Felix Sandstrom (24 saves - 28 shots)

Power Play

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

Penalty Kill

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