GAMEDAY: Game 15 - Lehigh Valley (8-4-2) at Providence (5-7-2) 7:05 p.m. ET
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PROVIDENCE, RI - The Lehigh Valley Phantoms, fresh off their mid-week win over Charlotte, are back on the road in the northeast this weekend beginning with a Friday night matchup in Providence against a struggling Bruins team (5-7-2) that enters tonight in last place in the Atlantic Division.
Lehigh Valley Phantoms Roster Notes
With Alex Lyon again recalled by Philadelphia (injury to Brian Elliott), Carter Hart and Anthony Stolarz will be the tandem in net for Lehigh Valley for at least the next two weeks during Elliott's expected injury absence.
Tyrell Goulbourne will serve the final game of his two-game suspension tonight. He'll be available to the Phantoms Saturday in Springfield, Mass.
Phantoms' Lines (from Wednesday's game vs. Charlotte)
Greg Carey - Phil Varone - Cole Bardreau Carsen Twarynski - Mike Vecchione - Chris Conner Taylor Leier - Mikhail Vorobyev - Colin McDonald Connor Bunnaman - German Rubtsov - David Kase
T.J. Brennan - Mark Friedman Philip Samuelsson - Phil Myers Zach Palmquist - Reece Willcox
Carter Hart - Anthony Stolarz
Scratches: James de Haas, Tyrell Goulbourne and Radel Fazleev
GAME STORY
FIRST PERIOD
It was a less-than-desired start for the Phantoms Friday night in Providence.
In the opening minutes, a defensive zone turnover by Phil Myers resulted in the game's first goal as Ryan Fitzgerald picked up the puck and fed Cameron Hughes for a quick shot past Carter Hart to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead just 2:00 into the contest.
Lehigh Valley was having trouble getting in on the attack in the opening half of the period, with their best chance in the opening ten minutes coming on a Reece Willcox rush into the zone that resulted in a slick deke from the stay-at-home defender and shot from the slot on Bruins' goaltender Dan Vladar.
Providence extended their lead to 2-0 with a goal off the rush with 11:29 left in the first frame.
On a 3-on-2 rush through the neutral zone, T.J. Brennan lost his footing on an attempted poke check - turning the 3-on-2 into a 2-on-1 and allowing Colby Cave to hit Wiley Sherman at the back door for an easy tap in past Hart. The goal marked Sherman's first career AHL goal, and a 2-0 Bruins' lead.
Carter Hart's night ended after Cave's fanned shot somehow eluded the Phantoms' goaltender 13:01 into the first period, extending the Phantoms' deficit to 3-0.
Nothing seemed to be going right for Lehigh Valley, and Scott Gordon elected to make the change in net right then and there to try to turn the tides and send a wakeup call to his team - which I'm sure continued during the first intermission in the Phantoms' team dressing room.
Enter Anthony Stolarz.
The Phantoms got on the scoreboard late in the opening period - with Connor Bunnaman finishing up a third chance opportunity after Colin McDonald's rebound bid was stopped - but the Bruins scored on the shift after Bunnaman's goal to send the Phantoms to the locker room at the first intermission down 4-1.
SECOND PERIOD
It was a much better start for the Phantoms in the middle frame, which began with Lehigh Valley on a five-on-three power play on some carry over minors from the first period.
The Phantoms didn't hesitate to cash in, with Phil Varone feeding Chris Conner for a power play tally just 12 seconds into the period to cut the deficit to 4-2. Greg Carey added a second assist on the play.
From there, it was the penalty kill coming up big for Lehigh Valley - killing off a Carsen Twarynski double-minor for high-sticking and maintaining their momentum before drawing a pair of power plays of their own after Twarynski's penalty had expired.
Lehigh Valley wasn't able to cash in on the man advantage in the middle of the period, but they made it a one-goal game anyway with 8:57 left in the middle frame. Twarynski got a puck back to the point for Philip Samuelsson, whose shot was tipped past Bruins goaltender Dan Vladar by Varone to make it a 4-3 Phantoms' deficit.
Penalties again slowed the Phantoms' attack late in the period, with Samuelsson and Friedman taking back-to-back penalties in the final 4:57 of play before the two teams headed to the second intermission in a one-goal game.
THIRD PERIOD
A strange sequence on the Phantoms' game-tying goal 4:55 into the third period.
Carsen Twarynski at full steam ahead retrieved a pass from Mike Vecchione entering the net front and went hard to the net - plowing into Bruins goalie Dan Vladar. The puck went in the net, and the referee in perfect position behind the net confirmed a good goal despite the goalie being contacted on the play.
To make things even stranger, the goal stood after a quick conference among the officials and a two-minute goalie interference minor was assessed to Twarynski. I'm told Tom Wilson accomplished this same feat two nights ago in his first game back from a 14-game suspension.
Lehigh Valley killed off the Twarynski minor and missed on a power play chance of their own near the middle of the period before getting another crack at a power play after Ryan Donato was whistled for a delay of game penalty.
On the power play, Vladar stopped a Vecchione shot but the rebound darted into the bottom of the left-wing circle where Phil Myers was in position to slam home the rebound to give the Phantoms their first lead of the night with 4:57 left to play in regulation.
Providence upped their attack and fired plenty of pucks Stolarz's way, but the Phantoms' goalie stood tall and Lehigh Valley escaped with an epic comeback victory.
GAME SUMMARY
1st Period
2:00: PRO - Hughes (5) - Fitzgerald, Cehlarik 8:31: PRO - Sherman (1) - Cave 13:01: PRO - Cave (6) - Johansson, Goloubef 15:09: LV - Conner, minor (hooking) 15:09: PRO - Fyten, minor (high-sticking) 17:33: LV - Bunnaman (2) - McDonald, Vorobyev 18:34: PRO - Kuhlman (1) - unassisted 19:16: PRO - (PP) Szwarz, minor (slashing) 19:53: PRO - (PP) Goloubef, minor (roughing)
2nd Period
0:12: LV - PPG Conner (7) - Varone, Carey 2:53: LV - (PP) Twarynski, double-minor (high-sticking) 6:45: PRO - (PP) Bergin, minor (interference) 8:09: PRO - (PP) Sherman, minor (tripping) 14:13: LV - (PP) Samuelsson, minor (slashing) 17:47: LV - (PP) Friedman, minor (interference)
3rd Period
4:55: LV - Twarynski (1) - Willcox, Vecchione 4:55: LV - (PP) Twarynski, minor (goaltender interference) 8:45: PRO - (PP) Sherman, minor (interference) 13:29: PRO - (PP) Donato, minor (delay of game) 15:03: LV - PPG Myers (4) - Vecchione, Palmquist 18:21: LV - Friedman, minor (roughing) 18:21: PRO - Cave, minor (roughing)
BOXSCORE
Lehigh Valley 1 - 2 - 2 = 5 Providence 4 - 0 - 0 = 4
Shots
Lehigh Valley 6 - 7 - 13 = 26 Providence 12 - 9 - 12 = 33
Goalies
LV: Carter Hart (4 saves - 7 shots in 13:01) and Anthony Stolarz (24 saves - 25 shots in 46:55) PRO: Dan Vladar (21 saves - 26 shots)
Power Play
LV: 2-for-6 PRO: 0-for-5
Penalty Kill
LV: 5-for-5 PRO: 4-for-6
Attendance: 7,259
