GAME STORY: Lehigh Valley - 4 at Rochester - 5 SO (11/19/21)

ROCHESTER, New York - The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (3-8-4) had a strong second period and took a 3-2 lead to the third period, but were unable to come away with the win in what ultimately ended up a 5-4 loss decided by way of a shootout to the Rochester Americans (8-5-0) Friday night in western New York.

Morgan Frost (one goal, two assists) had a strong night offensively for Lehigh Valley and created tons of scoring chances, setting up the team's opening goal in the first period by Garrett Wilson, scoring a second period power play goal of his own that started the Phantoms' surge in that frame and also setting up a late game-tying third period goal from Gerry Mayhew.

Brett Murray had two goals for Rochester, while Linus Weissbach and J.J. Peterka also tallied goals in regulation for the Americans in the win.

Phantoms' forward German Rubtsov left in the first period and did not return.

The Phantoms quickly head overnight to Toronto for a 4 p.m. ET Saturday afternoon matchup against the Toronto Marlies.

Lehigh Valley Phantoms Roster Notes

Felix Sandstrom got the start in net Friday night in Rochester, with veteran Pat Nagle serving as the team's backup.

With Max Willman called up to Philadelphia, Charlie Gerard slid into the lineup to make his Phantoms' debut.

Phantoms Scratches: Samuel Ersson, Mason Millman (lower body), Linus Sandin (upper body), Wyatte Wylie (upper body), Ryan MacKinnon, Hayden Hodgson & Tyson Foerster (upper body)

Isaac Ratcliffe - Cal O'Reilly - Connor Bunnaman Garrett Wilson - Morgan Frost - Gerry Mayhew Maksim Sushko - German Rubtsov - Brennan Saulnier Charlie Gerard - Matthew Strome - Jackson Cates

Cam York - Egor Zamula Cooper Zech - Logan Day Linus Hogberg - Adam Clendening

Felix Sandstrom - Pat Nagle

GAME RECAP

1st Period

The Phantoms had a pair of chances on the opening shift, but later took a penalty when Isaac Ratcliffe accidentally flipped a puck out of play from just inside the blue line in the defensive zone.

Rochester cashed in on the ensuing man advantage, with 2020-8th overall selection Jack Quinn on the half-wall setting up Oskari Laaksonen at the center point for a shot that changed directions a few times in front of Felix Sandstrom before Brett Murray tucked it in for his fourth of the season.

Just over five minutes later, a miscommunication between Brennan Saulnier and Egor Zamula - or a misplayed puck at the right point - led to Linus Weissbach scoring an unassisted breakaway goal to put Rochester ahead 2-0 with 12:26 left in the first frame.

Lehigh Valley responded just past the midway mark of the period, with Cooper Zech getting a puck down low to Morgan Frost and Frost finding Garrett Wilson in the slot for a knee-drop one-timer to the net that got past Americans' goaltender Michael Houser. Wilson's third goal of the season and Frost's 10th point in his last nine games cut the Phantoms' deficit in half.

The teams traded power plays with some brief 4-on-4 action in between, but neither team was able to add to their goal total. Rochester took a tripping minor in the final minute of the period, giving the Phantoms 1:29 of carryover power play time to begin the middle frame.

Despite trailing 2-1 at the first intermission, the Phantoms outshot Rochester 10-7 in the opening 20 minutes of play.

2nd Period

The middle frame was all Phantoms.

They out-shot Rochester 19-4 and tallied two goals 12 seconds apart to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead.

Lehigh Valley didn't score on the carryover power play time to begin the middle frame, but they got another crack on the man advantage 3:02 into the period and made the most of it.

Frost weaved his way into the offensive zone and fired a puck behind the net, where Wilson got it back up top for Cam York and Logan Day. Day fed Frost at the left point, and Frost skated to the top of the circle before picking the corner glove-side on Houser to tie the game at 2-2.

On the next shift, and just 12 seconds later, Connor Bunnaman cleaned up a loose puck atop of the crease to put the Phantoms up 3-2. Adam Clendening kept a puck in at the right point, and fired one toward the net. Houser made the initial stop but Bunnaman got to the loose puck and put the rebound in.

