Comrie In The 8th - Phantoms Steal Shootout Win

Martin Ouellette picked up his first career AHL win.

Another game at the PPL Center and another game that needed a shootout to decide a winner. The Norfolk Admirals tied the game at 2-2 late in the third period, but it was the Lehigh Valley Phantoms pulling it out in an eight-round shootout with an unlikely hero.

Phantoms head coach Terry Murray hadn't met Adam Comrie until today, but after his first seven shooters were unsuccessful he gave the new guy a shot. 

Comrie made the most of it in his Phantoms debut, slipping one five-hole on John Gibson. Another newcomer, goaltender Martin Ouellette, stopped all eight Norfolk shooters in the shootout to pick up his first career AHL win.

Nick Cousins and Jason Akeson tallied goals for the Phantoms, while Zack Stortini had a game-high two assists. The Phantoms (14-11-4-1) finish the 2014 calendar year with a 6:00 p.m. face-off on New Years Eve up in Binghamton against the Senators.

GAME SUMMARY 

1st Period 

9:53: NOR - (PP) Bailey, minor (boarding)

9:53: NOR - Bailey, major (fighting)

9:53: LV - Jones, major (fighting)

18:57: LV - Cousins (7) - Stortini, Akeson

19:16: NOR - (PP) Clark, double-minor (high-sticking)

2nd Period

1:29: LV - PPG Akeson (6) - Stortini, Manning

2:53: NOR - Leblanc (10) - Kerdiles, Karlsson 

14:29: LV - (PP) Cousins, minor (tripping)

16:55: NOR - (PP) Steckel, minor (elbowing)

3rd Period

0:34: LV - (PP) Flemming, minor (tripping)

3:08: LV - Fyten, minor (roughing)

3:08: NOR - Clark, minor (roughing)

5:22: NOR - Nightingale, double-minor (roughing)

5:22: LV - Fyten, double-minor (roughing)

5:22: LV - (PP) Fyten, minor (slashing)

8:49: NOR - Steckel, minor (unsportsmanlike)

13:53: LV - Stortini, minor (slashing)

Overtime

- No scoring or penalties

Shootout

LV 

Akeson - X

Jones - X

Straka - X

Cousins - X

Gordon - X

Powe - X 

Manning - X

Comrie - GOAL

NOR

Bell - X 

Friberg - X

Karlsson - X

Wagner - X

Sarault - X

Kerdiles - X

Laganiere - X

ROSTER NOTES

Martin Ouellette got the start in net for the Phantoms tonight - his first career AHL start. With Anthony Stolarz out of action, the Phantoms called up Connor Knapp from Reading. 

Coach Terry Murray said in his post-game press conference he doesn't believe Stolarz's injury is serious and that he will be re-evaluated in the middle of next week.

Mark Alt (upper body) didn't play tonight after leaving last night's game in Hershey. Recently recalled Adam Comrie slotted right into the lineup, making his Phantoms debut.

No changes up front as Kevin Goumas (healthy) was scratched for the second straight game.

Lines

Taylor Leier - Blair Jones - Brett Hextall

Jason Akeson - Nick Cousins - Zack Stortini  

Petr Straka - Darroll Powe - Andrew Gordon

Jay Rosehill - Austin Fyten - Derek Mathers

Brandon Manning - Brett Flemming

Adam Comrie - Steven Delisle

Oliver Lauridsen - Jesper Pettersson

Martin Ouellette - Connor Knapp