Hartford, CT – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms blasted home three power-play markers in their first away game of the season as part of a 5-1 triumph against the Hartford Wolf Pack.
Greg Carey scored two goals against his younger brother’s team and late in the game found iron in his close-call bid for a hat trick. Jordan Weal was on the ice for all five 
Phantoms goals and scored his first goal in a Phantoms jersey while chipping in two helpers. T.J. Brennan also had a three-point night with a goal and two assists. Danick Martel opened the scoring with his team-leading third goal of the season.
Hartford’s lone strike came on a shorthander breakaway for Marek Hrivik that blemished an otherwise perfect night from Anthony Stolarz who turned in a very strong 32-save performance in the win.
The Phantoms equaled their best mark for most power-play goals in a game since arriving in the Lehigh Valley having also been accomplished four times previously, most recently on February 10, 2016 against Binghamton.
The Phantoms improved their record to 2-1-1 with an all-around effort that had the Wolf Pack on their heels for much of the night. Hartford slipped to 3-3-0. It was the second of eight meetings this season between the Atlantic Division foes with third encounter scheduled for next Wednesday in a morning visit to XL Center.
Chris Conner chased down a puck behind the Hartford zone and flipped a fine assist to winger Danick Martel knifing in from the right circle for a far-post conversion just 4:14 into the game.
Jordan Weal’s first in a Phantoms jersey and first AHL goal since 2014-15 came on the rebound of a Will O’Neill drive from the left boards. O’Neill’s effort for the far post was repelled by the left pad of Magnus Hellburg but the big goalie was not able to recover to the other side for Weal’s offering from the right circle.
Weal was third in the American Hockey League in scoring with the Manchester Monarchs two seasons ago accumulating 69 points including 49 assists. He was also the Calder Cup Playoffs Most Valuable Player. Now the North Vancouver native is finding his stride with his new teammates in Lehigh Valley.
The Phantoms built on their 2-0 lead with back-to-back power-play strikes in the second period. Greg Carey was on the receiving end of some crisp and impressive tic-tac-toe passing from Jordan Weal and Andy Miele and Hellburg had no chance on the one-timer from the right circle.
Hellburg made way for Mackenzie Skapski at that point but another power-play opportunity would stretch Lehigh Valley’s advantage to 4-0 less than three minutes later. T. J. Brennan’s blast bounced through Skapski’s efforts to try to keep up with the puck movement.
The Phantoms were looking to make it three-straight power-play strikes but Nicklas Jensen had other ideas with a home-run pass catching Marek Hrivik in stride who went top shelf on his shorthanded breakaway at 14:30 into the second.
Carey’s goal at 16:08 into the third period from the left of the cage assisted by Miele and Brennan would complete the scoring. Shortly after his goal, Carey offered another drive from the left circle in an effort for the team’s first hat trick of the season but his bid rang off the post and bounced away.
The Phantoms out shot Hartford 39-33. Lehigh Valley was 3-for-6 on the power play while Hartford was limited to an 0-for-5 performance.
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