Phantoms Post-Game EXTRA! (12/21/21)
Lehigh Valley Phantoms
ALLENTOWN, Pa. - The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (7-11-6) extended their unbeaten in regulation streak to five games (4-0-1) following a 2-1 win over rival Hershey Bears Tuesday night at PPL Center.
Tuesday night's game story -> https://insideahlhockey.com/article/game-story-hershey-1-at-lehigh-valley-2-122121
Three Things
1. Bunnaman Heating Up Offensively
When I talked to Bunnaman after he scored in Hartford last Friday, he told InsideAHLHockey.com he hoped that that goal would spark his offensive game and more would begin to follow. He's tallied a goal in each game since that remark, including what ended up being the deciding goal Tuesday night.
"Three goals in three games? I like where this is going," Bunnaman said with a grin after Tuesday's win.
He's formed chemistry on a line in an offensive role with Gerry Mayhew and Garrett Wilson, centering the team's second period.
"We're getting used to [playing with] each other. We click out there," Bunnaman said of his linemates.
2. Gerard Making Most Of Opportunity
Charlie Gerard began the year in the ECHL with the Reading Royals. But the speedy right winger, on an AHL contract with the Phantoms, is making the most of his call-up opportunity - scoring his first of the season in his ninth game with the team Tuesday on the team's top line with Cal O'Reilly and Maksim Sushko.
"When we sent him down, I told him just stay ready, you never know. And he's here and he's on the top line, and he's doing a hell of a job, not only the goal, but everything he does - tracking to back checking to defensive zone coverage, he's coachable," Laperriere said of Gerard's game, noting that one of his best qualities is his work ethic. "He practices hard," Lappy explained.
Gerard's goal came as a result of getting to the net, as Cal O'Reilly stole a puck along the wall and got it to Maksim Sushko in the left-wing circle before Sushko was able to muscle one toward the net that ended up on Gerard's stick at the side of the net.
"They made a great play, [Sushko] saw me on the back door and all I had to do really was tap it in," Gerard said of his goal.
3. Five Game Unbeaten Streak (4-0-1)
Don't look now, but the Phantoms are unbeaten in regulation in their last five games - and getting the job done with a variety of guys taking their turn to step up offensively while sticking to their structure of defending well and taking care of defense first and allowing the offense to come as a result of that.
"I think we're battling a little harder and winning a lot more one on one battles," Bunnaman said of this recent stretch. "I don't want to say we're getting away from our structure at the start of the year but we certainly weren't using it properly. Now we're using it, we believe in it now and we're just gonna keep rolling."
