The Lehigh Valley Phantoms opened their doors Saturday night at PPL Center and let in 7,830 people along with their stuffed friends. It was Teddy Bear Toss Night in downtown Allentown, with every stuffed animal being thrown on the ice after the Phantoms scored their first goal being donated to Valley Youth House for kids this holiday season.
While the Phantoms beat the Rochester Americans, 4-2, in the 60-minute game, it took less than a minute to get the festivities of the night started.
It took only 59 seconds for the Phantoms to unleash the furry fury, with Nicolas Aube-Kubel lighting the lamp to bring the teddy bear toss to full effect. A two-on-one between Aube-Kubel and Danick Martel ended with Martel sending a saucer pass across the slot. Aube-Kubel got the backhand of his stick on the puck and tipped it into the net.
The Phantoms added to their lead just over three minutes later, on another below the goalline pass by Chris Conner. Instead of sticking with his signature no look backhand feed, Conner decided to fully spin around and dish the puck to a waiting Radel Fazleev. Fazleev, a two-time teddy bear toss goal scorer himself during his time with the Calgary Hitmen, took the pass and put it off the back of Rochester goalie John Muse to make it 2-0.
Rochester got themselves off the board shortly after a man advantage in their favor expired. Keeping the Phantoms from clearing the puck out of their zone, the Americans pressed hard and eventually got the break they needed. Mac Bennett spun away from a defender at the far side wall and skated toward the slot, where he centered a feed for Alex Nylander. Nylander tapped in a point-blank shot to cut the Phantoms lead to one.
The second period started with an early power play to Rochester to give them a chance to tie the game. Reece Willcox went off for holding just 12 seconds into the period, putting the Phantoms into a pivotal penalty kill. Alex Lyon and the Phantoms 14th-ranked PK stood tall and kept their one-goal lead.
A minute after the penalty expired, Lehigh Valley's hard work paid off, as they were able to put themselves back up by two goals. Martel was down below the goal line and found Jordan Weal pinching toward the net down the near side wall. Martel threaded a pass to Weal, which he then snapped passed Muse in a hole he found between the goaltender and the post to make it 3-1.
It took Rochester a while to recover, but they started to press toward the halfway point of the period, and were able to make it a one goal game again. A cross ice feed from Cal O'Reilly found the tape of Eric Cornell, who put the puck passed Lyon on the glove hand side to make it 3-2. Setting up for another hard fought third period between these two teams.
Despite both teams getting great opportunities throughout the opening minutes of the third, it took almost 14 minutes for anything to be recorded on the score sheet. Cole Schneider, trying to relieve the pressure in his own end, accidently cleared the puck directly out over the glass for a delay of game minor.
The Phantoms made it a two goal game yet again on the ensuing power play, with T.J. Brennan scoring the goal. Brennan accepted a pass from Andy Miele at the top of the farside circle, and wound up and blasted a shot that just barely snuck through Muse to make it 4-2.
Rochester took a gutsy move by pulling Muse for the extra attacker with more than three minutes remaining, but being down two goals, it was all they could do. The Americans got good looks at the net, but Lyon came up with the clutch saves when he needed to. With 1:15 left in the game, Rochester took their timeout to try to draw up a play to get them back into the game.
Whatever play they drew up, the Phantoms spoiled it and held on for the 4-2 win and the sweep of the back to back. Lyon made 25 saves to improve to 10-5-2 on the season, while Aube-Kubel had a three point night and Martel and Weal each had two point nights. 11 different Phantoms recorded points on the night, helping the team to their second straight win. The Phantoms now turn their attention to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, who come to Allentown on Wednesday night.
Notes
- Jordan Weal's two point night(goal, assist) gives him 26 points in just 23 games for the Phantoms. That total ties him for 4th in the AHL in points.
- Alex Lyon's win tonight ties him for second place among all AHL goalies with 10.
- T.J. Brennan's power-play marker tonight has given him the league lead in power play goals by a defenseman. The goal also has him second overall in goals by a defenseman and 2nd overall in total points by a defenseman as well.
Quotes
Jordan Weal on the team's slow starts lately, but how the team has benefitted from them: "I think when we've had a couple slow starts these last few games, we've been playing good hockey, it's just been a couple bounces against us that have put us behind the eightball. But the good thing about our team is we are resilient, and when we get down one goal or two goals, or three for that matter, we keep fighting. We keep playing the same game that creates offense and that's the way we win hockey games. So that's where I think we've been at our best, is our resiliency."
Nicolas Aube-Kubel on his Teddy Bear Toss goal, and the fast start the team got off to tonight: "It was very fun for me, it's my first goal at home, it was a big one. Thanks for the help on that one from Marty [Martel]. Getting the 2-0 lead was very important, and getting out of the first period with a lead was huge."
Danick Martel on the fast start, and how the momentum can shift with a long delay because of the Teddy Bear Toss: "Getting this goal right at the beginning of the game, with all the teddy bears on the ice, it's different if it happens in the second period if we have momentum and we get that goal, then have to wait five to 10 minutes to get the bears off the ice? I think it's better to get it in the first minute and that's what we did tonight."
3 Stars
3. Danick Martel (LV) – 2 Assists, +2
2. Nicolas Aube-Kubel (LV) – Goal, Assist, +1
1. Jordan Weal (LV) – Goal, Assist, +1
