Springfield, MA – The Phantoms looked to snap the T-Birds 5 game winning streak. Lehigh Valley had earned at least a point in each of their last 3 games. These two clubs faced off on Saturday night in the same building, Springfield winning that game in overtime. The Thunderbirds held off the Phantoms 4 – 2, snapping Lehigh Valley’s point streak and extending their winning streak to 6. October’s Player of the Month for the AHL, Adam Gaudette netted two goals for the Thunderbirds in the morning win.
The Phantoms were caught napping, Matthew Peca and Adam Gaudette went the other way taking advantage of Laczynski’s turnover in Lehigh Valley’s offensive zone. A beautiful back door feed from Peca to Gaudette put the Thunderbirds up just 20 seconds into the morning contest. Springfield received a couple of power play chances in the frame, but they failed to convert on both of them. Wade Allison knotted things up late in the period. A snipe past the glove of Subban at 16:04.
In the first period, in the second both teams notched a tally. Huch McGing set up the Springfield goal. Intercepting Attard’s pass and going the other way for another 2-on-1 break, Mackenzie MacEachern potted home his third of the season on the one-timer at 13:02. Cooper Marody netted the Phantoms tally, a snipe from the top of the right circle to the upper left corner past the netminder, a power-play goal at 15:53. Jordy Bellerive dropped the mitts with Thunderbirds winger, Will Bitten at the 16:57 mark of the period.
If I said it was all T-Birds I’d be wrong. A frustrating frame for Lehigh Valley, they had the chances just couldn’t find twine. Springfield could find the back of the net though, Adam Gaudette netted his 2nd of the contest, 11th of the season walking through the defense and dangling past the lost goaltender Cahagen at 12:49. Phantoms received a power play chance near the 15-minute mark of the frame, but failed to convert on the man advantage. Hugh McGing capped off his two-point game, with an empty netter at 18:58. Springfield outshot the Phantoms in the period as they did for the whole contest. Shots for the game 32 – 24 in favor of Springy.
Malcolm Subban, the winning netminder stopped 22 of the 24 shots he faced. Parker Cahagen on the other stopped 28 of the 31 T-Birds shots he saw.
Lehigh Valley moves to (4-4-2-0) and the Thunderbirds after having a slow start, now with their sixth straight win move to (6-5-0-0).
The Phantoms look to bounce back this weekend, they host the defending Calder Cup Champs. They kick off the home-and-home series Saturday night at PPL Center. They cap off the weekend series in Hershey, on Sunday afternoon.
MassMutual Center | Springfield, MA
