GAME STORY: Providence - 5 at Lehigh Valley - 3 (3/2/22)

ALLENTOWN, Pa - The Lehigh Valley Phantoms played well enough to win heading into the third period in a 3-3 game, but at the end of the day were unable to capitalize on their chances while their opponent - the Providence Bruins - made the most of their opportunities in the final frame on their way to a 5-3 win on a weird Wednesday night affair at PPL Center.

Providence scored on their first - and only - two shots on goal in the opening eight minutes of the game to open up a 2-0 lead, but the Phantoms were arguably the better team in the opening 40 - getting a goal from Cam York in the tail end of the first frame and tallies on back-to-back shifts from Hayden Hodgson and Matt Strome early in the second period to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead.

The PBruins responded by tallying three unanswered goals - one in the second period to tie the game back up at 3-3 and two more in the third on their way to securing two points in the Atlantic Division standings.

Lehigh Valley returns to game action this weekend with a pair of home games against Charlotte on back-to-back nights beginning Friday.

Lehigh Valley Phantoms Lineup Notes

Pat Nagle got the start in net for Lehigh Valley Wednesday night against the Bruins, coming off a strong performance in the Phantoms' last game Saturday night in Cleveland.

Defenseman Ryan MacKinnon was loaned to Reading (ECHL), while goaltender Garrett Metcalf was released from his PTO.

Morgan Frost, loaned to Phantoms by Philadelphia this week, was in Lehigh Valley's lineup. Adam Johnson also returned up front for Lehigh Valley.

Alexis D'Aoust stayed in the Phantoms lineup, with Brennan Saulnier and Nick Lappin ending up being the odd men out.

Phantoms Scratches: Sam Ersson, Felix Sandstrom, Cooper Zech, German Rubtsov, Linus Sandin, Brennan Saulnier, Nick Lappin, Alex Kile & Tyson Foerster

Lines/Pairings

Connor Bunnaman - Cal O'Reilly - Charlie Gerard Garrett Wilson - Morgan Frost - Hayden Hodgson Adam Johnson - Tanner Lazynski - Alexis D'Aoust Maksim Sushko - Matt Strome - Jackson Cates

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

Pat Nagle - Kirill Ustimenko

GAME RECAP

1st Period

Things started off well enough for Lehigh Valley.

They were awarded a power play in the opening minute of the contest after Chris Wagner was whistled for a holding the stick penalty in the neutral zone.

After failing to convert on the ensuing man advantage, Zach Senyshyn was able to sneak behind the Phantoms' defense in the neutral zone and catch a home run pass from Matt Filipe - scoring on a breakaway to give Providence a 1-0 lead 5:32 into the period on their first registered shot of the hockey game.

In fact, the PBruins went another two and a half minutes without a shot on net before their next chance - and wouldn't you know they were able to make it 2-0 on their second shot of the hockey game.

A PBruins forward appeared to inadvertently trip up Wyatte Wylie down low - sending the Phantoms' defensemen face first into the corner boards. Steven Fogarty muscled a loose puck from the corner to the net front before pushing one past Phantoms goalie Pat Nagle to extend the PBruins' lead to 2-0 with 11:28 left before the first intermission.

Lehigh Valley cut the deficit in half before the opening period came to a close, thanks to a snipe from Cam York.

Maksim Sushko got a puck back to the right point for Wylie, who slid it across the top of the circle for York before the Flyers' 2020-1st round pick sniped one bar down from the left-wing face-off dot for his second AHL goal this season.

2nd Period

Things got weird, but in a good way for the Phantoms, to begin in the middle frame.

After a strong stretch pass on a breakout from Tanner Laczynski connected at the far blue line for Adam Johnson, Johnson slid a puck behind the PBruins defense to Alexis D'Aoust. PBruins goaltender Troy Grosenick made the save - and got the rebound attempt - despite being clipped by D'Aoust's skate and having his leg twist unfavorably during the sequence.

