Phantoms Lineup

Ryan Fitzgerald – Cal O’Reilly – Zayde Wisdom

Max Willman – Chris Mueller – Linus Sandin

Garrett Wilson – Tanner Laczynski – David Kase

Matthew Strome – Tanner MacMaster – Maksin Sushko

Egor Zamula – Wyatte Wylie

Derrick Pouliot – Linus Hogberg

Mason Millman – Logan Day

Zane McIntyre – Eamon McAdam

Matthew Strome, Ralph Cuddemi, Chris Bigras, Tyler Wotherspoon, Brendan Saulnier

Tyson Foerster (fractured shin bone), Kirill Ustimenko (hip surgery), Isaac Ratcliffe (lung injury)

Game Report

Game Report written by Amy Johnson

It’s been a pretty good open to the season for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, coming into this game leading the North Division with a 4-0-1 record fresh off another overtime victory on Wednesday against the Binghamton Devils.

But tonight it was time to face off for the first time in the regular season against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, having faced them only in the preseason so far this year.

The Phantoms had another friendly face back in the lineup tonight as Maksim Sushko returned from his loan to Philadelphia. Zane McIntyre got the start in net, as he has for every Lehigh Valley game so far this year.

First Period

Perhaps it was an early omen when the Pens struck first, less than three minutes after opening faceoff. Will Reilly blasted a shot from the point which managed to find its way through McIntyre and into the Phantoms net.

Lehigh Valley struggled a bit at times in the opening frame, with some unfortunate defensive zone turnovers and struggles with the breakout. However they were the ones shooting the puck the most, outshooting Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 11-4 in the first frame, albeit mainly from the perimeter. 

Second Period

The Penguins doubled their tally early in the second period when Jon Lizotte fired a laser wrister from the center of the circle that went five-hole through McIntyre. But just 20 seconds later, rookie Zayde Wisdom got one back for the Phantoms when he drove down the slot, avoided getting hauled down, flipped the puck on his backhand and put it right over Max Lagace. Be sure to check it out in the highlights at the bottom of the recap.

That’s Wisdom’s fifth goal of the year, propelling him to a tie for seventh overall in the league in rookie scoring with six points.

The good feeling didn’t last all that long, however, when the Penguins restored their two-goal lead with a tally by Jan Drozg, a deflection of Lizotte’s point shot again. And, again, the puck leaked through McIntyre’s five-hole. The goaltender seemed to struggle with low shots tonight a bit.

Third Period

Lehigh Valley’s hole got deeper a few minutes into the third period when Felix Robert scored his first of the season, rifling a wrister bar down.

34 seconds later, Max Willman snapped a wrister of his own right through Lagace to pull the Phantoms back within two. 

The visiting team tried to claw their way back into the game, as they’ve done in plenty of third periods this season, but tonight just wasn’t their night. The Penguins managed to control the pace, despite the Phantoms trying to play aggressively, and they couldn’t mount a comeback this time.

What’s Next?

Plus / Minus

▲  Zayde Wisdom, Max Willman

▼  Zane McIntyre, Logan Day