Phantoms Power Past Devils
BINGHAMTON - For the second straight night on the weekend, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (8-2-2) found themselves in a track meet Saturday night on the road against the Binghamton Devils (5-3-1).
Unlike last night, the Phantoms were able to turn things around in the third period and defeat the Devils in regulation for a wild 6-5 win.
Chris Conner (two goals, two assists) recorded his second straight four-point game in as many nights, while Phil Varone (four assists), Cole Bardreau (one goal, one assist), Danick Martel (one goal, one assist) T.J. Brennan (one goal, one assist) and Nicolas Aube-Kubel (one goal) all chipped in on the win.
Nick Lappin (two goals, one assist) and Bracken Kearns (three assists) led the Devils' attack in a losing effort, while Jacob MacDonald (one goal, one assist) and Joe Blandisi (two assists) also had multi-point games for Binghamton in the loss.
Looking Ahead: The Phantoms return home for their third game in three nights when they host the Toronto Marlies Sunday evening at 5:05 p.m. ET.
Phantoms' Lines (Starters in Bold/Italics)
Chris Conner (A) - Phil Varone - Cole BardreauDanick Martel - Mike Vecchione - Nicolas Aube-Kubel Oskar Lindblom - Mikhail Vorobyev - Colin McDonald (C) Tyrell Goulbourne - Corban Knight (A) - Radel Fazleev
T.J. Brennan - Max LamarcheJames De Haas - Mark Friedman Reece Willcox - Adam Comrie
Alex Lyon - Dustin Tokarski
Scratches: Anthony Stolarz (knee surgery - out indefinitely), Sam Morin (injured), Phil Myers (injured) and Greg Carey (injured)
ROSTER NOTES
Alex Lyon got the start Saturday in Binghamton, while Dustin Tokarski played in last night's game at home against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Sunday's starter is to be determined.
Phil Myers (undisclosed) left in the second period of Friday night's game and did not return. The belief is that he has been trying to play through a lower body injury he sustained a few weeks ago blocking a shot off his leg. Myers missed two games after that incident, and missed tonight's game.
Adam Comrie was recalled from ECHL Reading late Friday night, getting into town at 3:30 a.m. and going right into the Phantoms' lineup on defense.
Forward Greg Carey (undisclosed) missed Saturday night's game. When asked about Carey, head coach Scott Gordon said "He's a little banged up."
RECAP
The Phantoms dug themselves an early hole in Binghamton Saturday night, surrendering the game's first two goals in the opening seven minutes of the contest.
First, Viktor Loov's point shot caused a rebound that Nathan Bastian was able to beat out Mark Friedman at the net-front for - whacking the puck past Phantoms' goaltender Alex Lyon to give the Devils an early 1-0 lead just 4:46 into the first period. Veteran Bracken Kearns added a secondary assist on the play.
Kearns wasn't done there either, getting a puck from Jacob MacDonald to begin a 4-on-4 and firing a hard shot from the right point that Lyon wasn't able to corral. The puck dashed out to Lyon's right where Nick Lappin was stationed for an easy put back for his 6th of the year to extend the Devils' lead to 2-0.
It was quite the sluggish start on the road for Lehigh Valley in the opening half of the first period, but they got on the board with 8:18 left in the opening stanza on a greasy goal by Cole Bardreau at the net-front. Phil Varone and Chris Conner worked a puck down low and Conner got the puck out in front to Bardreau, who from the top of the crease was able to muscle one past Mackenzie Blackwood for his second goal of the season.
The Devils had some more magic with the 4-on-4 late in the first period as Blake Pietila skated one from the half-wall to the top of the right wing circle before sniping one past Lyon to re-gain Binghamton's 3-1 lead heading into the middle frame.
The Phantoms had a golden opportunity to make it a one-goal game in the final moments of the opening period, with 20 seconds of a 5-on-3 power play to work with. Head coach Scott Gordon took his timeout to get things settled down and organized, but to no avail.
Lehigh Valley started to get things going in the second period, however, tallying back-to-back goals to tie the game up at 3-3 in the first seven minutes of the middle frame.
First, T.J. Brennan sent a perfect stretch pass up the middle to spring Chris Conner for a breakaway. Conner made it count, going forehand to backhand and in through Blackwood's five-hole to make it a one-goal game.
Moments later, on a power play, Conner set up Danick Martel in the bottom of the right-wing circle for Martel's 12th of the season - a snipe to the top corner on Blackwood to even the game at 3-3 with 12:16 left in the 2nd period.
Colin McDonald stuck out his leg and clipped a Devils forward in the neutral zone with 7:36 left in the period, and Binghamton cashed in quickly on the power play as a Jacob MacDonald point shot eluded Lyon 13 seconds into the ensuing man advantage to give the Devils the lead back at 4-3. Nick Lappin and Joe Blandisi added assists on the play.
