By Michael Heilman
The Lehigh Valley Phantoms headed to the North of the border to take on the Laval Rocket Friday night at the Place Bell. The Phantoms have been going the wrong way as of late losing four straight and looking to end the losing streak. The Phantoms did get back Morgan Frost, who was in the lineup.
The Phantoms spent the first period chasing Laval around the ice. Laval struck first at four minutes and twenty-five seconds into the first period on a goal by Jake Evans (8) with assists from Gustov Olofsson (10) and Charles Hudon (3) to put Laval up 1-0. Late into the first period, a hooking call was against Phantoms forward Maksim Sushko sending Laval on the power play. Laval extended the lead 2-0 on a power-play goal by Charles Hudon (16) with assists from Xavier Ouellet (7) and Riley Barber (13). Laval Rocket led the Phantoms 2-0 as the first period ended.
Things did not improve for the Phantoms in the second period as they continued to follow Laval on the ice and did not do much at all. Laval added another goal twelve minutes and twenty-three seconds in the second period by Evan McEneny (2) with an assist from Riley Barber (14) to make it a 3-0 Laval lead. The Phantoms could not respond at all for the remaining of the second period as Laval led 3-0 at the end of the second period.
Laval struck again eleven seconds into the third period on a goal by Xavier Ouellet (7) with assists from Yannick Veilleux (2) and Michael McCarron (7) to further Laval’s lead 4-0. The Phantoms played slightly better in the third period getting to the puck but couldn’t get a goal as Rocket goalie Cayden Primeau, the son of former Flyers Center Keith Primeau, stopped every shot the Phantoms took. The Phantoms did show something on the ice as punches were thrown late in the third period as Kurtis Gabriel was called for unsportsmanlike conduct and roughing ending his night as Caren Twarynski served Gabriel’s penalty. The Laval Rocket shut out the Lehigh Valley Phantoms 4-0 as the Phantoms have now lost five straight games.
Laval had thirty-four shots on goal, and the Phantoms only had twenty. The Phantoms went zero for three on the power play while Laval was one for three. Phantoms goalie Jean Francois-Berube made thirty of thirty-four saves allowing four goals while Rocket goalie Cayden Primeau stopped all twenty shots.
The three stars of the game were Rocket goalie Cayden Primeau with twenty saves, Rocket center Charles Hudon with one goal and one assist, and Rocket right-winger Riley Barber with two assists.
The Phantoms continue their trip to the North of the border Saturday night as they head to the CAA Arena to take on the Belleville Senators at 7 pm.
  (players total for the year)
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