After a crushing 2-1 defeat in Game 1 of the Atlantic Division Semifinals, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms will look to even things up on Saturday night against the Hershey Bears.
The Phantoms trailed most of the game and relied on goaltender Cal Petersen to keep them within striking distance before Tanner Laczynski pulled them to within a goal with 4:32 remaining in the third period.
Hunter Shepard was spectacular in goal for Hershey, stopping 30 of 31 shots while Hendrix Lapierre and Henrik Rybinski scored for the Bears. Rybinski’s first goal of the playoffs stood as the game-winner.
Shepard led all AHL goaltenders in the regular season in save percentage (.929) and goals against average (1.76) while going 27-4-3 with 5 shutouts. Backup goaltender Clay Stevenson led the league in shutouts with 7, respectively, and put up an impressive 27-4-3 record with a .922 SV% and 2.06 GAA. Safe to say, Hershey owns the best goaltending tandem in the AHL.
Regardless of who Lehigh Valley battles, they’ll need more offensive production. Despite a five-goal outburst in their series-clinching game against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last round, the Phantoms only scored two goals in Game 1 of that series and one goal in Game 1 against Hershey.
Tanner Laczynski has 3 goals in 3 playoff games, and then Emil Andrae, Rhett Gardner, Ronnie Attard, Adam Brooks, and Jacob Gaucher have 1 goal each. Louie Belpedio leads the club this postseason in assists and points with 4, respectively.
But with how much talent Hershey added after the Capitals sent down Hendrix Lapierre, Ivan Miroshnichenko, Hardy Häman Aktell, Vincent Iorio, Lucas Johansen, Dylan McIlrath, it will come down to Cal Petersen to hold the fort once again like he has all postseason so far.
The 29-year-old netminder stopped 45 of 50 shots and recorded a goals against average of 2.64 against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and then stopped 26 of 28 shots against Hershey in Game 1. He has easily been the Phantoms’ best player in the Calder Cup Playoffs and will need to continue to be that if the Phantoms want to even the series.
Series: Hershey leads Lehigh Valley, 1-0
When: 7:00pm ET
Where: Giant Center, Hershey, PA
Broadcast Info: AHL TV, Phantoms365 App
Last Game (Game 1): LVP 2-3 HER
LVP Goalie: Cal Petersen (2-1, .910 SV%, 2.33 GAA, 0 SO)
HER Goalie: Hunter Shepard (1-0, .968 SV%, 1.00 GAA, 0 SO)
LVP Projected Lineup
28 Olle Lycksell – #9 Tanner Laczynski – #23 Bobby Brink
#24 Adam Brooks – #22 Rhett Gardner – #20 Cooper Marody
#17 Garrett Wilson – #56 Jacob Gaucher – #13 Brendan Furry
#10 Ethan Polei – #16 JR Avon
#37 Adam Ginning – #12 Ronnie Attard
#6 Emil Andrae – #7 Louie Belpedio
#19 Hunter McDonald – #2 Helge Grans
#98 Victor Mete
#40 Cal Petersen
(#35 Alexei Kolosov)
HER Projected Lineup
#12 Alex Limoges – #29 Hendrix Lapierre – #28 Ethen Frank
#21 Joe Snively – #15 Jimmy Huntington – #18 Pierrick Dubé
#10 Ivan Miroshnichenko – #19 Mike Vecchione – #11 Matthew Phillips
#45 Matt Strome – #38 Henrik Rybinski – #44 Bogdan Trineyev
#27 Aaron Ness – #42 Dylan McIlrath
#5 Lucas Johansen – #22 Chase Priskie
#7 Hardy Häman Aktell – #26 Logan Day
#30 Hunter Shepard
(#31 Clay Stevenson)
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