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Phantoms Down, 0-2; Memorial Cup Update

May 21, 2018, 3:08 AM ET [179 Comments]
Bill Meltzer
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • RSSArchiveCONTACT
PHANTOMS DROP 3-2 DECISION IN OT, TRAIL EASTERN CONFERENCE FINAL, 0-2

The Lehigh Valley Phantoms really have their work cut out for them now against the Toronto Marlies. The first two games of the Eastern Conference Final at the Ricoh Coliseum were both hard-fought contests that could have gone either way. Both ultimately went the Marlies' way.

With the series shifting to Allentown for Games 3, 4 and 5 (if necessary), Toronto is now in the driver's seat. After winning Game 1 by a 4-3 count on Saturday, the Marlies prevailed in overtime on Sunday by a 3-2 final.

The Phantoms held two short-lived leads in Game 2 but were heavily outplayed early in the game. It was primarily the play of goaltender Alex Lyon who got the Phantoms through a slew of early penalties and a 20-9 shot disadvantage in the first period (including 9-0 to start the game) to keep his team in the thick of the game. He finished with 44 saves on 47 shots in a losing cause.

Phantoms rookies Mark Friedman (2nd goal of the playoffs) and Mikhail Vorobyev (1st) scored in regulation. Toronto responded quickly both times with tallies from Trevor Moore (power play, 4th) and Carl Grundström (5th). Finally, Miro Aaltonen won the game for the Marlies in overtime on his fourth goal of the playoffs and third of the series.

Toronto goaltender Garrett Sparks took first-star honors in Game 2, stopping 35 of 37 shots. His best work came in the extra frame, with a 10-bell save on Phantoms defenseman T.J. Brennan very shortly before Aaltonen scored the game-winner.

Earlier in OT, it appeared as if the Phantoms may have won the game. From in front of the net, Mike Vecchione elevated a backhander toward the crossbar. The top of the net bulged from a defenseman's stick brushing it from under the crossbar. The red light came on but the referee waved no goal. A lengthy replay delay ensued but the correct no-goal call was ultimately made.

From one angle, it looked like the puck may have flown up and through the mesh from beneath the crossbar. However, other angles clearly showed the puck never entered the net and merely sailed over the crossbar.

The Phantoms had other chances to win the game in OT, but couldn't capitalize. Greg Carey had Sparks beaten upstairs but shot over the net. Vorobyev and Danick Martel were unable to convert a 2-on-1 opportunity. Brennan was robbed by Sparks. Then Aaltonen scored on Toronto's sixth shot of the extra frame.

For the Phantoms, the loss was a disappointing end to the late afternoon and early evening. The club will now have to regroup and must win at least two out of three at home to send the series back to Toronto. The Marlies are now 7-0 at home in the Calder Cup playoffs.

The Phantoms got in early penalty trouble, taking four minor penalties in the first 25 minutes of the game. The penalty kill, largely thanks to Lyon, went 4-for-5. The power play went 0-for-2, with both opportunities coming in the second period.

The Marlies generated each of the first nine shots on goal in the game, spanning the first 7:35 of the opening period. Greg Carey, who took the game's first penalty (hooking at 5:19), finally got the first Lehigh Valley shot on goal.

Despite the heavy early shot disadvantage, the Phantoms made it a 1-0 game at 7:54. On the rush, righthanded shooting defenseman Friedman took a cross-ice feed from defense partner Brennan. From between the right dot and hash marks, Friedman fired off a shot that beat Sparks cleanly. The secondary assist went to Martel.

The Phantoms lead lasted just 1:40. Travis Sanheim made an impressive rush up the right side, beating a defender and cutting in front of the net on the forehand. Unfortunately, he bumped into Sparks as the goalie moved to the edge of the crease. Sanheim was tagged with a goalie interference penalty, putting Toronto on the power play at 9:14.

At the 9:34 mark, the Marlies tied the game at 1-1. From near the net, Moore re-directed a Calle Rosén shot past Lyon and into the net. Chris Mueller got the secondary assist for his 7th helper of the playoffs.

The Phantoms subsequently killed off a Colin McDonald interference minor. Lehigh Valley generated its best pressure of the opening frame in the late minutes, including a scramble around the net in which Phil Varone, Oskar Lindblom and Chris Conner all had cracks at a loose puck near the doorstep but none could stash it home. First period shots were 20-9 Marlies.

The second period started much the way the first went, with Toronto outshooting the Phantoms and Lehigh Valley having to kill yet another penalty; this time another Carey hooking penalty at 4:55. Once again, Lyon and the penalty killers in front stepped up to get the job done.

