LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms had plenty of chances Friday night, but ultimately came up short on all ends losing 4-0 to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Lehigh Valley went 0 for 7 on the power play and just could not find a way to beat Matt Murray or the posts behind him. The loss comes against a team that was tops 
in the division and conference heading in, and they proved why early on.
Wilkes-Barre got on the board quick scoring just 2:49 into the game, right after a penalty to Taylor Leier had expired. Tim Erixon would float a shot from the point that looked to be deflected in the slot with a high stick, but there would be no review on the play. Deflecting the puck past Anthony Stolarz was Dominik Simon, and despite an argument with the officials from Stolie, the goal would stand and put the Pens up 1-0. The Phantoms would get back two chances on the power play, but thanks to great saves by Murray and a post or two the game remained 1-0. The Penguins got a man advantage of their own at 14:27. Aaron Palushaj would go hard to the net and crash into Murray, and Wilkes-Barre went right to work and added to their lead. Connor Sheary set himself up in the slot and slid a perfect pass to Scott Wilson at the bottom of the near side circle. Wilson wasted no time unloading a one timer that beat Stolarz top corner on his glove side to extend the lead at 14:59. That would be all the Penguins would need, but they would keep adding on.
The Second period started just like the first, with a team going on the man advantage under a minute into the frame. This time, it would be Lehigh Valley getting the opportunity, but it would be to no avail once again. The penalty killing unit for the Penguins would remain strong, and kill off two more before the end of the period. The game would stay deadlocked at 2-0 until late in the period, when a beautiful tic tac toe play would put the Pens up three. Will O’Neill skated down the near side boards and found Carter Rowney on the side of the net. Rowney back handed a pass through the crease past Sam Morin to a waiting Simon who would pot his second of the night before Stolarz could get back across. The game was all Wilkes-Barre all the time, and that would not change in the third.
Each team would get three chances on the power play in the third, and, as you can probably guess by now, only one would be capitalized on. The Penguins would score yet again on another tic tac toe play, as Wilson would end up with his second goal of the night as well. On a beautiful zone entry on the man advantage, Sheary would make a spinning pass to veteran forward Tom Kostopoulos, who threw a nice feed cross ice to a crashing Wilson. Wilson was able to tip the puck over Stolarz in midair and put the game on ice. With a 4-0 score, tensions were bound to boil over. With 4:14 left in the third, Petr Straka would take a boarding minor, and after his hit, all hell broke loose. Derrick Pouliot tied up Straka with a few punches, gaining himself a roughing minor, and the rest of the guys on the ice jumped in to aid their team mates in the matchup. All in all, when the final horn sounded, Murray skated off stealing his fourth shutout of the year, and the Phantoms skated off with nothing to show for a hard worked effort at home on Friday night.
The Phantoms have to put their second time going scoreless on the year behind them fast, as the Springfield Falcons come into PPL Center on Saturday night. Lehigh Valley will look to at least come a way with one goal, with the annual Teddy Bear Toss taking place during the game. That first Phantoms goal will cause thousands of Teddy Bears to rain down on the PPL Center ice, all for local kids who are in need this holiday season. They’ll also be looking to be heading out of the weekend with a split of their back to back, and will try to exact revenge on the Penguins at home on Wednesday.
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