The Lehigh Valley Phantoms got revenge on the Hershey Bears after watching a 2-1 lead turn into a 4-2 loss on Wednesday.
The Phantoms delivered the Bears only their eighth regulation loss of the season, defeating them 4-1 at PPL Center. Hershey had been on a seven-game win streak and nine-game point streak coming into the game.
The Bears’ lone goal of the night belonged to Capitals prospect Ethen Frank who has 21 goals this season so far, the second most on the team. Frank will also be participating in the AHL All-Star Game this weekend along with teammates Dylan McIlrath, Clay Stevenson, and Bears Head Coach Todd Nelson.
After Lehigh Valley opened scoring in the first, Frank responded with the goal for his team just 59 seconds later. The Bears were on a power-play opportunity – one of five they would have that night – after a tripping penalty committed by Lehigh Valley.
The goal marked Frank’s 10th PPG of the season, tops in the AHL so far this season and one more than his previous career high last year of nine.
Joe Snively, who registered the primary assist on the goal, gave him 100 career apples.
That helper from Joe Snively marks pro assist 💯‼️ https://t.co/vQCRNYJNnZ pic.twitter.com/WV4l1wkYri
— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) February 3, 2024
The second period was full of penalties, with Lehigh Valley heading to the sin bin three times and Hershey once. Neither team was able to convert.
Similar to the Bears’ performance Wednesday, Lehigh Valley came alive in the third period, scoring three unanswered goals against Hershey in just 2:53 of game time. The Bears attempted to come back but couldn’t, not even bothering to pull goaltender Clay Stevenson for a push with the extra man.
Lehigh Valley outshot the Bears 37-31 in the matchup.
Hershey will look to start a new winning streak Saturday night at home against the Bridgeport Islanders. The Bears are now 45 games into their season and lead the AHL in standings points with 72.
Here were the Bears lines:
Tonight's projected lineup against the Phantoms📝
Ivan Miroshnichenko leads the Bears with five assists against Lehigh Valley!
Catch tonight's broadcast:
🖥️ https://t.co/HaxQBmLCRZ
📻@FroggyValley, @foxsports1460am, @WOYK1350 (joined in progress), @CapitalsRadio pic.twitter.com/GoYLdrPFbT— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) February 2, 2024
Here are the full game highlights:
Below is the full Bears press release:
POINT STREAK SNAPPED IN 4-1 BEARS LOSS TO PHANTOMS
Ethen Frank scores league-leading 10th power-play goal for Hershey
(Allentown, PA – Feb. 2, 2024) – Ethen Frank scored a power-play goal, but a third-period blitz from the opposition gave the Hershey Bears (35-8-0-2) their first regulation loss in nearly a month, and their first regulation road loss in nearly two months, in a 4-1 defeat to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (18-17-5-2) on Friday night at PPL Center.
The loss snapped Hershey’s six-game win streak and ended its point streak at nine contests (7-0-0-2), The Bears also saw their eight-game road point streak (6-0-0-2) come to a close.
The Bears are now 6-2-0-1 against Lehigh Valley this season.
Lehigh Valley opened the scoring with a tally from Wade Allison at 8:44 of the first period, but the Bears responded with a power-play goal 59 seconds later.
After Mike Sgarbossa won a face-off, Joe Snively fed the puck from the right circle toward the side of the net, where Frank put home his 21st of the season past Felix Sandstrom at 9:43. The goal was also Frank’s league-leading 10th power-play strike of the season, and gave the sophomore forward a new career-high for goals with the man advantage. Snively’s primary assist marked the 100th of his professional career, with 95 earned in the AHL with Hershey, and five in the NHL with the Washington Capitals.
The two teams played through the second period with no change in the score, as Stevenson turned aside 13 Lehigh Valley shots, while Sandstrom stopped all 12 shots from Hershey.
The Phantoms took a 3-1 lead with two quick goals in the third period. Jacob Gaucher scored at 9:42 as Bobby Brink set the puck back to the blue line just as Gaucher entered the Hershey zone, and the forward wired a low shot past Stevenson. Brendan Furry scored 31 seconds later at 10:13 to give Lehigh Valley a two-goal cushion.
A power-play goal from Samu Tuomaala at 10:35 closed out the scoring. The three goals against in a 2:53 span represented the fastest three goals allowed by Hershey this season.
Shots finished 37-21 in favor of the Phantoms. Stevenson went 33-for-37 in the loss for Hershey; Sandstrom earned the win for Lehigh Valley with a 30-for-31 effort. The Bears went 1-for-5 on the power play; the Phantoms went 1-for-3 with the man advantage.
