GAME STORY: Hershey - 2 at Lehigh Valley - 3 (2/13/22)

ALLENTOWN, Pa. - The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (17-18-8) grinded their way to a big 3-2 regulation win over the Hershey Bears Sunday afternoon to conclude a grueling three-games-in-three-days stretch on a positive note.

Special teams played a huge role in deciding the outcome of the game, as Hayden Hodgson tallied a power play goal in the 2nd period and the Phantoms went a perfect 4-for-4 on the penalty kill including two in the third period before Morgan Frost broke the 1-1 tie with 4:16 left in regulation. Cal O'Reilly added an empty net goal to go along with his assist on Hodgson's PPG, and Felix Sandstrom provided a strong effort in net (32 saves - 35 shots) in the Phantoms' win.

Lehigh Valley Phantoms Lineup Notes

Felix Sandstrom got the start in net for Lehigh Valley Sunday afternoon against Hershey. Kirill Ustimenko, who played valiantly in defeat Saturday night (32 saves - 35 shots), served as the team's backup.

Morgan Frost and Jackson Cates returned to the Phantoms' lineup up front, providing some fresher legs for a Phantoms' team playing its third game on the weekend.

Phantoms' Scratches: Samuel Ersson, Pat Nagle, Garrett Metcalf, Mason Millman, Linus Sandin, Brad Morrison, Nick Lappin, Ryan MacKinnon, Cam York and Tyson Foerster

Lines/Pairings:

Jackson Cates - Cal O'Reilly - Hayden Hodgson Garrett Wilson - Morgan Frost - Charlie Gerard Brennan Saulnier - Garman Rubtsov - Maksim Sushko Alex Kile - Matthew Strome - Alexis D'Aoust

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

Felix Sandstrom - Kirill Ustimenko

GAME RECAP

1st Period

The Phantoms got an early power play chance 3:25 into the contest after having gone through last night's game without a single man advantage opportunity. Unfortunately for the home team, they were unable to cash in.

A spirited bout between Brennan Saulnier and Nick Isaacson highlighted the opening period, as Saulnier quickly fed the Bears' forward some left-handed jabs before the two engaged in a grappling match.

While the opening half of the period was pretty evenly played, the Bears got to their game and started generating the majority of the chances and shots on net - getting the game's first goal late in the period after Marcus Vela re-directed a center-point shot from Macoy Erkamps with 6:33 left before the first intermission.

Hershey nearly made it 2-0 in the final three minutes of the period after Felix Sandstrom was caught way out of his net after his attempt to play a puck up the right-wing wall was intercepted. Sandstrom raced back to the net and slid into the crease as Shane Gersich missed/had his empty net attempt partially blocked as the puck sailed over the empty cage.

The shots on goal and chances were even in the first 10 minutes, but the Bears ended up with an 11-6 edge in shots as well as the 1-0 lead heading into the middle frame.

2nd Period

The Phantoms were assessed a slashing minor at the end of the first period, so began the middle frame on the PK.

After successfully killing off Adam Clendening's slashing minor, Lehigh Valley got a power play of their own - wasting no time in tally a man advantage goal to tie the game at 1-1.

Cal O'Reilly kept a play alive from the right-wing wall and got it to the center point for Clendening, who quickly shuffled it to the top of the left wing circle for a one-time blast from Hayden Hodgson wired to the top shelf for Hodgson's team-leading 13th of the season.

The middle frame was pretty evenly played from there, as the battle between two teams playing their third game in as many days.

Third Period

A scary start to the third period as Brennan Saulnier was clipped up high by Marcus Vela as he attempted to put a hit on the Bears' forward coming out of the corner in the Bears' defensive zone. Vela's stick caught Saulnier on the chin and dragged the Phantoms' forward awkwardly backward, whipping his head back and falling hard onto the ice - initially laying motionless on the ice before being helped off the ice by the Phantoms' trainer and his linemate German Rubtsov.

Somehow, it was Saulnier getting the lone penalty out of the collision - a minor for kneeing. Thankfully for the home team, they were able to kill off the penalty and keep the game tied at 1-1 to that point.

The teams traded power plays back and forth as the period wore on, with the Phantoms failing to convert in the middle of the period after Dylan McIlrath was tagged for slashing at the 8:15 mark.

Lehigh Valley needed a strong PK effort of their own with Charlie Gerard off for hooking with 7:00 left in regulation, and they were able to keep it a 1-1 game into the final five minutes of regulation.

That's when Morgan Frost played the role of hero, in his first game back this weekend after battling a non-COVID related virus that prevented him from being able to keep food down.

Gerard got a puck from Garrett Wilson, and from the right point flung one to the net where Frost was able to re-direct the puck from just inside the right-wing circle to give the Phantoms the lead with 4:16 left to play.

Bears goaltender Zach Fucale immediately went to the referees arguing the puck was played with a high-stick, but after a quick conference among the officials at the scorer's table it was deemed a good goal.

Cal O'Reilly added an empty net tally to seal the deal in the final 35 seconds of play, and it actually ended up being the game-winner as Hershey scored as time expired to complete the 3-2 final score.

GAME SUMMARY

1st Period

3:25: HER - (PP) Alexeyev, minor (holding) 8:09: LV - Saulnier, major (fighting) 8:09: HER - Isaacson, major (fighting) 10:00 LV - (PP) Wylie, minor (cross-checking) 13:27: HER - Vela (4) - Erkamps, Gersich 15:39: HER - (PP) Isaacson, minor (cross-checking) 20:00: LV - (PP) Clendening, minor (slashing)

2nd Period

3:37: HER - (PP) Vela, minor (slashing) 3:49: LV - Hodgson (13) - Clendening, O'Reilly

3rd Period

2:08: LV - (PP) Saulnier, minor (kneeing) 8:15: HER - (PP) McIlrath, minor (slashing) 13:00: LV - (PP) Gerard, minor (hooking) 15:44: LV - Frost (5) - Gerard, Wilson 19:35: LV - ENG O'Reilly (12) - Wylie 19:58: HER - Morelli (7) - Johansen, Vela

BOXSCORE

Hershey Bears 1 - 0 - 1 = 2 Lehigh Valley   0 - 1 - 2 = 3

Shots

Hershey Bears 11 - 10 - 14 = 35 Lehigh Valley   6 - 9 - 6 = 21

Goalies

HER: Zach Fucale (18 saves - 20 shots) LV: Felix Sandstrom (33 saves - 35 shots)

Power Play

HER: 0-for-4 LV: 1-for-4

Penalty Kill

HER: 3-for-4 LV: 4-for-4