David Laliberte‘s goal in the third round of the shootout ended up being the difference as the Philadelphia Phantoms took a 2-1 shootout win over the Lowell Devils in AHL preseason play on Monday afternoon at the Virtua Center Flyers Skate Zone in Voorhees, N.J.
The game was scoreless through the first 40 minutes of play, but not without action. Dave Caruso got the nod between the pipes from the start for Lowell, and he was strong early, making 10 saves in the opening frame. The Devils had three power plays in the first, but couldn’t cash in.
Kyle Greentree scored the goal in regulation for the Phantoms, picking up a power-play marker at 5:15 of the third period from Jonathan Matsumoto and Oskars Bartulis. About 3½ minutes later, the Devils tied the game on a power-play goal from Stephen Gionta, with Mark Fraser and goaltender Jordan Parise credited with the assists.
Neither team could score in the overtime session. In the shootout, after the Devils’ Ryan Murphy scored in the first round, Phantoms goaltender Scott Munroe stood his ground the rest of the way. Denis Tolpeko had the other shootout goal for the Phantoms.
The Phantoms outshot Lowell, 36-25, and were 1-for-9 on the power play, compared to a 1-for-6 day for the Devils. Caruso stopped all 23 shots he faced for the Devils, while Parise made 11 saves on 12 shots in the third period and overtime. Martin Houle started in goal for Philadelphia and made 12 saves before yielding to Munroe at the game’s halfway point. Munroe stopped 12 of 13 Lowell shots.
