GAME STORY: Hershey - 2 at Lehigh Valley - 6 (3/24/21)

ALLENTOWN, Pa. - The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (8-3-2) had a strong first period, but had nothing to show for it before allowing four goals in a span of 5:49 in the middle frame on their way to a 6-2 loss to in-state rival Hershey (9-4-2) Wednesday night on home ice at PPL Center.

### Lehigh Valley Phantoms Roster Notes

The Flyers assigned goalie Alex Lyon to Lehigh Valley in advance of Wednesday night's game, and Lyon got the start in net for the Phantoms. Zane McIntyre served as Lyon's backup, with Felix Sandstrom reassigned to the Flyers' taxi squad in Lyon's stead.

Chris Bigras returned from a lower body injury he suffered back on February 10th. Sam Morin also re-joined the blue line, leaving rookies Mason Millman and Linus Hogberg as the odd men out on the back end.

Up front, Garrett Wilson returned to the lineup after a one-game absence last time out Sunday against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Wilson took Maksim Sushko's spot on the left wing.

Lines/Pairings:

Ryan Fitzgerald - Cal O'Reilly - Zayde Wisdom Isaac Ratcliffe - Chris Mueller - Linus Sandin Max Willman - Tanner Laczynski - Wade Allison Garrett Wilson - David Kase - Tyson Foerster

Tyler Wotherspoon - Derrick Pouliot Egor Zamula - Logan Day Sam Morin - Chris Bigras

Alex Lyon - Zane McIntyre

Phantoms' Scratches: Eamon McAdam, Linus Hogberg, Tanner MacMaster, Mason Millman, Maksim Sushko, Matthew Strome, Ralph Cuddemi, Brennan Saulnier, Wyatte Wylie and Pascal Laberge

Hershey Bears Roster Notes

Lines/Pairings

Joe Snively - Connor McMichael - Brett Leason Matt Moulson - Philippe Maillet - Brian Pinho Axel Jonsson-Fjallby - Shane Gerisch - Kody Clark Kale Kessy - Riley Sutter - Damien Riat

Martin Fehervary - Paul LaDue Eddie Wittchow - Cameron Schilling Rob O'Gara - Will Graber

Pheonix Copley - Zach Fucale

GAME RECAP

1st Period

Name of the game in the first period for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms was missed opportunities and quite literally a game of inches.

The Phantoms controlled large portions of play in the opening 20 minutes - aided by three power play chances spread throughout the stanza - but were unable to get one past Bears' goalie Pheonix Copley.

At least twice in the first frame, the Phantoms beat Copley but caught iron. Logan Day caught the crossbar on a backdoor play on one of the three aforementioned power plays. Ryan Fitzgerald might've hit the short side post on a chance from below the right-wing circle. Wade Allison blasted one off the post on a one-timer that appeared to have beaten Copley clean, only for the frustrating PING to be heard and signify a no-goal.

Lehigh Valley even had a penalty shot attempt - their first of the season - after Egor Zamula was tripped from behind on a breakaway attempt with 8:41 left in the opening period. Zamula tried to change direction and aim to the far side, but missed to the blocker side on his attempt with the puck slamming off the back glass.

In the final seconds of the period, the Phantoms again nearly got on the board after an Isaac Ratcliffe shot from the right-wing wall wasn't corralled by the Bears' goalie and Chris Mueller nearly converted on his rebound wrap-around attempt. Linus Sandin and Ratcliffe crashed the net, but were unable to jam the loose puck home.

2nd Period

It was a bit more evenly played in the middle frame, at least to start, as the teams traded power plays in the opening half of the period.

Garrett Wilson made a strong move to the net on a 1-on-1, drawing a holding minor and sending the Phantoms to, at that point, their fourth power play of the contest. Unfortunately for the Phantoms, an errant pass across the top of the offensive zone just inside the blue line was quickly transitioned by the Bears - with Shane Gerisch opening the scoring shorthanded on a rebound tap in of a Martin Fehervary shot just past the midway mark of regulation.

From there, things went astray for Lehigh Valley.

First, Hershey appeared to have touched the puck with a high stick at the net front just before it trickled into the net past Alex Lyon. The officials gathered at center ice to discuss, but the goal stood and was credited not to Bears' captain Matt Moulson at the net front, but Paul LaDue - the shooter from the right point. The puck definitely hit something on its way in, but the referees deemed it deflected off of the Phantoms' defender next to Moulson at the netfront.

Things just went from bad to worse, as Hershey blew the game open with four total goals in a span of 5:49 to put the Phantoms in a 4-0 hole in a game that they had seemingly dominated up until Gerisch's shorthanded tally.

Ryan Fitzgerald scored with 1.1 seconds left in the period to break the shutout, but the Phantoms headed to the third trailing 4-1.

3rd Period

The Phantoms have been notorious for third period comebacks this season, and are seemingly never truly out of a game.

But Wednesday against Hershey, the Bears were ready for the final frame - extending their lead to 5-1 in the opening five minutes and preventing the Phantoms from getting any momentum from their late goal in the middle frame.

Lehigh Valley was able to get to within three on a power play deflection goal from Zayde Wisdom, his team-leading seventh goal of the season, but that's as close as the Phantoms would get.

Head coach Scott Gordon elected to pull Alex Lyon in favor of the extra attacker starting with an offensive zone face-off with 5:40 left.

Hershey hit the empty net in the final minute of play to complete the 6-2 final score.

GAME SUMMARY

1st Period

3:48: HER - (PP) Wittchow, minor (holding) 9:47: HER - (PP) Kessy, minor (roughing) 11:19: HER - Wittchow, tripping from behind - penalty shot 14:59: HER - (PP) Moulson, minor (slashing)

2nd Period

3:11: LV - (PP) Kase, minor (interference) 8:49: HER - (PP) Graber, minor (holding) 10:18: HER - SHG Gerisch (2) - Fehervary 11:06: HER - Ladue (2) - Maillet, Kessy 13:15: LV - (PP) Wotherspoon, minor (high-sticking) 13:40: HER - Snively (4) - Maillet, McMichael 14:36: HER - Kessy, major (fighting) 14:36: LV - Wilson, major (fighting) 16:07: HER - Pinho (1) - Maillet, O'Gara 18:24: HER - (PP) Clark, minor (holding) 19:58: LV - Fitzgerald (6) - Pouliot, O'Reilly

3rd Period

4:16: HER - Moulson (4) - Maillet, O'Gara 6:09: HER - (PP) Wittchow, minor (holding) 7:17: LV - PPG Wisdom (7) - Pouliot, Foerster 9:36: LV - (PP) Pouliot, minor (interference) 19:33: HER - ENG Pinho (2) - Jonsson-Fjallby, Maillet

BOXSCORE

Hershey Bears  0 - 4 - 2 = 6 Lehigh Valley   0 - 1 - 1 = 2

Shots

Hershey Bears  3 - 9 - 5 = 17 Lehigh Valley   10 - 11 - 8 = 29

Goalies

HER: Pheonix Copley (27 saves - 29 shots) LV: Alex Lyon (11 saves - 16 shots)

Power Play

HER: 1-for-3 LV: 2-for-6

Penalty Kill

HER: 4-for-6 LV: 2-for-3