Phantoms Lineup

Ryan Fitzgerald – Cal O’Reilly – Zayde Wisdom

Max Willman – Chris Mueller – Tyson Foerster

Garrett Wilson – Tanner Laczynski – Linus Sandin

Isaac Ratcliffe – David Kase – Tanner MacMaster

Egor Zamula – Linus Hogberg

Samuel Morin – Wyatte Wylie

Derrick Pouliot – Mason Millman

Felix Sandstrom – Zane McIntyre

Matthew Strome, Eamon McAdam, Brennan Saulnier, Ralph Cuddemi

Kirill Ustimenko (hip surgery), Maksim Sushko (DTD), Pascal Laberge (DTD), Chris Bigras (DTD), Tyler Wotherspoon (DTD), Logan Day (DTD)

Game Report

Game Report written by Amy Johnson

Every game against the Hershey Bears this season has seemed to come down to the third period for the Phantoms, including Wednesday night’s matchup at the PPL Center.

Lehigh Valley took to the ice in Hershey on Saturday afternoon with the same lineup as they did in the last game, including Felix Sandstrom staying between the pipes for his third consecutive start, and Samuel Morin remaining on the second defensive pairing.

At the opposite end of the ice, Zach Fucale took over in the crease for the Bears. 

First Period

Many aspects of the opening period of play were eerily similar to Wednesday’s tilt: Sandstrom was tested right out of the gate, the period was fast-paced with very few whistles, and neither team seemed able to set up any sustained pressure in the offensive zone.

In the midst of all the chip-and-chase play, Isaac Ratcliffe looked good along the boards, winning some puck battles, Zayde Wisdom connected on some very good, heads-up passing plays, and Morin continued to look very comfortable on the back end.

Things unraveled a little for the Phantoms toward the end of the period, when Axel Jonsson-Fjallby ripped a quick shot from the blue line that seemed to surprise Sandstrom to put the Bears up 1-0. Then, with just 32 seconds left in the frame, Wisdom took a seat on a slashing call to put the Phantoms shorthanded to start the second period.

Second Period

The Phantoms did manage to kill off that penalty, but almost as soon as it expired, the wheels fell off completely for Lehigh Valley. 

Jonsson-Fjallby tapped in the puck for his second of the game, and over the course of the next two minutes Mike Sgarbossa and Kale Kessy each found the back of the net as well. 

Sgarbossa waited out Sandstrom as he slid across and then went forehand-backhand on him to pot his goal. That chased the Phantoms netminder from the crease and sent Zane McIntyre into the game. Moments later, Kessy fired a quick wrister past McIntyre to put the Bears up 4-0.

Momentum did start to pick up for Lehigh Valley toward the end of the period, and they closed the door on a late-period penalty kill. But once again, they would need a big effort in the third if they hoped to get any points out of this one.

Third Period

What’s Next?

The Phantoms don’t have much time to regroup, as they’ll be back on home ice Monday night for an early evening game against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The puck drops at 5:00 pm.

Plus / Minus

▲  Isaac Ratcliffe, David Kase

▼  Wyatte Wylie, Felix Sandstrom