Patrick Maroon and Michael Ratchuk both scored for the second time in as many games as the Philadelphia Phantoms registered a 4-1 preseason win over the Lowell Devils on Tuesday afternoon in Newark, N.J. In the first exhibition of the season for both clubs, the Phantoms hosted the Devils on Monday and came away with a 3-2 overtime win.
Maroon tabbed the lone first period goal on Tuesday and it came with his club operating on the power play. Planted to the left of Devils goaltender Dave Caruso, Maroon slung the puck to the front of the net. It took a Philly deflection off the skates of a Lowell defenseman and into the net at 11:50.
The Phantoms took a 2-0 lead just 2:39 into the middle period on Ratchuk’s second of the preseason. The nimble blueliner trailed a Rob Bellamy rush into the Devils zone. From the right wing wall, Bellamy looked off the Lowell defenders and dished the puck to Ratchuck in the high slot. He made good with a 40-foot low wrister for the 2-0 advantage.
Philadelphia made it 3-0 on David Laliberte’s first of the preseason. Waiting in the left wing circle, he one-timed a Nate Raduns feed into the cage at 8:16 of the third.
With just 1:35 to go, the Phantoms surrendered a power play goal. Matt Halischuk swept the puck by reliever Jacob DeSerres. Scott Munroe made 17 saves in two periods of perfect work for Philadelphia. DeSerres finished with six saves.
Zac Rinaldo added a late empty-net goal for the 4-1 final.
