GAME STORY: Lehigh Valley - 3 at Hartford - 1 (12/17/21)

HARTFORD, CT - The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (6-11-5) made it three wins in a row Friday night in Hartford, taking care of the Atlantic Division's leader in regulation by a 3-1 count after a pair of greasy goals in the second period paved the way.

Anthony Greco tallied a power play goal early in the second period to give Hartford a 1-0 lead, but the Phantoms responded with a goal of their own shortly thereafter on a redirect in front by Hayden Hodgson to tie things up at 1-1 before Connor Bunnaman scored off the rush late in the second period to put the Phantoms ahead for good.

Lehigh Valley stuck with the gameplan in the third period, and attacked Hartford in the final 20 rather than shelling up and playing conservatively. They limited Hartford to just four shots on goal in the final frame before getting an empty net tally from Maksim Sushko to complete the 3-1 final score.

Lehigh Valley Phantoms Lineup Notes

Pat Nagle got the start in net Friday night for Lehigh Valley in Hartford. Samuel Ersson, who had been out of action since an October game in Utica, dressed and served as Nagle's backup.

With Jackson Cates called up to Philadelphia during the week, Brennan Saulnier returned to the Phantoms' lineup up front as the only change from last weekend's games.

Phantoms Scratches: Felix Sandstrom, Kirill Ustimenko, Cooper Zech, Mason Millman, Linus Sandin, Nick Lappin and Tyson Foerster

Lines/Pairings:

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

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

Pat Nagle - Samuel Ersson

GAME RECAP

1st Period

Hartford had some early jump in their step on the opening few shifts of the hockey game, but were unable to create much in terms of shots on goal or scoring chances.

Lehigh Valley was a little more aggressive with their puck possession in the offensive zone, using several cross-ice passes on the breakouts and off-the-rush to open things up a bit.

Still, the teams went scoreless in the opening half of the period with just five total shots on goal credited to the two teams.

The Phantoms' new-look top line of Maksim Sushko, Cal O'Reilly and Wade Allison had the best chances of the period for the visiting team. Early in the period, Sushko was stopped by Wolf Pack goalie Adam Huska. Later in the period, Huska came up big on O'Reilly in front to keep the game scoreless into the final five minutes of the period.

Phantoms' netminder Pat Nagle wasn't tested much in the first frame, but he came up strong with a glove stop on Morgan Barron in the final minute of the period to keep the game scoreless. In fact, Nagle stopped Barron one more time before the period came to an end.

2nd Period

For as quiet as the first frame was, the second period started off with a bang.

Maksim Sushko took a hooking minor on the opening shift of the middle frame, sending the Phantoms to the game's first penalty kill.

Hartford cashed in on the ensuing power play, with Lauri Pajuniemi getting the puck into the left-wing circle for a quick shot from Anthony Greco that beat Nagle high to the blocker side. Greco's 6th of the season 1:49 into the period gave the Wolf Pack a brief 1-0 lead.

The Wolf Pack lead was brief because Lehigh Valley responded on the next shift with a goal of their own to tie things up at 1-1.

Isaac Ratcliffe stole a puck on a forecheck and got it cross-ice to Cal O'Reilly, who turned and fired a puck toward the net that Hayden Hodgson was able to redirect past Huska from atop the crease. Hodgson's fourth of the season came just 61 seconds afte Greco's power play tally.

Lehigh Valley had a glorious opportunity to break the 1-1 tie near the midway mark of the period after Hartford forward PC Labrie was whistled for two minor penalties - elbowing and unsportsmanlike - giving the Phantoms a 4-minute power play chance. Unfortunately, they were unable to convert.

After killing off the second Sushko hooking minor of the period, the Phantoms got a big go-ahead goal from Connor Bunnaman with 2:04 left before the second intermission to put Lehigh Valley up 2-1 heading to the third period.

Gerry Mayhew got a pass ahead to Logan Day at the right wing, and Day hit a trailing Bunnaman atop the left-wing circle for a quick shot through the five-hole of Huska for Bunnaman's second goal of the season.

3rd Period

Entering the third period leading by a goal, the Phantoms kept their foot on the gas - grabbing themselves an early power play.

Though they didn't score on the man advantage, they generated plenty of chances and kept momentum on their side - preventing Hartford from getting to the attack.

In fact, the Phantoms put on a defensive clinic in the third - out shooting the Wolf Pack by a 15-4 margin before adding an empty net insurance goal with two minutes left to play after Maksim Sushko stole a puck at the defensive zone blue line and cleared one into the net.

The big story in the third period was that of forward Wade Allison leaving the game with six and a half minutes left after coming up hurting after a check he delievered on a Hartford forward along the team benches in the middle of the period. He missed a shift with his regular linemates, returned for a shift and then later exited the game. He did not return and his status moving forward is uncertain.

GAME SUMMARY

1st Period

No scoring/penalties

2nd Period

0:14: LV - (PP) Sushko, minor (hooking) 1:49: HFD - PPG Greco (6) - Pajuniemi, Fritz 2:48: LV - Hodgson (4) - O'Reilly, Ratcliffe 7:29: HFD - (PP) Labrie, minor (elbowing) 7:29: HFD - (PP) Labrie, minor (unsportsmanlike) 7:29: HFD - Labrie, ten-minute misconduct 13:59: LV - (PP) Sushko, minor (hooking) 17:56: LV - Bunnaman (2) - Day, Mayhew

3rd Period

3:50: HFD - (PP) Brodzinski, minor (slashing) 18:00: LV - ENG Sushko (3) - unassisted

BOXSCORE

Lehigh Valley   0 - 2 - 1 = 3 Hartford   0 - 1 - 0 = 1

Shots

Lehigh Valley   5 - 12 - 15 = 32 Hartford   8 - 12 - 4 = 24

Goalies

LV: Pat Nagle (23 saves - 24 shots) HFD: Adam Huska (29 saves - 31 shots)

Power Play

LV: 0-for-3 HFD: 1-for-2

Penalty Kill

LV: 1-for-2 HFD: 3-for-3