Phantoms Post-Game EXTRA! (10/23/21)

ALLENTOWN, Pa. - The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (0-3-0) dropped their regular season home opener Saturday night to Atlantic Division foe Hartford Wolf Pack (3-1-1), in a bit of a reversal from a pair of 2-1 losses by the Phantoms last weekend.

"Last weekend they were 2-1 games, but I thought we were the better team. Not tonight," head coach Ian Laperriere said after the game. "And that starts right here. That's my fault."

Saturday night's game story -> https://insideahlhockey.com/article/game-story-hartford-3-at-lehigh-valley-1-102321

Three Things

1. Laperriere Puts The Blame On His Shoulders

Laperriere took one for the team in his post-game press conference Saturday. Nearly every one of his answers referred back to the coach being at fault for the team's poor performance in the Phantoms' home opener.

"A close game score-wise, but I didn't like our compete level and it's my fault. I didn't prepare the team properly, and I'll take the blame for that," Laperriere opened with in his post-game media availability when asked about a third straight loss to open the season.

Last weekend in Wilkes-Barre and Hershey, the Phantoms definitely created enough scoring chances to win either of those games but ultimately were unable to convert on their prime opportunities. Saturday was a step in the opposite direction, sans the continued strong play in net from Felix Sandstrom (38 saves - 40 shots).

"He competed right from the get-go, he made big saves for us and that's the good out of tonight's game, but other than that I don't see anything that positive," Laperriere said honestly. "And again I'll take the blame for that one. The guys didn't compete like I'd like them to, and we have a lot of work to do here."

2.Max Willman

Overall, I thought it was a pretty decent game for the re-united top line of Max Willman, Morgan Frost and Tyson Foerster. While the team is snakebitten offensively through three games, I thought the trio was generating some chances throughout the contest - though surely they'd like to create more, and more importantly finish more of those opportunities.

"I wish we could have put a full 60 together," Willman said post-game. "I think it was just our compete level throughout the game. We kind of weren't winning our one on one battles, and I think we just got to kind of amp that up going into into tomorrow."

Willman tallied the Phantoms' lone goal shorthanded in the final minute of the first period, and with help from Frost.

"He made a great play on the kill, batting it out of the air, and then he was just yelling at me to go," Willman said of Frost. "I just was lucky enough to put that one in."

The Phantoms could use a little more puck luck Sunday against the Penguins than they received Saturday night, and that's not to take away from the fact that Hartford was clearly the better team and deserved the two points.

Hartford's tying goal in the second period came after an initial shot saved saw the rebound kicked in by a Phantoms forward in front of the net. The Wolf Pack's game-winner with 5:02 left in the 3rd came on a weird play off a face-off where a contested puck in the corner ended up hopping right onto the tape of an open Jonny Brodzinski in the slot for a quick shot in.

3. 'The Bunnaman Line'

Outside of the strong play of Felix Sandstrom, perhaps the only other positive was the Phantoms' fourth line of Brennan Saulnier, Connor Bunnaman and Jackson Cates.

Laperriere brought up 'The Bunnaman line' unprompted in post-game twice Saturday night. The first in response to the Phantoms being at their best when they were able to get pucks deep and establish a forecheck.

"I don't feel we did that enough tonight," Laperriere said, later adding, "we did at times and when we did it was Bunnaman's line. I felt like their line was the best line out there."

The second time was in reference to an overall decent start in the first period and how the home fans instilled energy to begin the game.

"Yeah I think so. I'm going to look back at the game and I bet you when the Bunnaman line was out there that's where the jump was because they were doing the right things. Chipping it behind their D and taking the puck to the net and we just need more of that," Laperriere said.