LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms came into Friday night’s home game looking to end a five game home losing streak. What they got was something nobody wanted. Ryan Spooner and Colin Stuart each had two goals, and Jeremy Smith made 26 saves to lead a 5-1 thrashing of the home team at PPL Center.
The first period, had no scoring, but plenty of back and forth action. Lehigh Valley had 
two power plays and couldn’t convert. Providence had arguably the best chance of the period. With the Phantoms’ Austin Fyten off for interference, Seth Griffith hit the post behind Phantoms’ netminder Anthony Stolarz. The home team had two great chances in the frame Adam Comrie had a shot from the point snagged with a great glove save by Bruins’ goalie Jeremy Smith. Then, Scott Laughton was stoned on the doorstep by a sparkling pad save with 40 seconds left.
The visitors busted the game wide open in the second with four unanswered goals, and it didn’t take long. Ryan Spooner got his 7th of the season just eight seconds into the period when a shot from just inside the near faceoff circle beat Stolarz top shelf to the glove side.
Phantoms’ Jay Rosehill had a goal disallowed at 8:21 when it was determined he punched a puck in with his hand, and things really started to spiral. Three goals in less than six minutes, including Spooner’s second of the night essentially sealed the game for the visitors. Those goals also chased Stolarz from the game as he was replaced by Martin Ouellette.
In the third, the Bruins went into a defensive shell to protect the lead, although the Phantoms did manage to break up Jeremy Smith’s shutout bid. Petr Straka muscled the rebound of a Nick Cousins shot through Smith’s legs to get the home team on the board. Unfortunately, that was all they could muster as Providence simply outplayed the Phantoms’ for the final two periods. Lehigh Valley returns to action tomorrow night as they host the top-affiliate of the New York Rangers, the Hartford Wolf Pack.
Notes: Brett Hextall on if the disallowed goal shifted momentum to the Bruins: “It’s disheartening to get a goal like that waved off. A rebound shot something that we preach, a goal like that, especially when a guy like Rosie scores it lifts the team. For sure, we weren’t happy. I still think before that we needed to be better than we were, just as far as execution and our energy level. Having guys step up and bring the energy to try and get us momentum.” Terry Murray on the message to the team heading into tomorrow’s game: “There is no message right now. I didn’t even address the team after the game. We talked after the first and second period…There’s some time that the players need to get ahold of this thing and think about what they have to do also.” 3 Stars: 3) PRO-Jeremy Smith (26 Saves on 27 shots) 2) PRO-Ryan Spooner (2 Goals, +1) 1) PRO-Colin Stuart (2 Goals and an assist, +1)
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