GAMEDAY: Game 24 - Cleveland (12-9-3) at Lehigh Valley (14-7-2)
ALLENTOWN, PA -- The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (14-7-2) look to avenge Wednesday night's 5-1 drubbing to Cleveland with a Saturday night rematch against the Monsters (12-9-3) on Teddy Bear Toss night at the PPL Center.
Lehigh Valley Phantoms Roster Notes
Alex Lyon got the start in net following Carter Hart's first career pro shutout (26 saves) on Friday night against Hershey.
David Kase did not take the warmups, and it's expected he will be suspended following his hit in the first period on Hershey's Shane Gerisch. Kase was whistled for a checking to the head minor on the play, which is automatically reviewed by the league for supplemental discipline.
With no extra forwards, the Phantoms had to dress a lineup of seven defenseman and 11 forwards for tonight's game.
Phantoms' Lines (Starters in Bold/Italics)
Greg Carey - Connor Bunnaman - xxxxxxxxxxx Chris Conner - Mike Vecchione - Nicolas Aube-Kubel Taylor Leier - Cole Bardreau - Colin McDonaldTyrell Goulbourne - Radel Fazleev - Carsen Twarynski
T.J. Brennan - Mark Friedman Philip Samuelsson - Phil MyersZach Palmquist - Reece Willcox James de Haas
Alex Lyon - Carter Hart
GAME STORY
FIRST PERIOD
There seemed to be a little extra energy in the building Saturday night for the rematch of Wednesday night's tilt between the Phantoms and Monsters. Whether it be Teddy Bear Toss night energy or wanting to avenge a 5-1 loss, the home team came ready to play.
After Sonny Milano was whistled for tripping, the Phantoms' new-look power play went to work. Monsters' goaltender J-F Berube came up big with a diving stop on Greg Carey, but Lehigh Valley maintained possession in the offensive zone and Carey's rebound ended up at the point for T.J. Brennan. Brennan's shot was tipped past Berube by Connor Bunnaman, with his second goal in as many nights to give the Phantoms a 1-0 lead and sending the stuffed animals to the PPL Center ice.
Only about a 12-minute delay to clean up the ice off all the stuffed toys and get back to playing hockey. Unfortunately for Lehigh Valley, it didn't seem like they carried the momentum of their goal any further.
The Phantoms seemed content to pack it in tight in the defensive zone and allow shots from the outside freely. In total, Alex Lyon faced 20 shots in the opening 20 minutes.
It wasn't until Nicolas Aube-Kubel was whistled for an extra minor penalty during his fight with Tommy Cross that Cleveland was able to solve Lyon and tie the game up at 1-1. Nathan Gerbe's fourth of the season from Adam Clendening and Mark Letestu sent the two teams to the first intermission knotted at one.
Just when you thought you had seen it all, the PPL Center hosted it's first-ever on ice wedding during the first intermission. Phantoms executive vice president Chris Porrecca officiated the on-ice ceremony. Congratulations to Jeff and Amy Kosh!
SECOND PERIOD
The Phantoms' defensive zone strategy of playing in tight and guarding the slot allowed Cleveland to freely pass around the perimeter and shoot from the outside. An unfortunate bounce off of Zach Palmquist on a point shot from Blake Siebenaler gave the Monsters a 2-1 lead 7:36 into the period on an extended shift in the Phantoms' defensive zone.
Monsters' goaltender J-F Berube wasn't facing a ton of shots, but he had to make some big time stops to keep his team ahead - notably a left-pad save on a Nicolas Aube-Kubel breakaway late in the middle frame when the game was 2-1 in favor Cleveland. Moments later, Chris Conner beat Berube but the puck went through the crease from Berube's left to right and out the other side of the crease instead of going into the net and tying the game back up.
It wasn't quite as much of a shooting gallery in the middle frame for the Monsters like it was in the opening 20 minutes - in fact the Phantoms out shot Cleveland 13-9 in the period - but they held a 29-21 shots edge and took the one-goal lead to the third period.
THIRD PERIOD
The Phantoms were granted an early period power play, but were unsuccessful in their attempt to tie the game back up at 2-2.
Instead, it was Cleveland capitalizing on a power play of their own moments later and extending their lead to 3-1. On another Monsters goal that began with a shot from the outside, Nathan Gerbe picked up his second of the night as the rebound of Paul Bittner's shot came right to him at the side of the net for an easy tap in past Lyon to give Cleveland a two-goal lead.
Lehigh Valley drew back within a goal when Colin McDonald followed up his own shot and put the rebound past Berube with the Phantoms on the power play in the middle of the period. Unfortunately for the home team, they were never able to tie the game back up.
Cleveland went back up by two goals with 5:10 left in regulation when Mark Letestu sniped Lyon for his 9th of the season - giving the Monsters a 4-2 lead they never looked back on before leaving the PPL Center with another two points.
GAME SUMMARY
1st Period
3:36: CLE - (PP) Milano, minor (tripping) 4:06: LV - PPG Bunnaman (4) - Carey, Brennan 12:06: CLE - Cross, major (fighting) 12:06: LV - Aube-Kubel, major (fighting) 12:06: LV - (PP) Aube-Kubel, minor (roughing) 12:16: CLE - Gerbe (4) - Clendening, Letestu 19:26: LV - Vecchione, minor (roughing) 19:26: CLE - Sherwood, minor (roughing)
2nd Period
7:36: CLE - Siebenaler (1) - Cross, Abramov 13:55: LV - (PP) Myers, minor (cross-checking)
3rd Period
2:17: CLE - (PP) Letestu, minor (tripping) 6:44: LV - (PP) Willcox, minor (slashing) 8:14: CLE - PPG Gerbe (5) - Bitner, Clendening 8:43: CLE - (PP) MacInnis, minor (holding) 10:19: LV - PPG McDonald (2) - Vecchione, Aube-Kubel 12:01: CLE - (PP) Clendening, minor (holding) 13:03: LV - (PP) Conner, minor (interference) 15:10: CLE - Letestu (9) - Milano, Cross
BOXSCORE
Cleveland 1 - 1 - 2 = 4 Lehigh Valley 1 - 0 - 1 = 2
Shots
Cleveland 20 - 9 - 12 = 41 Lehigh Valley 8 - 13 - 13 = 34
Goalies
CLE: J-F Berube (32 saves - 34 shots) LV: Alex Lyon (37 saves - 41 shots)
Power Play
CLE: 2-for-4 LV: 2-for-4
Penalty Kill
CLE: 2-for-4 LV: 2-for-4
Attendance: 8,482
