Phantoms Edge Hartford For Back-to-Back Home Wins

Phantoms edge Hartford in gritty affair. Photo: Nina Weiss/The Home News

The Lehigh Valley Phantoms jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first period for the second time in as many nights, which was needed to conclude their four-game home stand with back-to-back wins. The Phantoms were out shot 30-10 over over the final 40 minutes of play, but Phantoms goaltender Martin Ouellette stopped 38 of the 39 shots he faced to preserve the win for Lehigh Valley.

Davis Drewiske scored just 33 seconds into play for goals in consecutive games, Pavel Padakin caught a piece of Tyrell Goulbourne's rebound put back with the inside of his skate to extend the lead to 2-0 midway through the opening frame and that was all the Phantoms needed to come away with two points.

More importantly, the 8-0 loss Wednesday and the eight-game losing skid can be left in the rear view mirror and the Phantoms can focus on finishing the final eight games of the regular season on a positive note.

Some quick thoughts from team captain Colin McDonald and veteran defenseman Davis Drewiske after the jump.



POST-GAME REACTION

Colin McDonald:

I'm just really proud of the way the guys responded. I think we had a really good practice after the loss (Thursday). Guys were motivated. It can go one of two ways. I have been in the situation before where the team is out of the playoffs. It's tough to get up for these games some times. I'm just proud they guys played some of the best hockey we have played in awhile.

Davis Drewiske on his goal 33 seconds into the 1st period:

Just a good bounce, guys doing good work on the forecheck and I was trying to get the puck through to the net. It was a good start for us.

Drewiske on the fast start at home:

It's something we haven't done enough this of this year is take advantage of our home crowd and get off to a good start. We carried it over into the first period tonight. We slipped a little bit in the second and third but it was a good weekend. 

RECAP

The Phantoms had jump in their step off the opening face-off tonight, skating into the offensive zone and setting up shop - working the even strength situation like a power play. After Danick Martel was stopped by Magnus Hellberg, Petr Straka and Martel set up Davis Drewiske creeping in from his point position for a snipe over Hellberg's glove just 33 seconds into the contest to give the Phantoms an early 1-0 lead.

The goal was Drewiske his fifth this season and second in as many nights. Drewiske's five-goals marks a new career high in pro career - he hadn't scored five goals in a season since his senior season at Wisconsin 2007-08.

Eerily similar to last night's game against Providence, Colin McDonald dished out a big hit and there was retaliation. Much like last night, McDonald did not drop his gloves to fight a challenger and instead drew his team a power play. The Phantoms did not convert but opened the game with a 7-0 shots advantage in the first six and a half minutes of play.

Lehigh Valley continued to have a decided edge in play in the opening period, opening up a 12-2 shots advantage but not before taking a 2-0 lead just past the midway point of the period. Samuel Morin's initial shot was stopped by Hellberg, but Tyrell Goulbourne was there to put in the rebound. Goulbourne's put back actually went off the inside of Pavel Padakin's skate before going in past Hellberg, so Padakin was credited with his second goal of the season at the 11:02 mark.

Hartford started to get to their game late in the first period and it carried over into the middle frame, where the Wolf Pack out shot the Phantoms by a 17-4 margin. If not for 17 saves in the period by Martin Ouellette, the Phantoms might have really surrendered momentum to the visitors. Instead, they hung in and Ouellette controlled his rebounds well and got help from the defense clearing out the crease.

A Brady Skjei tripping minor with 1.6 seconds left in the 2nd period gave the Phantoms basically a full power play to work with on freshly scraped ice to start the final frame.

The Phantoms didn't convert on the man advantage in the third period and Hartford continued to press, but the defense and goaltender Martin Ouellette made the necessary stops down the stretch. Hartford made it interesting in the final seconds when Marek Hrivik ended Ouellette's shutout bid with a cross-ice one-timer, but Lehigh Valley held on for the 2-1 win.

ROSTER NOTES - Phantoms

Martin Ouellette (38 saves - 39 shots) got the start in net tonight, his second in as many nights. Connor Knapp served as the team's backup as Jason LaBarbera remains out due to injury.

Two lineup changes from Friday's game, as Max Lamarche and Pavel Padakin were in for Christian Marti and Dalton Smith, respectively.

The Phantoms have signed Flyers' 2014-5th round pick Oskar Lindblom to an ATO for the remainder of the season. The Swedish-born forward is not expected to be in the lineup tonight, but could make his AHL debut in the Phantoms' next game next weekend in St. John's.


Scratches: Jason LaBarbera (lower body), Michael Parks (upper body), Christian Marti (healthy), Dalton Smith (healthy), Oskar Lindblom (healhy), Jay Rosehill (healthy), Reece Willcox (healthy) and Logan Pyett (out indefinitely)

Lines (Starters in Bold/Italics):

Petr Straka - Tim Brent - Danick Martel

Taylor Leier - Cole Bardreau - Colin McDonald

Aaron Palushaj - Phil DeSimone - Chris Conner

Tyrell Goulbourne - Steven Swavely - Dalton Smith

Sam Morin - Mark Alt

Davis Drewiske - Max Lamarche

Adam Comrie - Robert Hagg

Martin Ouellette - Connor Knapp

GAME SUMMARY 

1st Period

0:33: LV - Drewiske (5) - Martel, Straka

4:27: HFD - (PP) Brown, minor (roughing)

11:02: LV - Padakin (2) - Goulbourne, Morin

2nd Period

3:08: LV - (PP) DeSimone, minor (tripping)

10:41: HFD - (PP) Nehring, minor (slashing)

12:49: LV - (PP) Lamarche, minor (tripping)

19:58: HFD - (PP) Skjei, minor (tripping)

3rd Period

8:08: LV - (PP) DeSimone, minor (cross-checking)

11:33: LV - Bardreau, minor (roughing)

11:33: HFD - Brown, minor (high-sticking)

19:44: HFD - Hrivik (11) - Megna, Jensen