The Lehigh Valley Phantoms are still alive in the Atlantic Division Semifinals after a 2-0 win in Game Three. Back on home ice, the Phantoms struck twice and clamped down defensively to hold off the Hershey Bears. The decision makes a fourth game necessary on Saturday night at PPL Center. Cal Petersen earned the shutout with 22 saves.
The Peaks and the Valleys
Wednesday’s game was a different type of tilt between the two perpetual rivals. Lehigh Valley clogged the lanes and played a suffocating style of hockey. Two power play goals early in play from Emil Andrae and Olle Lycksell proved to be the difference offensively. Although it’s a new style of play for this series, it’s not an unfamiliar one in 12 regular season tilts.
Special teams played a huge part in deciding this game. Lehigh Valley capitalized on their first two chances on the power play and went two-for-three overall. Hershey, meanwhile, came up empty in five attempts including nearly six straight minutes of time in the second period. The Bears didn’t manage much on the power play in terms of shots, registering just 11 in the last 40 minutes of play. It all added up to a subpar effort for the Chocolate and White.
Petersen’s Prowess
Petersen turned in a solid effort, particularly going long stretches without seeing a shot on goal. He came up with a few solid stops to prevent the Bears from getting any life when the puck did reach him. Hunter Shepard made some nice stops to keep his team in it including a nice scorpion-style stop. The game was light on ten-bell action for either goaltender, but the masked men did well.
Wednesday’s game was the peak performance for Lehigh Valley’s gritty style. The Phantoms used their physical style to often wear the Bears down and pin them in their own zone. It wasted valuable time off the clock for Hershey to try and erase the deficit. It’s just the third time between the regular season and the playoffs that the Bears have been shut out. Two of those games have now come at the hands of the Phantoms.
Turning the Page
“I’m very disappointed in our group,” Bears head coach Todd Nelson said. “Very disappointed. We weren’t prepared right away, we talked about being prepare for the first five to ten minutes. The game was lost right there. Our special teams were horrendous.”
“The biggest thing was a lack of compete. Nobody finished their checks out there. No one’s going to give the game to us. We have to take it from them.”
The Bears will have to reset and find their game on Saturday. Although the Phantoms played their style to perfection, the Bears have yet to tap into their full potential. Between Hershey’s issues on special teams and lackluster even strength play, it’s a game to throw away entirely. Nelson’s bunch needs to get back to Hershey Bears hockey in order to close out the series on Saturday. Otherwise, all bets are off for a fifth and decisive game on Sunday.
