GAME STORY: Lehigh Valley - 3 at Providence - 6 (11/12/21)

PROVIDENCE, RI - The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (3-7-2) finished their four-game road trip on a sour note, dropping a 6-3 decision at the Dunkin Donuts Center to the Providence Bruins.

Zach Senyshyn (hat trick, assist) and Steven Fogarty (one goal, one assist) paced the PBruins' attack, while Jon Gillies stopped 31 of 34 shots he faced.

Garrett Wilson (one goal, one assist) had a Gordie Howe Hat Trick, while Gerry Mayhew tallied his team-leading sixth of the season and Brennan Saulnier scored his first of the season for the Phantoms. Kirill Ustimenko stopped 21 of the 25 shots he faced, but Felix Sandstrom came on in relief in the third period - stopping 13 of 14.

Lehigh Valley Phantoms Roster Notes

Kirill Ustimenko got the start in net for Lehigh Valley Friday night in Providence. Felix Sandstrom, who had started the past five games for the Phantoms, served as Ustimenko's backup.

Phantoms Scratches: Samuel Ersson, Adam Clendening, Mason Millman, Jackson Cates, Linus Sandin, Wyatte Wylie and Tyson Foerster

Lines/Pairings:

Max Willman - Cal O'Reilly - Connor Bunnaman Garrett Wilson - Morgan Frost - Gerry Mayhew Maksim Sushko - German Rubtsov - Hayden Hodgson Isaac Ratcliffe - Matthew Strome - Brennan Saulnier

Cam York - Logan Day Egor Zamula - Cooper Zech Linus Hogberg - Ryan MacKinnon

Kirill Ustimenko - Felix Sandstrom

GAME RECAP

1st Period

It was all Providence to begin the contest, aided by three power plays in the opening 13 minutes of play.

The PBruins took a 1-0 lead on an early power play goal after Phantoms' goalie Kirill Ustimenko tried to send a puck from behind his net around the left-wing boards. The puck was knocked down in the corner and quickly sent in front where Matt Filipe was able to sneak one past a sliding Ustimenko 2:49 into the period.

Ustimenko was a little shaky playing the puck in the opening minutes, as he misplayed a puck behind his net six minutes into the period and Gerry Mayhew was forced to cross-check a PBruins forward in front to prevent him from getting an opportunity to shoot the puck into a mostly empty net.

The Phantoms were able to kill off Mayhew's minor, but a few minutes later Morgan Frost was forced into a tripping call after he failed to keep a puck in at the right point and Jack Studnicka stole a puck and was heading the other way on a would-be breakaway.

Providence cashed in on the ensuing power play to extend their lead to 2-0 with 7:03 left in the period on what was their 16th credited shot of the period.

Lehigh Valley got a power play of their own on the next shift, but only managed a single shot on goal during the two minutes and headed to the first intermission trailing 2-0 on the scoreboard and 17-6 on the shot clock.

2nd Period

The Phantoms were much better to start the middle frame, jumping out to a 7-3 edge in shots in the opening minutes and getting a goal from Garrett Wilson to cut the 2-0 deficit in half 4:27 into the period.

Egor Zamula was able to keep a puck in along the left wing boards, and sent one toward the net that Wilson was able to re-direct past PBruins' goalie Jon Gillies for his second goal of the season.

Lehigh Valley got a power play and looked poised to tie the game, but instead a shorthanded goal from Zach Senyshyn saw Providence restore their two-goal lead.

Ustimenko left a puck for Cam York, who had a PBruins penalty killer on his back. York turned the puck over in the corner and Steven Fogarty fed Senyshyn in front for the shorthanded tally.

While the Phantoms were getting the better of the chances in the period, it was Senyshyn later tallying his second of the period to put Providence up 4-1 with 5:11 left before the second intermission.

Lehigh Valley got one back at 16:04 when Wilson won a race to a puck behind the PBruins' net and quickly fed it in front to an open Gerry Mayhew for his team-leading 6th of the season. Morgan Frost added a secondary assist on the goal, but the Phantoms still found themselves down by two goals heading to the third.

3rd Period

Felix Sandstrom took over for Ustimenko in the third period, and Providence extended their lead to 5-2 in the first minute as Jack Studnicka tallied his second of the season.

Lehigh Valley pressured in the final eight minutes, with the fourth line forcing a turnover on a forecheck. Isaac Ratcliffe stopped a breakout and Matthew Strome picked up the puck in the right-wing circle, feeding it to Brennan Saulnier for a quick shot that beat Gillies to the short side.

But that's as close as the Phantoms would get.

Senyshyn completed the hat trick and the 6-3 final score in favor of the Bruins, tallying an empty netter with 1:41 left to play.

Things got heated throughout the game, and Hayden Hodgson got into a fight in the final seconds after he connected up high on a PBruins forward in the neutral zone. Nick Wolff dropped his gloves to stick up for his teammate. It was the fourth fight of the contest.

GAME SUMMARY

1st Period

0:55: LV - (PP) Bunnaman, minor (high-sticking) 2:49: PRO - PPG Filipe (1) - Asselin, Senyshyn 6:15: LV - (PP) Mayhew, minor (cross-checking) 6:15: LV - Wilson, major (fighting) 6:15: PRO - Lewington, major (fighting) 11:26: LV - (PP) Frost, minor (tripping) 12:57: PRO - PPG Fogarty (4) - Vaakanainen, Achan 13:58: PRO - (PP) Filipe, minor (high-sticking)

2nd Period

3:06: LV - Saulnier, major (fighting) 3:06: LV - Saulnier, minor (unsportsmanlike) 3:06: PRO - McKinnon, major (fighting) 3:06: PRO - McKinnon, minor (unsportsmanlike) 4:27: LV - Wilson (2) - Zamula 4:51: LV - Sushko, major (fighting) 4:51: PRO - (PP) Wolff, minor (instigating) 4:51: PRO - Wolff, major (fighting) 5:55: PRO - SHG Senyshyn (2) - Fogarty 8:33: PRO - (PP) Vaakanainen, minor (slashing) 14:49: PRO - Senyshyn (3) - Froden 16:04: LV - Mayhew (6) - Wilson, Frost 17:25: PRO - (PP) Achan, minor (elbowing)

3rd Period

0:51: PRO - Studnicka (2) - Lyle, Lauko 1:58: LV - (PP) MacKinnon, minor (tripping) 12:43: LV - Saulnier (1) - Strome 18:19: PRO - ENG Senyshyn (4) - Froden 19:35: LV - Hodgson, major (fighting) 19:35: PRO - (PP) Wolff, minor (instigating) 19:35: PRO - Wolff, major (fighting) 19:35: PRO - McKinnon, ten-minute misconduct

BOXSCORE

Lehigh Valley   0 - 2 - 1 = 3 Providence  2 - 2 - 2 = 6

Shots

Lehigh Valley   6 - 15 - 13 = 34 Providence  17 - 8 - 15 = 40

Goalies

LV: Kirill Ustimenko (21 saves - 25 shots in 40:00) and Felix Sandstrom (13 saves - 14 shots) PRO: Jon Gillies (31 saves - 34 shots)

Power Play

LV: 0-for-5 PRO: 2-for-4

Penalty Kill

LV: 2-for-4 PRO: 5-for-5