Alex Lyon's night came to an end after the 2nd period concluded, surrendering four goals on 15 shots. Dustin Tokarski entered the game to start the third period in net for Lehigh Valley.
Entering the third period trailing for the second straight night, the Phantoms were able - again - to tie things up in the final frame.
On Saturday night in Binghamton, however, they did one better. They took their first lead of the night with 14:34 left in regulation and held on for a 6-5 win.
First, Cole Bardreau fed Chris Conner for his second goal and fourth point of the night 2:15 into the third period to tie things up at 4-4.
Just over three minutes later, on a power play nonetheless, the Phantoms took their first lead of the night when a floating point shot from T.J. Brennan eluded Blackwood to make it a 5-4 Phantoms lead.
Midway through the third period, Nicolas Aube-Kubel fired a high hard shot past Blackwood on a feed from Martel to extend the lead to 6-4.
The Devils made things interesting with 2:20 left with their goalie pulled for the extra attacker, as Lappin scored his second of the night and drew the Devils within a goal.
For the second straight night, the Phantoms team defense took over in the waning moments of play - with Oskar Lindblom, Cole Bardreau and Phil Varone each blocking a shot to preserve the win.
POST-GAME REACTION
Head coach Scott Gordon
Q: Probably not the first period you would have liked, but the guys battled back.
A: Ehhh, and we didn't really have a bad first period. A couple goals were kind of fluky, and as I said to the guys after the period and I said the same thing heading to the third. We are going to get some chances. The game was... the way we played against them last time and the way the first period was there was some positives and we just kept building on it every period.
Q: On the veterans stepping up this weekend
A: And it's not just them, it's everybody. We got a big goal from Aube-Kubel, a goal from Danick on the power play. Chris is obviously, the last two games have been huge. It's been good. THe thing is we have been able to do it with our defense banged up as it has been. Two guys come in from Reading and have done a good.
Q: On final minute shot blocks. Like to see guys throwing themselves in front of shots in late-game situations.
A: Crunch time. At that point you ahve to do everything you can. They had a lot of opportunities where they got some shots off and we blocked them. Just even in this rink especially, it's happened to us twice now where they shot wide and the guy has gone to their guy and ended up in the back of our net. And it's nobodies fault, but the more you can block the less chance it has of getting one of those bad bounces against.
Q: On Greg Carey's absence
A: Umm... he's a little banged up
GAME SUMMARY
1st Period
4:46: BNG - Bastian (4) - Loov, Kearns 7:06: LV - Comrie, minor (roughing) 7:06: BNG - Blandisi, minor (roughing) 7:12: BNG - Lappin (6) - Kearns, MacDonald 11:42: LV - Bardreau (2) - Conner, Varone 13:14: BNG - (PP) Rooney, minor (holding) 15:25: LV - (PP) Fazleev, minor (delay of game - face-off violation) 16:44: BNG - (PP) Blandisi, minor (holdng) 17:04: BNG - Pietila (4) - Jacobs, White
2nd Period
4:22: LV - Conner (3) - Brennan, Bardreau 6:00: BNG - (PP) Bastian, minor (boarding) 6:44: LV - PPG Martel (12) - Conner, Vecchione 12:24: LV - (PP) McDonald, minor (tripping) 12:24: LV - McDonald, minor (roughing) 12:24: BNG - Thomson, minor (cross-checking) 12:37: BNG - PPG MacDonald (3) - Lappin, Blandisi 13:16: BNG - (PP) Kearns, minor (hooking) 17:11: LV - (PP) Comrie, minor (boarding) 19:42: LV - (PP) Comrie, minor (holding)
3rd Period
2:15: LV - Conner (4) - Bardreau, Varone 5:05: BNG - (PP) Mandat, minor (hooking) 5:26: LV - PPG Brennan (2) - Varone, Vecchione 10:06: LV - Aube-Kubel (4) - Martel, Fazleev 11:33: LV - (PP) De Haas, minor (high-sticking) 17:40: BNG - Lappin (7) - Blandisi, Kearns
BOXSCORE
Lehigh Valley 1 - 2 - 3 = 6 Binghamton 3 - 1 - 1= 5
Shots
Lehigh Valley 6 - 9 - 8 = 23 Binghamton 9 - 6 - 5 = 20
Goalies
LV - Alex Lyon (11 saves - 15 shots in 40:00) and Dustin Tokarski (4 saves - 5 shots in 19:45) BNG - Mackenzie Blackwood (17 saves - 23 shots)
Power Play
LV: 2-for-6 BNG: 1-for-5
Penalty Kill
LV: 4-for-5 BNG: 4-for-6
Attendance: 3,741
