GAME STORY: Cleveland - 2 at Lehigh Valley - 4 (12/11/21)

ALLENTOWN, Pa. - The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (4-11-5) snapped their eight-game winless skid on Teddy Bear Toss Night Saturday at PPL Center, defeating the Cleveland Monsters 4-2.

Gerry Mayhew opened the scoring 9:01 into the first period on the power play, sending the stuffed animals flying onto the ice in what was a strong start to the night for Lehigh Valley. Egor Zamula added a power play tally in the middle frame, before Adam Clendening and Maksim Sushko tallied goals 75 seconds apart in the third period to break a 2-2 tie.

Felix Sandstrom got the start in net, but was pulled after the first period due to what head coach Ian Laperriere termed as a "non COVID-related illness". Pat Nagle come on in relief and played spectacularly - stopping 21 of the 22 shots he faced to help his team earn the victory.

Lehigh Valley Phantoms Lineup Notes

Felix Sandstrom got the start in net for Lehigh Valley Saturday night against Cleveland. Jon Gillies was released from his PTO because the goaltender signed a one-year, two-way contract with the St. Louis Blues earlier this week. With Gillies gone and Samuel Ersson still on the mend from an undisclosed injury, Pat Nagle was promoted from Reading (ECHL) and served as Sandstrom's backup.

Max Willman was called back up to the Flyers, scoring his first career NHL goal Friday night in Philadelphia's 4-3 win in Vegas. In exchange, the Flyers assigned Connor Bunnaman to Lehigh Valley.

Wade Allison made his 2021-22 debut after sustaining a high-ankle sprain in training camp/preseason this fall.

Phantoms Scratches: Samuel Ersson, Cooper Zech, Linus Sandin, Brennan Saulnier and Tyson Foerster

Lines/Pairings:

Nick Lappin - Cal O'Reilly - Wade Allison Garrett Wilson - Connor Bunnaman - Gerry Mayhew Maksim Sushko - Matthew Strome - Hayden Hodgson Isaac Ratcliffe - German Rubtsov - Charlie Gerard

Cam York - Adam Clendening Egor Zamula - Wyatte Wylie Linus Hogberg - Logan Day

Felix Sandstrom - Pat Nagle

Cleveland Monsters Lineup Notes

Daniil Tarasov got the start for Cleveland Saturday night against Lehigh Valley. Former Phantoms' goalie J-F Berube served as Tarasov's backup.

Monsters Scratches: Jet Greaves, Giovanni Vallati, Dillon Simpson, Jake Gaudet, Tristan Mullin, Trey Fix-Wolansky

Tyler Sikura - Kevin Stenlund - Liam Foudy Cole Fonstad - Brendan Gaunce - Adam Helewka Tyler Angle - Justin Scott - Carson Meyer Brett Gallant - John Dunne - Cole Cassels

Scott Harrington - Thomas Schemitsch Tim Berni - Billy Sweezey Olivier LeBlanc - Cole Clayton

Daniil Tarasov - J-F Berube

GAME RECAP

1st Period

It was a pretty quiet opening six minutes for both teams as the Phantoms registered the lone shot on goal in a game that featured two teams playing against each other for the first time since the 2019-20 season. It certainly looked like two teams feeling each other out in the opening shifts of the contest.

Then, the Phantoms had an extended shift in the offensive zone and were able to generate a few scoring chances before drawing themselves the game's first power play.

It was a slow start to the ensuing man advantage, but Cam York made the most of a rush up ice in the waning moments of the Phantoms' power play - entering the offensive zone from the left wing and centering it for Wade Allison. Allison's shot was stopped, but Gerry Mayhew cleaned up the rebound past Monsters' goalie Daniil Tarasov to put Lehigh Valley ahead 1-0 with 10:59 left in the opening frame - leading to the Teddy Bear Toss as fans littered the PPL Center playing surface with stuffed animals in the team's annual event.

Lehigh Valley opened up an 11-1 edge in shots on goal as Tarasov stopped Charlie Gerard on a mini-breakaway attempt to keep the Monsters in a one-goal game with 8:36 left before the first intermission.

