GAMEDAY: Game 9 - Lehigh Valley (5-2-1) at Hershey (3-6-1) 5:00 p.m. ET
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HERSHEY, PA - The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (5-2-1) look to continue their winning ways on their current six-game road trip which has them 3-0-1 entering their fifth of six straight road contests Sunday evening at Giant Center against Atlantic Division rival Hershey Bears (3-6-1).
Lehigh Valley Phantoms Roster Notes
Carter Hart got the start Saturday night in Binghamton, and put together a solid performance on his way to picking up his 2nd win of the season. Anthony Stolarz served as Hart's backup, which leads me to believe Alex Lyon will be getting the start in net Sunday evening in Hershey. It looks like Hart has been starting every other game and Lyon and Stolarz and have splitting Hart's nights off - sans Michal Neuvirth's conditioning stint Wednesday in Hartford.
Goalie Rotation: Hart, Hart/Stolarz, Stolarz, Hart, Lyon, Hart, Neuvirth, Hart
The Flyers called up forwards Nicolas Aube-Kubel and Tyrell Goulbourne from Lehigh Valley following Saturday night's game in Binghamton. Forward Mikhail Vorobyev was loaned to Lehigh Valley (AHL) in a subsequent move. For Vorobyev, it's a chance to play big minutes in the AHL after sitting as a healthy scratch in Philadelphia for quite some time.
The rookies have been rotating in and out of the lineup up front, and Saturday night it was David Kase and Connor Bunnaman getting a night off. For Kase, it was his 3rd game as a healthy scratch while Bunnaman has found himself as the odd man out four times throughh the team's first eight games.
Phantoms' Lines (Starters in Bold/Italics)
Greg Carey - Phil Varone - Cole Bardreau Connor Bunnaman - Mike Vecchione - Chris ConnerCarsen Twarynski - Mikhail Vorobyev - Radel Fazleev David Kase - German Rubtsov - Colin McDonald
T.J. Brennan - Philip Samuelsson Zach Palmquist - Phil MyersJames de Haas - Mark Friedman
Alex Lyon - Anthony Stolarz
Phantoms' scratches: Carter Hart, Taylor Leier and Reece Willcox
Hershey Bears Roster Notes
Bears' Lines (Starters in Bold/Italics)
Shane Gerisch - Mike Sgarbossa - Riley Barber Axel Jonsson-Fjallby - Jayson Megna - Juuso Ikonen Liam O'Brien - Garrett Pilon - Steven WhitneyBeck Malenstyn - Brian Pinho - Derek Hulak
Aaron Ness - Connor Hobbs Jonas Siegenthaler - Colby WilliamsLucas Johansen - Tyler Lewington
Vitek Vanecek - Ilya Samsonov
Bears Scratches: Kris Bindulis, Jeremy Morin, Hampus Gustafsson, Sergei Shumakov, Maximillan Kammerer, Tobias Geisser, Logan Pyett and Mason Mitchell
GAME STORY
FIRST PERIOD
Hershey got off to a quick start thanks to a Mike Sgarbossa goal just 1:17 into the contest. Connor Hobbs sent the puck across to Aaron Ness who fired from just inside the blueline. The puck bounced off the outstretched stick of Sgarbossa and into the net behind Alex Lyon.
After allowing the initial goal on Hershey's first shot of the game, Lyon locked it down between the pipes despite eight other Hershey chances including two Liam O'Brien chances from the doorstep late in the period.
At the opposite end of the ice, Vitek Vanecek was just as impressive if not even more so. Vanecek,the reigning CCM/AHL Player of the Week, came up with ten impressive stops.
KEYS TO VICTORY
How the Phantoms win - Lehigh Valley needs to get sustained pressure in the offensive zone. They're getting looks, but the chances are not coming on successive chances.
How the Bears win - Hershey is hawking the puck well. They're getting multiple chances for shot opportunities, and keeping the puck in the offensive zone.
SECOND PERIOD
The second period started in eerily similar fashion as the Bears once again scored less than two minutes into the period. The Phantoms were unable to clear the puck from the zone as Colby Williams corralled it before Liam O'Brien scored off a rebound of Jonas Siegenthaler's shot.
Midway through the period the Bears had a golden opportunity to take a 3-0 lead, but Alex Lyon used just about every inch of his goalie gear to keep it a two-goal advantage before Connor Bunnaman cut the lead in half with his first career AHL goal.
James De Haas sent a cross-ice pass to Phil Varone who sent an equally impressive cross-ice pass to Bunnaman for the memorable goal.
A minute later, Lyon had his biggest save of the game, stopping speedy Axel Jonsson-Fjallby on the breakaway. In addition to that save, he also stopped 11 other Hershey shots.
In the waning minutes of the period, it appeared as though Jayson Megna tallied a short-handed goal, but the puck bounced off the bottom of the crossbar, so it remained a one-score game heading into the final period.
KEYS TO VICTORY
Lehigh Valley wins if the Phantoms continue to utilize cross-ice passing to get Vanecek moving in the crease. Coming at him head-on has not proven effective as the netminder has 22 saves.
Hershey wins if the Bears stop taking silly penalties. The Bears have taken back-to-back penalties. So far it hasn't proven costly, but they can't keep giving the Phantoms opportunities.
THIRD PERIOD
In the third period, Riley Barber had a breakaway at the 3:36 mark in the period. While he was unable to connect on the breakaway, he was awarded a penalty shot. Barber went stick-side and the puck squirted under Lyon's arm and into the net for the 3-1 lead.
Alex Lyon's night ended early as he was pulled with over two minutes remaining in the game. He finished with 31 saves on 34 shots. Vitek Vanecek went the distance with 34 saves on 35 shots.
The three stars of the game were Riley Barber, Vitek Vanecek, and Liam O'Brien
For the game, two penalties were called on each team. Neither the Phantoms nor the Bears were able to connect on the man-advantage.
The Phantoms are back in action Friday night in Binghamton, while the Bears will be in Rochester Friday night.
GAME SUMMARY
1st Period
1:17: HER - Sgarbossa (4) - Ness, Hobbs
2nd Period
1:57: HER - O'Brien (6) - Siegenthaler, Williams 5:27: LV - (PP) Kase, minor (slashing) 10:16: LV - Bunnaman (1) - Varone, de Haas 13:36: HER - (PP) Malenstyn, minor (hooking) 18:35: HER - (PP) Barber, minor (interference)
3rd Period
3:36: HER - (PS) Barber (2) - unassisted 10:00: LV - (PP) Twarynski, minor (boarding)
BOXSCORE
Lehigh Valley 0 - 1 - 0 = 1 Hershey 1 - 1 - 1 = 3
Shots
Lehigh Valley 10 - 13 - 12 = 35 Hershey 9 - 13 - 12 = 34
Goalies
LV: Alex Lyon (31 saves - 34 shots) HER: Vitek Vanecek (34 saves - 35 shots)
Power Play
LV: 0-for-2 HER: 0-for-2
Penalty Kill
LV: 2-for-2 HER: 2-for-2
Attendance: 8,332
