GAMEDAY: Game 39 - Springfield (18-13-8) at Lehigh Valley (20-15-3)
ALLENTOWN, PA -- The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (20-15-3) look to get out the rut they're in - just one win in their last seven games - when they host the Springfield Thunderbirds (18-13-8) for the final time this regular season.
Lehigh Valley Phantoms Roster Notes
Alex Lyon remained the team's starting goalie, after starting last Friday and Saturday and also coming on in relief of Branden Komm Sunday in Hershey.
T.J. Brennan is missing tonight's game due to illness. James de Haas filled in for Brennan alongside Mark Friedman.
Alex Krushelnyski returned to the Phantoms' lineup after sitting out Sunday's game in Hershey. Mike Huntebrinker was a healthy forward scratch to make room for Krushelnyski.
Lines for Phantoms (Starters in Bold/Italics)
Greg Carey - Connor Bunnaman - Nicolas Aube-KubelCarsen Twarynski - Mike Vecchione - Chris Conner Taylor Leier - Mikhail Vorobyev - Colin McDonald Tyrell Goulbourne - Steven Swavely - Alex Krushelnyski
James de Haas - Mark Friedman Philip Samuelsson - Phil MyersZach Palmquist - Reece Willcox
Alex Lyon - Branden Komm
Scratches: Cole Bardreau (injured), German Rubtsov (injured - out for season), Mike Huntebrinker (healthy), David Kase (injured) and T.J. Brennan (illness)
GAME STORY
FIRST PERIOD
All in all, it was a pretty solid start to the contest for the Phantoms. They rattled off the first five shots on goal in the hockey game in the opening seven minutes and change. Some of their near-misses were actually their best chances of the opening minutes.
Connor Bunnaman, from the top of the right-wing circle, fired a hard pass down low to the left side for Greg Carey cutting to the net and the puck skipped on the ice and went over Carey's stick into the corner. If that pass connects, it's almost undoubtedly a 1-0 Phantoms lead.
Later in the period, a puck from behind the net came out in front for Alex Krushelnyski but his attempt to pick the top right corner of Sam Montembeault's net just missed the mark - slamming off the back glass behind the Thunderbirds' net.
The Phantoms got rewarded for their good start, finally, near the midway mark of the period.
Great hustling play by Taylor Leier to get in on a forecheck and steal a puck off a Springfield defender in the high-slot before taking it to the net and beating Montembeault for his 10th goal of the season. Somehow, Mikhail Vorobyev and Phil Myers picked up assists on the play.
All four lines were going strong for Lehigh Valley in the opening frame. Late in the period, the fourth line of Tyrell Goulbourne, Steven Swavely and Alex Krushelnyski had an extended shift in the offensive zone - cycling the puck around and getting looks in front. Can't ask for much more there.
Just before the first intermission, the Phantoms got the game's first power play after Leier was tripped up in the corner of the offensive zone. It began with a blocked point shot and subsequent shorthanded breakaway from former Flyers/Phantoms forward Harry Zolnierczyk. Luckily for Lehigh Valley, Harry Z's shot missed the net.
Still, a lot to like in the opening 20 minutes from the Phantoms' perspective.
SECOND PERIOD
The goals started to come for the Phantoms in the middle frame, as they kept their foot on the proverbial gas in the middle frame.
Connor Bunnaman and Mike Vecchione scored goals 1:18 apart in the opening 6:32 of the middle frame to extend the Phantoms' lead to 3-0.
First, Reece Willcox went down low to Greg Carey for a quick shot that Bunnaman was able to re-direct past Montembeault at the net front. Then, a give-and-go between Willcox and Mike Vecchione resulted in Vecchione's 10th tally of the season.
That spelled the end for Samuel Montembeault, who was pulled from action after allowing three goals on 16 shots in 26:32 of game action. Chris Driedger came on in relief.
A fight between Tyrell Goulbourne and Josh Brown a little over a minute after Vecchione's goal made it 3-0 seemingly shifted the momentum a little bit in favor of the Thunderbirds, who got a power play as a result of Goulbourne removing his own helmet during the scrap. That's an AHL-rule, for those unaware.
After putting up just four shots in the first frame, Springfield got 11 on Lyon's net in the middle frame - most of which came in the final 12 minutes of the period. The Thunderbirds were able to get on the board on Jacob MacDonald's ninth of the season, but the Phantoms took the 3-1 lead into the third.
THIRD PERIOD
Down 3-1, the Thunderbirds pressured in the third period much as you'd expect a team down two goals in the third period would - out shooting the Phantoms 12-6 in the final frame.
However, Alex Lyon stood tall in net and the Phantoms' defense was able to clear away rebounds and loose pucks to prevent Springfield from mounting a comeback on the way to their first regulation win of the 2019 calendar year.
GAME SUMMARY
1st Period
9:22: LV - Leier (10) - Vorobyev, Myers 19:16: SPR - (PP) Wideman, minor (tripping)
2nd Period
2:34: LV - (PP) Friedman, minor (holding) 5:14: LV - Bunnaman (10) - Carey, Willcox 6:32: LV - Vecchione (10) - Willcox, Twarynski 7:44: LV - Goulbourne, major (fighting) 7:44: LV - (PP) Goulbourne, minor (unsportsmanlike) 7:44: SPR - Brown, major (fighting)
3rd Period
0:41: LV - (PP) Aube-Kubel, minor (slashing) 4:55: SPR - (PP) Brown, minor (interference) 14:33: SPR - (PP) Wideman, minor (hooking) 19:42: SPR - (PP) Hunt, minor (high-sticking)
BOXSCORE
Springfield 0 - 1 - 0 = 1 Lehigh Valley 1 - 2 - 0 = 3
Shots
Springfield 4 - 11 - 12 = 27 Lehigh Valley 10 - 13 - 6 = 29
Goalies
SPR: Sam Montembeault (13 saves - 16 shots in 26:32) and Chris Driedger (13 saves - 13 shots in 31:23) LV: Alex Lyon (26 saves - 27 shots)
Power Play
LV: 0-for-4 SPR: 0-for-3
Penalty Kill
LV: 3-for-3 SPR: 4-for-4
Attendance: 5,743