Cleveland responded late in the first period, getting some pressure on Phantoms goalie Felix Sandstrom and drawing themselves even with a power play tally of their own with 5:31 left before the first intermission. Cole Clayton got a pass from Kevin Stenlund at the center point, and fired a shot through a screen that eluded everyone on its way in. Josh Dunne added a secondary assist on Clayton's first

2nd Period

When the Phantoms came out onto the ice for the second period, they were without starting goaltender Felix Sandstrom. Pat Nagle came on in relief of Sandstrom to start the middle frame, and Sandstrom wasn't seen the rest of the evening.

Nagle was thrust into action and had to face a penalty shot 1:46 into the period, but was able to stop Carson Meyer's attempt to keep the game tied at 1-1.

There wasn't much to like in the opening half of the period for Lehigh Valley, who surrendered a Cleveland go-ahead goal at 9:46 after losing possession of the puck in the defensive zone. Tyler Sikura was able to get to the net and tap one in on a pass that came from behind the Phantoms' net and out in front.

Lehigh Valley didn't register a shot on goal in the opening 11:15 of the period, but Wade Allison was able to draw the Phantoms a power play with 8:08 left before the second intermission - giving the Phantoms some life as they looked to even up the game.

They did just that - tallying their second man advantage goal of the night to tie the game at 2-2 after some great work by Matt Strome on the powr play.

Strome won a puck battle down low in the corner and went cross-ice to the left point for Cal O'Reilly, who slid a puck to the center point for Egor Zamula. Zamula's point blast eluded Monsters' goalie Daniil Tarasov because of Strome, who, after making the pass to O'Reilly, beelined it for the net to screen the goaltender.

3rd Period

The Phantoms once again found themselves entering the third period in a tight game, looking to end their lengthy losing skid.

In games and weeks prior, this was the team's heel - close, tight games late in the contest.

Saturday night, it was the Phantoms emerging in the final frame to the tune of back-to-back goals 75 seconds apart to turn a 2-2 game into a 4-2 lead.

First, Strome started an odd man rush with Hayden Hodgson and Adam Clendening - later centering for Clendening in the slot for a quick shot past Tarasov 2:30 into the period.

On the next shift, Maksim Sushko stole a puck in the neutral zone and did the rest - taking it into the offensive zone and flinging one past Tarasov from the right-wing to extend the Phantoms' lead to 4-2 with 16:15 left in regulation.

That's all the Phantoms would need offensively, as the defense held on the rest of the way to preserve the 4-2 streak-snapping win.

GAME SUMMARY

1st Period

7:14: CLE - (PP) Foudy, minor (slashing) 9:01: LV - PPG Mayhew (8) - Allison, York 12:52: LV - (PP) Mayhew, minor (interference) 14:29: CLE - PPG Clayton (1) - Stenlund, Dunne 18:00: CLE - (PP) Meyer, minor (high-sticking)

2nd Period

0:39: CLE - (PP) Sweezey, minor (delay of game) 9:46: CLE - Sikura (6) - Schemitsch, Foudy 11:52: CLE - (PP) LeBlanc, minor (tripping) 12:33: LV - PPG Zamula (2) - O'Reilly, Strome

3rd Period

2:30: LV - Clendening (3) - Strome, Hodgson 3:45: LV - Sushko (2) - unassisted 12:10: LV - (PP) Zamula, minor (high-sticking) 18:57: CLE - (PP) bench minor, too many men (served by Angle)

BOXSCORE

Cleveland     1 - 1 - 0 = 2 Lehigh Valley  1 - 1 - 2 = 4

Shots

Cleveland     8 - 12 - 10 = 30 Lehigh Valley  16 - 7 - 8 = 31

Goalies

CLE: Daniil Tarasov (27 saves - 31 shots) LV: Felix Sandstrom (7 saves - 8 shots in 20:00) and Pat Nagle (21 saves - 22 shots in 40:00)

Power Play

CLE: 1-for-2 LV: 2-for-5

Penalty Kill

CLE: 3-for-5 LV: 1-for-2