(Nina Weiss/Sports Talk Philly)
By Tommy Hendricks, Sports Talk Philly staff writer 
The Lehigh Valley Phantoms ended their five-game road trip on a high note Friday with a 4-2 win over the Providence Bruins.
The power play remained red hot for Lehigh Valley and Anthony Stolarz continued his strong play in goal.
Lehigh Valley got the scoring started on the power play early in the first. Matt Bartkowski got called for high-sticking at the 7:34 mark, and the Phantoms would make him pay just 10 seconds later as Mark Zengerle found the back of the net to make it 1-0. Jordan Weal added the assist to get the ball rolling for Lehigh Valley. The assist marked eight on the season for Weal, and the goal Zengerle's fourth.
Anton Blidh tied the game up at one before the end of the period, and despite the Phantoms being 1-for-1 on the power play and controlling the pace, the game was tied after 20 minutes.
The second period had both goalies active as both Stolarz and Subban faced 14 shots a piece. Both goalies were up to the task, with only one shot making it's way through.
That shot came from the stick of Nicolas Aube-Kubel to give the Phantoms the lead. Radel Fazleev and Robert Hagg had the helpers on Aube-Kubel's go-ahead tally. The rest of the intensity really picked up at the end of the period however, as Cole Bardreau and Colby Cave dropped the mitts at the 19:15 mark. Cave was assessed an extra two minutes for roughing, so the Phantoms ended up with a late power play. The power play became a 5-on-3 advantage when Chris Porter took a high sticking minor with just 15 seconds left in the period.
Greg Carey would make sure that the man advantage didn't go to waste early in the third, lighting the lamp just 42 seconds in to make it 3-1. Weal had an assist for his second point of the night, and T.J. Brennan added the other to stay hot from the blue line.
Providence picked up the pace from there, firing 11 shots on Stolarz throughout the period. Jordan Szwarz gave the Bruins life with a tally with 3:37 to play to make it 3-2.
That would be as close as the Bruins would get however, as Stolarz remained strong at held off the late surge. Scott Laughton, who is on a conditioning stint with Lehigh Valley, iced the game with an empty-netter to quiet the Dunkin Donuts Center crowd. The empty-net goal marked Laughton's first as a Phantom since April 10, 2015, in the final game at the Norfolk Scope Arena against the Admirals.
Stolarz put up another strong performance between the pipes, making 27 saves in 29 shots for the win.
The Phantoms return home to PPL Center and turn back the clock for 80s Night against the Springfield Thunderbirds on Saturday night at 7 p.m.
Notes
- The 2-for-5 night on the power play added to Lehigh Valley's ninth-ranked man-advantage, currently holding at a little above 21 percent.
- On the other side of things, Lehigh Valley's 19th-ranked penalty kill held Providence off the board Friday night, holding their percentage at 81 percent.
3 Stars
3rd: Jordan Szwarz (PRO) – Goal, Assist
2nd: Anthony Stolarz (LV) – 27 saves on 29 shots
1st: Jordan Weal (LV) – 2 Assists