Midway through the middle frame, the Phantoms had consecutive power plays but could not capitalize on either after scoring a pair of PPGs in the series opener on Saturday. The first advantage saw the Phantoms generate almost no pressure until rookie defenseman Philippe Myers generate a couple of shots from up high with traffic in front. The second power play saw much better puck movement and pressure from the Phantoms but no goal.

The Marlies nearly took a lead at 13:44 of the middle frame. Lyon was helpless to stop Andreas Johansson from point-blank range with lots of net staring at the Swedish winger but Johnsson shanked the shot and no harm resulted. Lehigh Valley then generated a push in the latter stages of the period, including a dominating shift by the Varone line, but the game remained deadlocked at 1-1.

Second period shots were 10-9 in Toronto's favor (30-18 Marlies through 40 minutes). The third period was another back-and-forth frame, with both teams having runs of pressure in a penalty-free stanza.

The Phantoms very briefly took a 2-1 lead at the 5:12 mark of the third period. Vorobyev wiped out in the right corner, colliding with the ref, and going down to the ice. Both men were OK. The mini-mishap ended up working out in the Phantoms' favor. Toronto lost track of Vorobyev momentarily, and he was able to get up, skate untouched from the corner to the right circle near the hash marks, where he found a turned-over loose puck and quickly fired it past Sparks for an unassisted goal.

The Marlies re-tied the game at 2-2 just 23 seconds later. The Phantoms' Varone line had a quick scoring chance but could not capitalize. Pinching defenseman Reece Willcox got caught up ice and Toronto's Grundström led an odd-man rush the other way and scored an unassisted goal at the 5:35 mark.

In the latter half of the third period, both teams hit the post in bids for their respective third goals of the game. The Lehigh Valley defense pairing of Sanheim and Myers turned in some of its best two-way work of the game as the pace picked up. Ultimately, the game went to overtime, still squared away at 2-2. Third period shots were 12-11 in the Phantoms favor (41-30 Marlies through regulation).

The Phantoms the better of the early play in OT, including the near-miss Vecchione opportunity. that resulted in a five-minute replay delay to make sure the puck never entered the net. On replay, the play was clearly not a goal, nor did the Phantoms expect the play to be ruled in their favor.

Overtime shots ended up 7-6 in the Phantoms favor (47-37 Marlies for the game) but Toronto got the one that mattered most. At 10:59, a centering pass from Johnsson found Aaltonen atop the goal crease, and the Finn scored from the doorstep to end the game. Rosén garnered the secondary assist on the game-winning goal.

Game 3 will be at the PPL Center on Wednesday night. Game 4 is on Friday. If needed, Game 5 will be in Allentown on Saturday. If the Phantoms succeed in winning at least two of three at home, Game 6 would be in Toronto on Monday, May 28. A Game 7 with a trip to the Calder Cup Finals at stake would be in Toronto on May 30.

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MEMORIAL CUP: TITAN IMPROVE TO 2-0-0

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League champion Acadie-Bathurst Titan earned a wild 8-6 win over the 2018 Memorial Cup tournament host Regina Pats on Sunday night. John Paddock's team put on a four-goal blitz in the third period to pull within 7-6 but a buzzer-beating empty netter for the Titan sealed the win. Acadie Bathurst lead 3-1 after third period and 6-2 at the second intermission.

Flyers 2016 first-round pick German Rubtsov played his second straight quietly efficient all-around game. He also posted a secondary assist on a Jeffrey Truchon-Viel power play goal midway through the second period. Truchon-Viel tallied a pair of goals for the Titan.

The big star for the Titan on Sunday, however, was defenseman Noah Dobson. The gifted Dobson further solidified his status as a likely top-10 pick in the 2018 NHL Draft with a four-point evening (two goals, two assists) and seven shots on goal.

With back-to-back wins on the weekend over the Western Hockey League champion Swift Current Broncos (0-0-1) and the WHL's Pats (1-1-0), the Titan are in good shape in the round robin. On Monday night, Flyers prospect Matthew Strome and the Ontario Hockey League champion Hamilton Bulldogs (0-1-0) take on Swift Current. Game time is 8:00 p.m. EDT.

On Tuesday, the Bulldogs and Titan wrap up their respective portions of the round-robin with a head-to-head clash that pits Strome's squad against Rubtsov's team. The next night, fellow WHL teams Swift Current and Regina play each other.
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