GAMEDAY: Game 42 - Lehigh Valley (22-15-4) at W-B/Scranton (19-18-5)
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WILKES-BARRE, PA -- The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (22-15-4) continue their busy stretch of games with a Monday afternoon road tilt against Atlantic Division rival Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (19-18-4). Puck drop is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. ET.
Lehigh Valley Phantoms Roster Notes
Anthony Stolarz is expected to get the start in net for the Phantoms this afternoon in Wilkes-Barre.
Defenseman Frank Hora was recalled from Reading (ECHL) and forward Josh MacDonald signed a professional tryout contract (PTO) to join the Phantoms for Monday's game.
Several forwards missed significant time in the third period of Saturday's shootout win over Springfield. According to stat-tracking guru Brad Keffer, Mikhail Vorobyev, Tyrell Goulbourne and Alex Krushelnyski missed shifts with their regular linemates in the third period. How much of that was due to those guys being banged up versus the amount of line shuffling that seven penalty kills bunched together provides remains to be seen until the team takes the ice for warmups.
Phantoms' Lines (Starters in Bold/Italics)
Mike Huntebrinker - Mike Vecchione - Chris Conner Justin Bailey - Steven Swavely - Colin McDonald Carsen Twarynski - Connor Bunnaman - Alex Krushelnyski Josh MacDonald & Frank Hora
Philip Samuelsson - Phil Myers Zach Palmquist - Reece Willcox James de Haas - Mark Friedman
Anthony Stolarz (Backup: Alex Lyon)
Scratches: Cole Bardreau (injured), Greg Carey (injured), Tyrell Goulbourne (injured), Mikhail Vorobyev (injured), Nicolas Aube-Kubel (injured), German Rubtsov (out for season), David Kase (injured) and T.J. Brennan (illness)
GAME STORY
FIRST PERIOD
The Phantoms weathered the storm well in the first period despite fielding a lineup of 10 forwards and seven defensemen - one short of a full 18-skater lineup.
Steven Swavely and Justin Bailey fired shots on Tristan Jarry in the opening shift of the hockey game, but from there it was largely a dump and chase with short shifts type of first period for Lehigh Valley.
Anthony Stolarz made some timely saves to keep the game scoreless, including a stop on a dangerous 3-on-1 chance against from Teddy Blueger.
Late in the period the Phantoms got the game's first power play but were unable to convert, sending the two teams to the first intermission in a scoreless tie.
SECOND PERIOD
The Penguins began to push the pace more in the middle frame, which saw the two teams trade early power plays in the opening six minutes.
Still, the Phantoms and Penguins were searching the game's opening goal.
The two goalies - Anthony Stolarz and Tristan Jarry - continued to stymie shooters. Stolarz was facing more shots regularly, but Jarry came up with some timely saves to keep the game from reaching 1-0.
As the two teams headed to the second intermission, you certainly got the feeling that a 1-0 final score - albeit a goal in the final frame, overtime or just a shootout decision - was going to be in the cards.
THIRD PERIOD
It wasn't a pretty highlight-reel goal, but the Phantoms took the 1-0 lead 3:55 into the final frame when Mike Vecchione made a move to split a pair of Penguins' defenders before nudging a puck into the slot for Mike Huntebrinker's first career AHL goal.
Unfortunately for Lehigh Valley, they took a pair of penalties in near succession shortly after. They killed both minors off, but the Penguins tied the game up at 1-1 on their ensuing pressure after the penalty expired - getting a rebound tally from Adam Johnson on the Pens' 37th shot of the contest to even the score.
OVERTIME
In the extra session, Anthony Stolarz made an incredible full-splits pad save on Teddy Blueger's drive to the net in the final minute. In fact, he threw his right leg up and stopped the first rebound before Ethan Prow was able to lift it over the Phantoms' goalie and clinch the two standings points for the Penguins with a 2-1 win.
POST-GAME REACTION
Head coach Kerry Huffman
On the team's effort tonight despite dressing a lineup of 10 forwards and seven defensemen:
"I'll tell you what, that's a pretty amazing effort by that group in there. Can't fault them for not getting the two points. I thought that was as good an effort as I've seen in a long time from these guys. It was great."
GAME SUMMARY
1st Period
17:43: WBS - (PP) Summers, minor (hooking)
2nd Period
3:23: WBS - (PP) McGrath, minor (roughing) 5:48: LV - (PP) Myers, minor (slashing)
3rd Period
3:55: LV - Huntebrinker (1) - Vecchione 6:05: LV - (PP) Huntebrinker, minor (interference) 8:49: LV - (PP) Krushelnyski, minor (high-sticking) 11:04: WBS - Johnson (13) - Dea
Overtime
4:00: WBS - Prow (12) - Blueger
BOXSCORE
Lehigh Valley 0 - 0 - 1 - 0 = 1 W-B/Scranton 0 - 0 - 1 - 1 = 2
Shots
Lehigh Valley 9 - 8 - 10 - 1 = 28 W-B/Scranton 15 - 17 - 10 - 4 = 46
Goalies
LV - Anthony Stolarz (44 saves - 46 shots) WBS - Tristan Jarry (27 saves - 28 shots)
Power Play
LV: 0-for-2 WBS: 0-for-3
Penalty Kill
LV: 3-for-3 WBS: 2-for-2
Attendance: 3,784
