GAMEDAY: Game 23 - Hershey (10-12-1) at Lehigh Valley (13-7-2) 7:15 p.m. ET
ALLENTOWN, PA -- The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (13-7-2) look to bounce back after a tough 5-1 loss Wednesday with a rivalry night matchup against Atlantic Division foe Hershey (10-12-1).
Lehigh Valley Phantoms Roster Notes
Carter Hart is expected to get the start in net for Lehigh Valley. Alex Lyon got the start in Wednesday's loss vs. Cleveland
Phil Varone was called up to Philadelphia prior to Friday night's game. The reigning AHL MVP was second in the league in scoring with 28 points upon his recall.
Phantoms' Lines (Starters in Bold/Italics)
Greg Carey - Connor Bunnaman - David Kase Chris Conner - Mike Vecchione - Nicolas Aube-Kubel Carsen Twarynski - Radel Fazleev - Tyrell Goulbourne Taylor Leier - Cole Bardreau - Colin McDonald
T.J. Brennan - Mark Friedman Philip Samuelsson - Phil MyersZach Palmquist - Reece Willcox
Carter Hart - Alex Lyon
Scratches: James de Haas, Mikhail Vorobyev (injured) and German Rubtsov (injury - out for season)
Hershey Bears Roster Notes
Forward Riley Barber was called up to Washington prior to Friday night's game
Bears' Lines (Starters in Bold/Italics)
Nathan Walker - Mike Sgarbossa - Steven WhitneyShane Gerisch - Jayson Megna - Jusso Ikonen Liam O'Brien - Garrett Pilon - Brian Pinho Beck Malenstyn - Hampus Gustafsson - Maximilian Kammerer
Aaron Ness - Ryan SproulTobias Geisser - Tyler Lewington Colby Williams - Connor Hobbs
Vitek Vanecek - Iyla Samsonov
Scratches: Kris Bindulis, Lucas Johansen, Jake Linhart and Mason Mitchell
GAME STORY
FIRST PERIOD
The Phantoms and Bears rekindled their rivalry in an evenly played first period Friday night that saw both teams' starting goalies - Carter Hart for Lehigh Valley, and Vitek Vanecek for Hershey - come ready to play. Both netminders faced a dozen shots and were dialed in.
A questionable high hit from Phantoms' forward David Kase drew the ire of the Bears when he clipped an unsuspecting Shane Gerisch up high and was called for a checking to the head minor penalty. Though only a two-minute penalty was called during the game, the checking to the head penalties are automatically reviewed by the league to determine if supplemental discipline is necessary.
It wasn't until after a Phantoms' power play with under three and a half minutes left before the first intermission, that the game's first goal was scored.
After buzzing on the man advantage but coming up empty, Greg Carey stole a puck from behind the net and got it in front for David Kase to one-time at the net-front. Vanecek made the initial stop, but Connor Bunnaman was first to the rebound atop the crease and able to shove the puck past the red line with 3:09 left in the first frame. Bunnaman's third of the season gave the Phantoms a 1-0 lead heading to the middle frame.
SECOND PERIOD
The evenly-played, back-and-forth style of play continued in the middle frame, which led with a spirited scrap between Nicolas Aube-Kubel and Colby Williams 2:22 into the period.
Not an overly entertaining period for either side, but a heads-up defensive play with 4:54 left before the second intermission helped the Phantoms keep the 1-0 lead heading to the third.
Hershey appeared to be in position to tie the game, with a puck in Hart's crease and the Phantoms' netminder down and unable to cover the loose puck. Phil Myers swooped in, and cleared the puck out of the crease - preventing a Hershey forward from tying the game. Myers took a delay of game penalty on the play, but the Phantoms killed it off and headed to the third period on top 1-0.
THIRD PERIOD
The theme of the third period for the Phantoms was missed opportunities.
Early in the final frame, Lehigh Valley had 54 seconds of five-on-three power play time to work with but were unable to generate much of anything - keeping the Bears in it in a one-goal game.
Again toward the middle of the period, the Phantoms had a glorious opportunity to extend their lead when Mike Sgarbossa was whistled for four minutes in penalties but again the Phantoms were unable to capitalize.
Instead, they leaned on Hart on their way to the 1-0 victory - Hart's first career pro shutout.
GAME SUMMARY
1st Period
7:57: LV - (PP) Kase, minor (check to the head) 13:40: HER - (PP) Geisser, minor (hooking) 16:51: LV - Bunnaman (3) - Kase, Carey
2nd Period
2:22: LV - Aube-Kubel, major (fighting) 2:22: HER - Williams, major (fighting) 15:06: LV - (PP) Myers, minor (delay of game)
3rd Period
5:15: HER - (PP) bench minor, too many men (served by Geisser) 6:21: HER - (PP) Sgarbossa, minor (delay of game - puck over glass) 11:41: HER - (PP) Sgarbossa, minor (slashing) 11:41: HER - (PP) Sgarbossa, minor (unsportsmanlike)
BOXSCORE
Hershey 0 - 0 - 0 = 0 Lehigh Valley 1 - 0 - 0 = 1
Shots
Hershey 12 - 7 - 7 = 26 Lehigh Valley 12 - 4 - 5 = 21
Goalies
HER: Vitek Vanecek (20 saves - 21 shots) LV: Carter Hart (26 saves - 26 shots)
Power Play
HER: 0-for-2 LV: 0-for-5
Penalty Kill
HER: 5-for-5 LV: 2-for-2
Attendance: 7,021
