Phantoms Post-Game EXTRA! (10/09/21)

ALLENTOWN, Pa. - The Lehigh Valley Phantoms returned to PPL Center for their first home game of the preseason Saturday night, and if you liked watching special teams this was the game for you. A total of 18 (!) power plays were handed out, and there was a total of four 5-on-3 power plays in the contest.

Saturday night's game story -> https://insideahlhockey.com/article/ahl-preseason-2021-lehigh-valley-4-at-w-bscranton-3-ot-10921

Three Things

1. Penalties, Penalties, Penalties!

Like I mentioned in the lede above, the story of Saturday's game was the insane amount of penalties called. Yes, the new cross-check rule enforced at the NHL level in preseason action was also strictly enforced at PPL Center Saturday night.

In fact, the Phantoms had to kill off two 5-on-3 power plays against in the opening 10 minutes of the contest.

"A lot of penalties. I didn't like that part," Phantoms' head coach Ian Laperriere said after the game. "I guess that's the way the league is calling it these days, and we're gonna have to deal with that but I liked the effort."

The standard has been set. We'll see if the penalties continue to be awarded in bunches Sunday evening in Hershey when the Phantoms get back at it in preseason game #3.

On Wednesday's preseason opener, the Phantoms PK was strong and Saturday in the rematch against the Penguins it was no different. They killed off 8-of-9 Penguins' power plays, surrendering a 5-on-3 goal in the first period as the lone power play tally they allowed.

The power play will be a work in progress, and you could tell at times the chemistry and cohesion among the units just wasn't quite there yet. After all, a lot of the guys on those units were just re-assigned to Lehigh Valley on Thursday and Friday.

Samu Tuomaala was again a bright spot for Lehigh Valley on Saturday, and his blazing speed was on full display on a late second period power play. He flew down the right wing and, with a defender on his back, flinged a hard shot past Louis Domingue - a veteran goalie with 140 NHL games of experience under his belt.

"The sky is the limit for that kid," Laperriere said of Tuomaala after the game.

At this point, I'd be surprised if Tuomaala doesn't at least begin the regular season with Lehigh Valley. Sorry to any Sudbury Wolves fans reading this!

2 Samuel Ersson's AHL (preseason) Debut

Goaltender Samuel Ersson was tested early and often, and played well.

"He was great," Laperriere said of Ersson, who stopped 32 of the 35 shots he faced on the night. "Yeah, a lot of work. I've never seen three five on threes in a game ever. Two in the first ten minutes of a game ever. And he was busy right away. And he was he was really good."

The Phantoms currently have three goalies - Felix Sandstrom, Ersson and Kirill Ustimenko - vying for two spots on the AHL roster. Veteran goaltender Pat Nagle, on an AHL contract, was reassigned to the Phantoms' ECHL affiliate in Reading earlier this week. It will be interesting to see who joins Nagle to begin the season.

"You know, I'm excited. We have three good goalies here and [that's] good," Laperriere said. "They'll compete for ice time like everybody else. And for sure he had a great first outing."

3. Morgan Frost Stole The Show

I plan to do a separate writeup on Frost in the near future, but with a three point night and all eyes on his progress with the Phantoms since being a bit of a surprise demotion from Flyers camp, I'll touch on his performance from his first game back in the AHL.

We all know about his shiftiness and ability to make opposing players look silly trying to defend against him. He had several 'Wow' moments where he would spin-o-rama, or make a silky smooth deke and leave the defender in the dust.

What was encouraging to see was an increased role for him on the penalty kill. And he really excelled while shorthanded, not only defending but stealing pucks in the neutral zone and creating some shorthanded chances as well.

"I told him that at rookie camp like, I don't want you to play for me," Laperriere recalled a conversation he had with Frost a few months back at rookie camp. "But if you do, I'll use you on the PK, five on five, five on four. And that's what I did tonight. And I'm gonna keep doing it as long as he's here."

Offensively, Frost excelled too.

In the first period, he entered the offensive zone with speed along the right-wing wall and fed a perfect cross-ice pass to Max Willman - catching the speedy winger in stride. Willman then proceeded to beat the defender on the edge before sniping the Penguins goalie from the bottom of the left-wing circle to open the scoring.

It was one of those plays you could see coming with the advantage of being upstairs in the press box and being able to see the play develop. Frost's vision at ice level probably allowed him to just as easily see that play develop too.

In the third, Frost hopped over the boards on a delayed penalty call in the third period and went straight to the slot. He told Inside AHL Hockey after the game that Isaac Ratcliffe, who had the puck in the corner below the goal line, spotted Frost and the two connected on a pass that saw Frost get off a quick shot past Penguins' goalie Louis Domingue to tie the game at 3-3 in the third period.

In OT, he started the three-on-three with Tyson Foerster and Adam Clendening and the trio made quick work of the opposition. Clendening sprung Foerster and Frost on a 2-on-1 and Foerster, from the right wing, floated a pass across to Frost as he cut to the net and Frost roofed a puck top shelf for the game-winner.