From there, the Phantoms continued to dominate play - racking up the shots and chances shift after shift. Frost, and his linemates Wilson and Gerry Mayhew, were particularly strong throughout the period.

Felix Sandstrom didn't face a ton of shots in the opening 40 minutes of play, but came up big on a 2-on-1 with just over nine and a half minutes left in the period and with the Phantoms ahead 3-2, to keep the game in Lehigh Valley's favor heading to the third.

3rd Period

Mayhew drew the Phantoms a power play on the opening shift of the third, though Lehigh Valley was unable to add an insurance marker on the ensuing power play.

Rochester started to pressure as the third period wore on, though neither team was able generate much in the way of shots on goal in the opening half of the period.

The Americans continued to gain momentum in the middle of the period, and climbed back into the game on Murray's second goal of the game with 7:03 left in regulation to tie things up at 3-3. Murray followed up his own shot and put the rebound in past the stick-side on Felix Sandstrom.

The Amerks continued to put shots on net and took the lead with 3:26 left to play as a bouncing puck came out to the side of the net where JJ Peterka was able to tuck it inside the post.

Lehigh Valley pulled Sandstrom for the extra attacker and forced overtime when Frost's shot from the center point was later put in at the net front by Mayhew with 1:27 left in regulation.

Overtime

The Phantoms had a glorious opportunity to win it in OT after Sean Malone was whistled for boarding Frost with 2:05 left to play in the 3-on-3. Lehigh Valley had their chances on the power play, setting up Frost at the left circle with open ice on several occasions, but unable to find a game-winner so the game was decided in the shootout.

Shootout

Rochester's Jack Quinn opened the shootout with a silky smooth move that drew Sandstrom to the right side of his crease before Quinn flipped it back against the grain and tapped the puck into the net.

Sandstrom stopped Jankowski in the top half of the second round, but JJ Peterka sealed the deal and the win for Rochester on his shootout goal in the third round.

Mayhew and Frost were both stopped on their opportunities for Lehigh Valley.

GAME SUMMARY

1st Period

1:46: LV - (PP) Ratcliffe, minor (delay of game) 2:17: ROC - PPG Murray (4) - Laaksonen, Malone 7:34: ROC - Weissbach (4) - unassisted 10:33: LV - Wilson (3) - Frost(11), Zech(2)14:46: LV - (PP) bench minor, too many men (served by Strome) 15:13: ROC - (PP) Krebs, minor (high-sticking) 19:29: ROC - (PP) Pekar, minor (tripping)

2nd Period

3:02: ROC - (PP) bench minor, too many men (served by Peterka) 4:01: LV - PPG Frost (2) - Day(3), York(4)4:13: LV - Bunnaman (1) - Clendening(6)

3rd Period

0:25: ROC - (PP) Fitzgerald, minor (holding) 12:57: ROC - Murray (5) - Quinn, Samuelsson 16:34: ROC - Peterka (4) - Prow, Teves 17:38: ROC - Peterka, minor (roughing) 17:38: LV - Hogberg, minor (roughing) 18:33: LV - Mayhew (7) - *Frost(12), Zamula(7)

Overtime

2:55: ROC - (PP) Malone, minor (boarding)

Shootout

ROC

Quinn - GOAL Jankowski - no goal Peterka - GOAL

LV

Mayhew - no goal Frost - no goal

BOXSCORE

Lehigh Valley   1 - 2 - 1 - 0 - 0 = 4 Rochester  2 - 0 - 2 - 0 - 1 = 5

Shots

Lehigh Valley   10 - 19 - 3 - 0 = 32 Rochester  7 - 4 - 10 - 2 = 24

Goalies

LV: Felix Sandstrom (19 saves - 23 shots) ROC: Michael Houser (28 saves - 32 shots)

Power Play

LV: 1-for-5 ROC: 1-for-2

Penalty Kill

LV: 1-for-2 ROC: 4-for-5