Nina Weiss/Flyerdelphia
Things had been going well for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms until Saturday when the Bridgeport Sound Tigers paid a visit.
In a rough night for netminder Anthony Stolarz, the Phantoms nearly erased a 5-2 deficit before falling 6-4 on Saturday night at PPL Center.
Bridgeport struck early as Tyler Barnes cut to the slot and fired a wrist shot past Stolarz to give the Sound Tigers the lead at 3:54.
Bridgeport added a second goal in the first at 12:08 with a booming slap shot by Jared Gomes.
The Phantoms got on the board early in the second with a goal by Cole Bardreau just 56 seconds into the period. But Bridgeport held the Phantoms to just four shots in the period and regained the two-goal lead at 10:50 as Mike Halmo beat Stolarz short side with a wrist shot.
Kane Lafranchise extended the lead to three with a power-play goal at 5:11 of the third. The Phantoms answered just over two minutes later as Oskar Lindblom picked up his first professional goal.
With the Phantoms rejuvenated, the pressure started coming to get back in the game, but it was the Sound Tigers getting the next goal. Marc-Andre Cliche scored at 10:55 to put Bridgeport up by three again.
Lindblom deflected home his second goal of the game at 15:55 and the Phantoms added another quick goal with the goalie pulled just 50 seconds later on a goal by Colin McDonald to suddenly make it a one-goal game with 3:15 to play. The Phantoms kept the pressure on but could not find the equalizer as James Wright grabbed an empty-net goal in the final seconds.
Lindblom added an assist for a three-point night. Chris Conner also picked up two assists on the night. Stolarz stopped 24 of 29 shots.
Up Next: The Phantoms hit the road to take on the Sound Tigers in Bridgeport at 5:05 p.m. on Sunday night.
Kevin Durso is managing editor for Flyerdelphia. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Durso.
