Phantoms Post-Game EXTRA! (12/18/21)
Phantoms goaltender Samuel Ersson returned to game action Saturday night, but left after two periods due to injury.

Phantoms Post-Game EXTRA! (12/18/21)

ALLENTOWN, Pa. - The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (6-11-6) saw their three-game win streak end, but a four-game points streak emerge (3-0-1) following a 4-3 shootout loss to the Rochester Americans Saturday night at PPL Center.

Saturday night's game story -> https://insideahlhockey.com/article/game-story-rochester-4-at-lehigh-valley-3-so-121821

Three Things

1. Short Lapse In Third Period Proves Costly

The Phantoms, playing in their second game in as many nights against a Rochester team playing their first game of the weekend, had a game plan to keep things simple Saturday night. For a majority of the game, they did just that.

"I think we played really good hockey for like 50 minutes," Phantoms forward Maksim Sushko said after the game. "We came back and we got that important one point, and we're still going," he added, as the team takes a four-game points streak into a two-game matchup with Hershey on Tuesday and Wednesday before a week off from game action for the holidays.

The Phantoms held a 2-1 lead late into the third period before a pair of goals from Rochester had them scrambling in the final minute to try to tie the game up and force overtime. They pulled their goalie for the extra attacker and got a lucky bounce off a stanchion on a dump into the zone - with the puck going from behind the net right into the slot and onto the stick of Garrett Wilson.

Ultimately, the Phantoms lost in a shootout but realistically they let the extra point slip away when they were unable to hold on to the one-goal lead in the final four minutes of regulation.

"We had the lead and we stopped defending. A couple of mistakes there that I don't like, and we'll address and we'll get better," head coach Ian Laperriere said after the game. "I don't know if it was mental mental fatigue, because we played last night and they were fresher. But we need to find a way to defend for 60 minutes. And those last two goals that they scored, I didn't like the way we defended [on] those goals."

2. Ersson Excels In Return, Leaves After 2nd Period

Saturday night marked the first game action for goalie Samuel Ersson since an October 29 game in Utica. You wouldn't know it was his first game in almost two months judging by the way he played, at least in the opening two periods - stopping 21 of the 22 shots he faced.

Ersson was particularly strong in the second period, coming up big as a Phantoms' defender collided into him in his crease and later stopping a Peyton Krebs shorthanded breakaway in the middle part of the period.

It almost went unnoticed due to the Phantoms' jumping out to an 8-0 edge in shots on goal in the opening half of the third period, but Ersson didn't lead the team out for the third period. Pat Nagle came on in relief of Ersson, who Laperriere confirmed to Inside AHL Hockey after the game had left after the 2nd period due to injury.

"He played great, just like bad luck seems to hit him this year," Laperriere said of Ersson. "He's a battler. He goes in and he fights. And that's what we need. He just needs to find a way to stay healthy."

3.Wade Allison Update

When asked by Inside AHL Hockey about the status of Wade Allison, Laperriere said he was unsure of a timetable for a return.

"I feel bad for the kid. You know, he came back from a pretty bad injury," Laperriere said, referring to the high-ankle sprain Allison suffered in the fall. "And now he's got another one. It's a physical sport out there. And he plays physical. Hopefully it's not too bad. I just, I'll be honest with you, I don't know. I know he's banged up a little bit. And I know he saw the doctor tonight, but I'm not sure how bad it is."

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