LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms were shutout for the third time on the season and second time in six days by the same team as they fell to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Wednesday night by a final of 3-0. This is the third consecutive game that Wilkes-Barre has not allowed a goal, which is a new franchise record for the Pens.
Tristan Jarry picked up right where Matt Murray left off in Allentown last Friday, picking up 17 saves of his own in tonights shutout. Wilkes-Barre goalies have now stopped a combined 40 shots in the two games, and proved why they are deserving of the 20-5-0-0 record they currently have.
Wednesday also marked Jason LaBarberas first start in goal since November 8th, as he missed some time due to injury. “Barbs” made 22 saves on the night, including some great ones, but what may have been a mistake due to rust from not playing cost the Phantoms in this one.
In a first period that saw the Phantoms go shot less for almost half to start, and then only get three shots on goal to end, Wilkes-Barre came out guns blazing to assert themselves.
The Baby Pens would throw 11 shots on Labarbera in the first, testing the net minder early and often. “Makes your life a lot easier for sure, theres nothing worse then having that lay off and then be standing around waiting and waiting. Feels good to get shots and have pucks stick to ya” Labarbera said regarding the barrage of shots in the first. Unfortunately for the veteran net minder, the only one of those 11 shots that got through him he may not have seen.
Off a face off to the near side of the Phantoms net, Josh Archibald would get tied up on the dot, but be able to slide a pass down to Ty Lonely. Lonely would throw the puck to the point to Clark Seymour, who would throw a shot on net from long range. Jean-Sebastien Dea had Maxim Lamarche tied up in a screen in front of Labarbera, and when Lamarche went to get out of the line of sight of his goalie, the puck bounced off him and into the net for the first goal of the season for Seymour.
The goal would come at the 9:54 mark of the period, and would be the only goal of the period. Despite a late power play chance for Lehigh, the teams would go in to the room with the score 1-0.
The second would start with Wilkes-Barre killing off the remainder of the power play for the Phantoms, and then giving them another chance not much later. Carter Rowney would go off for a trip at the 2:19 mark, and the Phantoms would have their second power play opportunity.
That would last all of six seconds however, as Taylor Leier would get called for interference to put the teams at four on four. Sam Morin would then be called for closing his hand on the puck in the corner at 3:49 to make it a four on three advantage for the Baby Pens.
Despite Lehighs lack luster penalty kill, they were able to keep Wilkes-Barre off the board on the man advantage all night, causing them to go 0 for 3 and showing the only bright spot for the orange and black on the night. Each team would only muster up five shots a piece for the period, but the one that would find the back of the net for Wilkes-Barre would again come off a very strange play.
Labarbera went to clear a puck from out from behind the net, and when he did, Dea was standing right where he threw the puck to. Labarbera tried to get back in the net, and Andrew MacDonald attempted to help out his goalie, but Dea found a spot to put the puck on his back hand to put Wilkes-Barre up two at the 11:57 mark.
Regarding the play, Labarbera had this to say: “No, I thought our winger was going to be there. Ya know, I’ve made that play my whole career, we wait for that first forechecker to take away the wall to move it(the puck) up that little seem there, but I read it wrong.”
Whether it be rust or just being a step ahead of his team mates, that goal would prove to be the dagger, but not the last one on the night.
Wilkes-Barre would add their third goal at the 13:28 mark on a beautiful play in the third period. 
Will O’Neil started the play going point to point with Tim Erixon to the far side of the Phantoms end. Erixon would send a shot pass cross ice down to Bryan Rust, who would hold, then snap a shot past Labarbera to end the scoring and put it away for the Penguins.
After being the first team to hand the Penguins a home loss at the time, the Phantoms have since not scored a goal against the team, a team they won’t play again till the 27th of this month. Wilkes-Barres three straight games without giving up a goal have been proving just how dominant of a team they are.
Stellar goal tending and top defensive play have them at the top of the Eastern Conference, some where the Phantoms could be very soon with the depth they have ready on the blue line and in the net thanks to Ron Hextall and the Flyers drafting.
While two straight games without a goal against one team is tough to take, the thought of this being what the Phantoms may look like in the future has to be promising. The Phantoms of 2015 hit the ice again of Friday to take on the Hershey Bears in Allentown for the second time in a week.
Game images by Steve.Rusyn@prohockeynews.com
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