By Michael Heilman

The Lehigh Valley Phantoms visited the XL Center to take on the Hartford Wolf Pack Saturday night before the All-Star break.

Five minutes and thirty-nine seconds into the first period, the Phantoms took the lead after James De Haas (3) passed the puck to Max Willman (3), who shot the puck that was kicked in by Wolf Pack goalie Igor Shesterkin. De Haas along with Reece Willcox (6), assisted Willman’s goal. Thirty-one seconds later, the Phantoms added another goal to make it a 2-0 lead when David Kase (8) passed the puck to Cal O’Reilly (17), who found Greg Carey (13) and knocked the puck into the net for the goal.

Just as the Phantoms had a nice cushion, the Wolf Pack quickly responded a minute and thirty-nine seconds later as Darren Raddysh (6) shot the puck from the corner that banked off of Jean Francois-Berube and into the net for the goal to cut the Phantoms lead 2-1 with assists from Phil De Giuseppe (12) and Danny O’Regan (19).

The Wolf Pack tied the game 2-2 when Berube came out from his net to get the puck, he was attempting to pass it to Tyler Wotherspoon but Wolf Pack center Shawn McBride (3) got the puck as Berube tried to regroup, but he was too late. Ryan Gropp (2) was waiting just in front of the net and put it in for the goal with nine minutes and six seconds remaining in the first period. After Berube allowed the second goal, head coach Scott Gordan made a goalie change putting Alex Lyon in for Berube. The game remained tied 2-2 at the end of the first period. The Phantoms led the shots total thirteen to six.

While there were no goals scored in the second period, the Phantoms had an opportunity to regain the lead as Maksim Sushko had a breakaway, sprinting to Wolf Pack goalie Igor Shesterkin but Shesterkin robbed Sushko with the save to keep the game tied 2-2. The game remained tied 2-2 at the end of the second period, with the Phantoms still leading the shots total twenty to eighteen.

The Wolf Pack almost broke the tie with twelve minutes and twenty-two seconds left in the third period as Danny O’Regan had the breakaway, but Alex Lyon denied O’Regan to keep it a 2-2 game. Wolf Pack left-winger Ryan Dmowski (1) fought three Phantoms players and passed the puck to Ryan Gropp (3), who was all alone and shot the puck past Lyon for the goal that broke the tie to give the Wolf Pack a 3-2 lead.

The Phantoms almost tied the game with two minutes and twenty seconds left in the third period as several Phantoms players tried to jam the puck into the net as Wolf Pack goalie Igor Shesterkin made the save. When play resumed, the Phantoms pulled Alex Lyon for the extra attacker. The Phantoms were taking every shot they could, but they turned over the puck, and the Wolf Pack put the game away as Phil Di Giuseppe (13) with assists from Nick Jones (8) and Danny O’Regan (20) scored the empty-net goal for a 4-2 win over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

The Phantoms finished the night with thirty shots on goal while the Wolf Pack had twenty-six. Both teams were zero for one on the power play. Phantoms goalies Jean Francois-Berube played over ten minutes, going two for four saves allowing two goals, and Alex Lyon made twenty of twenty-one saves, allowing two goals. Wolf Pack goalie Igor Shesterkin was twenty-eight of thirty saves allowing two goals.

The three stars of the game were Phantoms goalie Alex Lyon with twenty saves, Wolf Pack defenseman Darren Raddysh with one goal, and Wolf Pack left-winger Ryan Gropp with two goals.

The Phantoms now head to the All-Star break and will resume their road trip Friday night at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza against the Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins at 7:05 pm.