Power Play and Petersen Stave off Elimination
May 8, 2024
Allentown, PA – We will see you at PPL Center on Saturday night! The Lehigh Valley Phantoms fended off elimination and forced Game 4 of the Atlantic Division Semifinals courtesy of a 2-0 win over the Hershey Bears on Wednesday night. Emil Andrae and Olle Lycksell both hit pay-dirt on the man-advantage in the first period, and Cal Petersen turned aside all 22 shots faced for the shutout. Hershey now leads the Best-of-Five series by a 2-1 margin.
An “Orange Out” theme brightened Downtown Allentown, and a tremendous start by the Phantoms to open Game 3 brightened the fan’s spirits. Only five minutes into the contest, Lehigh Valley went to work on the game’s first power play and took full advantage. Andrae tallied at the 5:44 mark for his second goal of the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs with a center-point blast. A wicked wrister through a crowded slot beat Hershey netminder Hunter Shepard clean for Andrae’s second goal of the postseason.
Olle Lycksell earned the primary helper on the game’s first goal, and doubled his club’s lead less than two minutes later. Again on the man-advantage, Lycksell was knocked off his skates near the side of the net but somehow found daylight. Sliding to the ice, Lycksell alluded Shepard and saw the puck bank off his skate blade and into the Hershey net at 7:28.
Hershey pressed at the end of the first period, but Petersen delivered two key stops to keep the Phantoms in front and the fan’s rally towels in motion.
Leading 2-0 after 20 minutes, the Phantoms played sound hockey to absolutely suffocate Hershey in the neutral zone. The story for the remainder of Lehigh Valley’s 2-0 triumph was a perfect penalty kill, board battles being won, and timely stops by Petersen.
The Phantoms’ PK shined in the second period with a successful kill of six total minutes at a disadvantage. But while playing 5-on-5, Lehigh Valley held Hershey to only one shot on goal in the middle stanza.
One more successful penalty kill for good measure in the third period completed a perfect 5-for-5 night. Despite a late push by the Bears with Shepard pulled for the extra attacker, Hershey was limited to only six shots in the final frame.
Petersen’s shutout marked the first of his Calder Cup Playoffs career which spans across 11 games and three different postseasons. The fifth-year pro is now 3-2 in the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs with a sparkling 2.21 goals-against…
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