Martel Scores 10th as Phantoms Win Streak Snapped at 6

Hartford Snags 5-4 Decision at PPL Center

October 28, 2017

Lehigh Valley, PA – Danick Martel continued his torrid scoring pace with his league-leading 10th goal in just the 10th game of the season but the Lehigh Valley Phantoms dropped a home game for the first time this year falling to the Hartford Wolf Pack 5-4 on Saturday night at PPL Center. Lehigh Valley’s win streak ended at six as they took just their second regulation setback of the season and their first since an October 13th game at Wilkes-Barre.

Oskar Lindblom (2nd) scored for his second consecutive game while Philippe Myers (2nd) and Mark Alt (2nd) also found the back of the net. The Phantoms record moved to 7-2-1 while the Wolf Pack improved to 4-4-1.

Following the game, the Phantoms players met with their fans on the concourse at PPL Center on team autograph night. It was another one of the great fan-interaction evenings for which the Lehigh Valley Phantoms have become so well known.

A wild third period saw the lead change hands back and forth before Hartford eventually prevailed on a game-winning goal from the stick of Cole Schneider (4th) with just 1:43 remaining in regulation from slightly behind the end-line to the side of the cage. 18-year-old talent Filip Chytil scored the tying goal midway through the third in their comeback efforts. He tacked on a couple of assists as well in a three-point night to lead the Pack.

Alex Lyon turned aside 26 Wolf Pack shots while Alexander Georgiev’s 27 saves were enough for the 21-year-old Russian rookie to record his first North American professional victory.

Alexei Bereglazov opened the scoring with his first North American goal at 9:51 into the first period assisted by Schneider and Chytil. That represented the first time for the Phantoms to actually trail on their home ice this season.

The Phantoms scored the first of their two power-play goals on the evening on a left-point slapper from rookie Philippe Myers that eluded Georgiev at 13:11 assisted by Will O’Neill and Greg Carey.

Hartford broke through to break the tie past the midway point of the game with a conversion on the rush. Chytil’s post-shot bounced out to Vinni Lettieri who buried the rebound for a 2-1 Hartford lead which they would enjoy into the second intermission. It was just the second time this year the Phantoms had trailed after two periods.

That set the stage for the wild and wacky third which began with the Phantoms racing out of the gates and scoring a pair of goals in the opening two minutes.

Myers spin-around shot from the point connected with Oskar Lindblom for a deflection to tie the game at 2-2 just 17 seconds in the third. Lindblom’s second goal in the last two games also extended the young Swede’s point streak to four with two goals and four assists for six points in the hot stretch.

Then Danick Martel converted on a sharp-angle from the right side of the cage on the power play at 1:40 assisted by Lindblom and Vecchione pushing the third-year pro to half of his goal total of a season ago while we are still in October.

The 3-2 advantage for the Phantoms would be short-lived and a rebound on the power play came out to Adam Tambellini on the left of the cage who would even the score at 3-3 at just 4:26 into the period. The situation developed when the Phantoms were assessed a strange “objects on ice” bench minor penalty.

It was less than a minute after that for defenseman Mark Alt to follow his own shot that handcuffed Georgiev. His drive from the top of the right circle was juggled by the Hartford goalie and bounced to the opposite of the crease. The deceptively speedy Alt was the first there for the backhand chip at 5:19 and a 4-3 advantage for the Phantoms.

But Hartford had comeback in their veins tonight and in transition Chytil picked up the rebound of his own shot off the pad of Lyon and buried his third of the season at 10:15 to even the score at 4-4.

With 3:00 left in the game, the Phantoms emerged with an odd-man rush that almost put the home team back in front. Martel’s dish across from the right of the cage perfectly connected with Nicolas Aube-Kubel but a leaping Georgiev somehow made it across in time with his best save of the game to keep the game even.

Hartford pressured back into the Phantoms zone moments later and a deflected point shot that thudded off the end-boards was scooped up by Schneider who quickly offered a behind-the-goal shot back out in front that he successfully banked off Lyon from the left of the cage. Schneider’s goal at 1:43 held up as the game-winner and the Wolf Pack successfully snapped the Phantoms win streak.

Shots in the game were even at 31-31. Hartford was 2-for-3 on the power play while the Phantoms finished at 1-for-5.

Lehigh Valley returns to PPL Center on Friday, November 3 when the team hosts the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in another exciting Keystone State Rivalry Showdown. Friday’s game features the annual coat drive presented by WFMZ-69 with the donations going to benefit our friends at the Salvation Army. Only a limited number of tickets remain for Saturday’s game and can be purchased online by clicking HERE.

Hartford Wolf Pack 5 at Lehigh Valley Phantoms 4 – Status: Final
Saturday, October 28, 2017 – PPL Center

Hartford 1 1 3 – 5
Lehigh Valley 1 0 3 – 4

1st Period-1, Hartford, Bereglazov 1 (Schneider, Chytil), 9:51. 2, Lehigh Valley, Myers 2 (O’Neill, Carey), 13:11 (PP). Penalties-Lindblom Lv (tripping), 4:29; Fontaine Hfd (slashing), 10:09; Fogarty Hfd (high-sticking), 12:37; Graves Hfd (cross-checking), 19:35.

2nd Period-3, Hartford, Lettieri 3 (Chytil, Schneider), 13:47 (PP). Penalties-Bardreau Lv (holding), 13:41.

3rd Period-4, Lehigh Valley, Lindblom 2 (Myers), 0:17. 5, Lehigh Valley, Martel 10 (Lindblom, Vecchione), 1:40 (PP). 6, Hartford, Tambellini 5 (Catenacci, Kosmachuk), 4:26 (PP). 7, Lehigh Valley, Alt 2 (O’Neill, Varone), 5:19. 8, Hartford, Chytil 3 (Pionk), 10:15. 9, Hartford, Schneider 4 (Bereglazov), 18:17. Penalties-Lettieri Hfd (slashing), 0:52; served by Martel Lv (bench minor – objects on ice), 2:39; Crawley Hfd (high-sticking), 13:00.

Shots on Goal-Hartford 9-7-15-31. Lehigh Valley 14-8-9-31.
Power Play Opportunities-Hartford 2 / 3; Lehigh Valley 2 / 5.
Goalies-Hartford, Georgiev 1-2-1 (31 shots-27 saves). Lehigh Valley, Lyon 5-2-1 (31 shots-26 saves).
A-7,726
Referees-Corey Syvret (42), Furman South (44).
Linesmen-Libor Suchanek (60), Tom George (61).

Reserve your group outings for the 2017-2018 season of Phantoms hockey. For more information on how to reserve your seat at PPL Center to the hottest ticket in town, call the Phantoms front office today at 610-224-GOAL [4625]!