GAME STORY: Springfield - 3 at Lehigh Valley - 1 (2/20/22)

ALLENTOWN, Pa. - The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (17-19-9) ran into a tough opponent for the second straight night as they hosted the Atlantic Division leading Springfield Thunderbirds. Though they kept it close on the scoreboard, it was a game for Lehigh Valley that never really felt as close as the one-goal game it appeared to be on the score sheet for a majority of the contest.

The Phantoms spent a majority of the game chasing the puck as the Thunderbirds dominated the puck possession game and subsequently offensive zone time.

Drew Callin, James Neal and Nathan Walker tallied goals for the Thunderbirds in the win, who got 24 saves on 25 shots from Charlie Lindgren to help Springfield preserve the two points.

Tanner Laczynski scored his first of the season in his second game of 2021-22, but it wasn't enough for Lehigh Valley. Kirill Ustimenko stopped 29 of 31 shots he faced in a losing effort.

Lehigh Valley Phantoms Lineup Notes

Kirill Ustimenko got the start in net for the Phantoms Sunday against Springfield. Garrett Metcalf served as Ustimenko's backup.

Felix Sandstrom (lower body) left in the first period Saturday night and did not return.

On defense, Linus Hogberg sat out with an undisclosed injury. Cooper Zech slid in on the back end with Wyatte Wylie to round out the blue line.

Adam Johnson made his Phantoms' debut, centering a line with Alex Kile and Jackson Cates.

Alexis D'Aoust took the warmup skate, but was the final scratch.

Phantoms Scratches: Samuel Ersson, Pat Nagle, Garrett Metcalf, Linus Hogberg, Linus Sandin, Brennan Saulnier, Nick Lappin, Alexis D'Aoust, Ryan MacKinnon and Tyson Foerster

Lines/Pairings:

Connor Bunnaman - Cal O'Reilly - Hayden Hodgson Garrett Wilson - Tanner Laczynski - Charlie Gerard Alex Kile - Adam Johnson - Jackson Cates German Rubtsov - Matthew Strome - Maksim Sushko

Egor Zamula - Adam Clendening Cam York - Logan Day Cooper Zech - Wyatte Wylie

Kirill Ustimenko - Garrett Metcalf

Springfield Thunderbirds Lineup Notes

Charlie Lindgren got the start in net for Springfield Sunday against the Phantoms. Joel Hofer served at the team's backup.

Thunderbirds Scratches: Mitchell Balmas, Griffin Luce, Tanner Kaspick and Nathan Todd

James Neal - Matthew Peca - Sam Anas Mackenzie MacEachern - Hugh McGing - Alexei Topochenko Nathan Walker - Nikita Alexandrov - Will Bitten Keean Waskurak - Drew Callin - Mathias Laferriere

Calle Rosen - Scott Perunovich Tyler Tucker - Steven Santini Tommy Cross - Josh Wesley

Charlie Lindgren - Joel Hofer

GAME RECAP

1st Period

There wasn't much to like in the first period for Lehigh Valley Sunday afternoon, especially after the opening few shifts.

They spent most of the period without the puck, and thus spent most of the period chasing the puck in the defensive zone. Turnovers at the defensive zone blue line nearly proved costly on multiple occasions.

Certainly not a recipe for success.

It wasn't the tail end of a three-in-three weekend, but it had that feel to it for Lehigh Valley for much of the opening period.

The Phantoms got themselves the game's first power play with 1:15 left before the end of the opening period, and Tanner Laczynski had a few chances in the final minute of the period - perhaps shifting momentum back toward their side as the period came to a close.

The game remained scoreless to the first intermission due in large part to the play of Kirill Ustimenko in net (10 saves).

2nd Period

Springfield continued to dominate possession and play in the middle frame, eventually breaking the scoreless tie after pouncing on a turnover from the Phantoms' defense.

Keean Waskurak started the play in transition after picking up a turnover in the neutral zone, getting it to Mathias Laferriere entering the offensive zone before the Thunderbirds' forward threw it to the net. Ustimenko made the initial stop, but the rebound darted out to Drew Callin on the backdoor for a quick lift past the Phantoms' netminder to give Springfield the 1-0 lead 4:11 into the second stanza.

The Phantoms managed just eight shots on goal through the opening half of regulation, due in large part to their inability to possess the puck.

Still, Lehigh Valley was able to tie the game with 9:18 left in the period after Thunderbirds defenseman Tyler Tucker inadvertently skated into the back of his own net wrapping a puck out from behind the goal line. The result was a hard flop to the ice and the puck being shoveled into the slot and right onto the tape of Laczynski's stick for a quick shot to the top shelf for Laczynski's first of the season in his second game of the season.

Lehigh Valley appeared to "even" things up on the scoreboard, but it certainly didn't feel like a 1-1 game going to the third despite the Phantoms having a little surge in momentum following Laczynski's game-tying marker.

Third Period

Laczynski had a dangerous chance early in the third that Thunderbirds netminder Charlie Lindgren had to be sharp on to keep out of the net. The Phantoms' forward was wasting no time in his return this weekend to keep his feet moving and create scoring chances with a degree of consistency not exhibited by his teammates Sunday afternoon.

Springfield broke the 1-1 tie toward the midway mark of the period, with James Neal firing a shot from just past the face-off dot in the left-wing circle that eluded Ustimenko with 11:35 left in regulation.

The Phantoms picked up the intensity as the period wore on, but never found an equalizer in the closing moments before Nathan Walker tacked on an empty netter to seal the deal in the Thunderbirds' 3-1 win.

GAME SUMMARY

1st Period

13:50: LV - (PP) Wylie, minor (hooking) 18:45: SPR - (PP) Cross, minor (tripping)

2nd Period

4:11: SPR - Callin (4) - Laferriere, Washkurak 10:42: LV - Laczynski (1) - Gerard

3rd Period

8:25: SPR - Neal (4) - Tucker, Anas 13:48: LV - (PP) Gerard, minor (slashing) 18:46: SPR - ENG Walker (18) - Bitten 19:41: SPR - (PP) Cross, minor (slashing)

BOXSCORE

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

Shots

Springfield  10 - 10 - 12 = 32 Lehigh Valley   5 - 11- 9 = 25

Goalies

SPR: Charlie Lindgren (24 saves - 25 shots) LV: Kirill Ustimenko (29 saves - 31 shots)

Power Play

SPR: 0-for-2 LV: 0-for-2

Penalty Kill

SPR: 2-for-2 LV: 2-for-2