LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa – A crowd of 8,439 got to leave PPL Center happy after the Phantoms pulled out a 5-4 shootout win over the Springfield Falcons on Saturday night. A night filled with the fun of a Teddy Bear Toss and a postgame opportunity to skate on the ice with the team made the win all the more sweet for the near sellout crowd. Despite that, the game itself saw long stoppages and a comeback late from the Falcons 
to send it to the shootout Lehigh wound up needing to put this one away.
The game started the way many have lately for Lehigh, with the Phantoms having to kill off a penalty just 2:56 into the game. Mark Alt went off for a trip, and Springfield looked to jump out early. The Falcons had the sure going, but were unable to capitalize on their first man advantage. Maxim Lamarche gave them another chance just three minutes later however, and the Falcons power play went to work again. Yet again a much improved PK for Lehigh went to work, and lead by Anthony Stolarz making stop after stop, the Phantoms sent Springfields power play back to the bench with nothing to show for it. The Phantoms would start a surge of their own following the two kills, and they would capitalize just under three minutes after the last penalty expired. Jay Rosehill found a way to skate down behind the net and spin a pass out in front. The puck ricocheted of Alex Grant and found Andrew MacDonald in between the circles, and he snapped home a shot to unleash the fluffy fury of teddy bears. The Phantoms didn’t have much time to help their fans celebrate the Teddy Bear Toss goal however, because almost right after the bears were taken off the ice, Springfield tied the game. Corey Potter sprung Domenic Morando on what appeared to be a partial break away into the Phantoms zone that defenseman Sam Morin tried his hardest to get back on. Morando skated to the far side circle and let a shot go that may have ramped up of the blade of Morins stick and went top shelf on Stolarz on his glove side. Springfield would give the momentum almost right back however, allowing Lehigh to go to the power play just over five minutes later, and unlike Friday night, the bounces would go the Phantoms way on this night. Nick Cousins wound up and blasted a shot from the point that Nicklas Treutle made the initial stop on. The puck bounced right off him, and landed at the feet of Petr Straka. Straka whiffed hard on his rebound attempt, but got just enough of the puck that it wound up on Taylor Leiers stick on the far side for an easy tap in goal to give the Phantoms the lead. Another lead that would not last very long.
Despite taking their lead into the locker room to end the first, it would not last that long into the second before the game was tied again. Yet again there would be a power play within the first five minutes of a period at PPL Center, this time with Lehigh getting the chance on a slashing call on Laurent Dauphin. More chances and nothing doing yet again on a man advantage for Lehigh, but the Falcons would tie it up 20 seconds after the penalty expired. Dauphin would redeem himself for taking the penalty, by circling behind the Phantoms net and throwing a pass right out in front where Dan O’Donoghue tapped home an easy goal through the five hole of Stolarz who had no clue where the puck was. The teams would trade power plays including two off setting penalties for the rest of the middle frame, with each team getting opportunities but not capitalizing on them. A 14-8 Falcons shot advantage showed the momentum change that occurred during the period, thanks in large part to the tying goal. Much like the trading of penalties in the second, the teams would do the same with goals in the third. And it was in the third where things got a little weird.
It only took 1:29 into the final frame to give Lehigh the lead back, as Danick Martel would give himself a very nice 21st birthday present. Lamarche skated down behind the Falcons net and came to a stop and saw Martel standing on the near side of the cage. He slid a feed to him, and #18 took one step to the front a found a small enough opening to give the Phantoms the one goal lead. They would get another chance to extend the lead just a minute later, as Michael Bunting would go off for a hook at 2:33. It would be Andrew MacDonald yet again, as the man who was loaned back to Allentown from the Flyers earlier in the day found a way to snap his second of the night into the glove side corner of the net. Now there would be a review on the play, as it looked like team captain Colin McDonald may have gotten a high stick on the puck to redirect it in. After a very lengthy review, it was determined to be a good goal and the law firm of MacDonald and McDonald celebrated accordingly. It would take Springfield longer this time, but they again would tie it up. At the 9:41 mark, Jon DiSalvatore skated down the near side boards and threw a shot at Stolarz that he was able to get a blocker on. Stolarz appeared to think he had it in his equipment, but it trickled toward the corner and was tapped in by Dustin Jeffery to pull the Falcons within one. Now it was never clarified what for, but the play was challenged by Head Coach Scott Gordon, but to no avail as it was deemed a good goal and the Phantoms were charged a time out. Springfield would tie the game at the 13:24 mark after taking the momentum back on their last goal. Eric Selleck would benefit off a blasted point shot from former Phantom defenseman Steven Delisle that caught iron behind Stolarz and bounced right to Selleck. Selleck would roof it past the sprawling Phantom net minder to tie the game late. A back and forth scramble would ensue afterward with each team trying to end this one before overtime. The third would end dead even at four, and we would need to drag this one out further to find a winner.
Overtime saw the usual back and forth chaos that most three on threes see, but this one would have an added twist. Aaron Palushaj would get the gate for tripping just 2:17 into the extra session, and the Falcons would set up for a four on three power play. Again Stolarz would be the difference, helping kill the penalty and make four of his 33 saves in the frame. Treutle made just one in the overtime, adding to his 35 save total and sending the game to a shootout. The Phantoms would elect to shoot first, with Gordon taping Leier on the shoulder to shoot first. Leier would score to start the shootout, and Stolarz would stop Jeffrey at the other end to bring the first round to a close. Straka would get the nod for the second round for Lehigh, and he would pull off a beautiful forehand to backhand deke and finish by roofing a shot glove side on Treutle to set up a win if Stolarz could stop DiSalvatore. DiSalvatore tried his hardest, but shot well high and wide off the glass to end the game. While it may not have been the prettiest win for the Phantoms, but two points in the standings, especially against a division foe, is two points. This is the second time the Phantoms have bounced back with a win after being shutout this year, and they’ve scored at least three goals both times. They’ll look to keep the ball rolling and avenge their shutout loss on Friday night when they welcome Wilke-Barre back to PPL Center for the second time in one week on Wednesday night. The top team in the East will be a tough challenge yet again, and it will be interesting to see how the Phantoms approach the game.
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