Play was stopped, and Grosenick was later able to regain his footing before removing himself from the game with 16:19 left in the period.

PBruins backup Kyle Keyser entered the game, and the Phantoms scored on back-to-back shifts -  converting two of their first three shots toward Keyser - to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead in a matter of 64 seconds.

First, Garrett Wilson stole a puck along the left-wing wall on a forecheck before sending it to the inside of the circle for a quick spinning shot from Hayden Hodgson for his team-leading 16th of the season.

On the next shift, Adam Clendening got a puck back to Egor Zamula at the left point for a hard shot that was rebounded in past Keyser by Matthew Strome. It marked Strome's third tally of the season.

The Phantoms' lead was short-lived, however, as the PBruins evened the game up at 3-3 with York in the box for delay of game. Senyshyn deflected a Viktor Berglund shot past Phantoms' netminder Pat Nagle.

The middle frame saw some 4-on-4 hockey in the final 2:18 after Clendening and PBruins forward Jack Studnicka engaged during a scrum in the Phantoms' defensive zone. The two were given matching minors for roughing, but Studnicka was also assessed a ten-minute misconduct - causing one of the PBRuins' top forwards to have to miss half of the third period.

Third Period

There was no shortage of things happening in the opening minutes of the third period, which began with a big hit from Hodgson on the opening shift. Hodgson came flying into the Phantoms' offensive zone, delivering a hard hit along the boards on defenseman Blake Hillman who was slow to get up initially after the collision.

PBruins captain Josiah Didier immediately challenged Hodgson to drop the gloves, and the Phantoms forward manhandled the PBruins captain in a spirited bout in the opening minute of the period.

Unfortunately for Lehigh Valley, Hodgson was assessed a major for interference and a game misconduct for the hit on Hillman, and Providence scored eight seconds into the 5-minute power play to take back the lead, at 4-3.

Later in the period, and on back-to-back shifts, York blocked a shot off the side of his face and one of the referees took a puck where you never want to get hit.

The Phantoms pressured in most of the second half of the period, but were unable to find an equalizer. They pulled Nagle for the extra attacker in the waning moments, but yielded an empty net goal against to complete the 5-3 final score.

GAME SUMMARY

1st Period

0:58: PRO - (PP) Wagner, minor (holding the stick) 5:32: PRO - Senyshyn (15) - Filipe, Fogarty 8:02: PRO - Fogarty (9) - Hughes, Ness 17:16: LV - York (2) - Wylie, Sushko 19:43: LV - (PP) York, minor (hooking)

2nd Period

5:30: LV - Hodgson (16) - Wilson 6:34: LV - Strome (3) - Zamula, Clendening 7:16: LV - (PP) York, minor (delay of game) 9:05: PRO - PPG Senyshyn (16) - Berglund, Asselin 12:30: PRO - (PP) Lewington, minor (holding) 17:42: LV - Clendening, minor (roughing) 17:42: PRO - Studnicka, minor (cross-checking) 17:42: PRO - Studnicka, ten-minute misconduct (unsportsmanlike)

3rd Period

0:29: LV - (PP) Hodgson, major (interference) 0:29 LV - Hodgson, major (fighting) 0:29: LV - Hodgson, game misconduct 0:29: PRO - Didier, major (fighting) 0:38: PRO - PPG Brazeau (10) - Steen, Fogarty 1:43: PRO - Ness, minor (tripping) 19:16: PRO - ENG Koppanen (10) - Wagner, Lewington

BOXSCORE

Providence  2 - 1 - 2 = 5 Lehigh Valley   1 - 2 - 0 = 3

Shots

Providence  6 - 7 - 7 = 20 Lehigh Valley  8 - 7 - 9 = 24

Goalies

PRO: Troy Grosenick (9 saves - 10 shots in 23:41) and Kyle Keyser (12 saves - 14 shots in 35:36) LV: Pat Nagle (15 saves - 19 shots)

Power Play

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

Penalty Kill

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