(Allentown) The Laval Rocket had a very bad third period and lost 4-3 on Friday to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Posted yesterday at 9:55 p.m.
The Rocket (26-20-3-0) led by one goal after two periods of play, but the team collapsed in the third period conceding two goals and taking three penalties preventing them from returning to the game. The Phantoms outshot 17-4 in the period.
The Phantoms (19-24-7-3) scored their first win in seven games. Wade Allison scored the game-winning goal in the third period. Cal O’Reilly, Logan Day and Max Willman also scored. Allison and O’Reilly also had two assists each.
Goaltender Felix Sandstrom earned the win turning aside 21 shots.
On the Rocket side, Kevin Roy, Rafaël Harvey-Pinard and Justin Ducharme found the back of the net. Defender Terrance Amorosa had two assists. The loss went to Kevin Poulin, who made 34 saves.
Cal O’Reilly opened the scoring at 16:55 of the first period for the Phantoms
Kevin Roy replied less than two minutes later for the Rocket. He took advantage of a good play by Gabriel Bourque which caused the Phantoms defender to lose the puck on his blue line. Roy then grabbed the loose disc to race down the left flank to the keeper and beat him with a wrist shot in the upper part of the short side.
In the second period, the Rocket took control of the game thanks to a goal from Rafaël Harvey-Pinard in the fifth minute of play. He hit the puck in the air on a throwback from Jesse Ylönen.
Then, Justin Ducharme gave the visitors a two-goal cushion on a two-on-one run with Danick Martel at 11:42. Logan Day, however, closed the gap to one goal before the end of the period.
Perhaps whipped by Day’s goal, the Phantoms came out strong in the third period and the tide turned in their favor. Max Willman wasted no time and tied the score at 1:34. Wade Allison then took advantage of a power play to put the home side ahead for good two minutes later.