Dressed as elves, the Youngstown Phantoms (11-8-3-1, 26pts) were in a mood to spread the cheer Saturday night at the Covelli Centre as nine different Phantoms found their way onto the scoresheet, including four multi-point efforts, as they gave the visiting Muskegon Lumberjacks a lump of coal in the form of a 5-1 drumming.

“I thought it was probably our most complete effort of ‘sixty-minute hockey’ this season,” said Phantoms Head Coach Ryan Ward. “Our special teams were good, our five-on-five play (was good). We were on our toes on the forecheck; we put them under pressure. I thought as a whole, from the net out, we were excellent.”

It was the special teams that struck first, as each side capitalized on the man advantage in the opening frame. William Whitelaw ripped a wrist shot through the five-hole of Conor Callaghan (26 saves) for a 5-on-3 power-play goal at 12:41 for his 11th of the season, giving Youngstown the early advantage. Justin Solovey knotted things at a goal apiece when he put home a rebound for a power play goal of his own at 17:41. That was the only goal Colin Winn (24 saves) allowed on the night, stopping everything else he saw for the remaining 43:19. With Jacob Fowler playing for Team USA at the World Junior A Challenge, Winn went 3-1-0-0 with a 1.72 GAA and a .913 S%. “Winner’ is settling into himself right now,” said Ward. “He’s got some confidence; he’s steady back there. He gives us a chance every night, which is all we can ask for.”

Youngstown struck twice in the opening six minutes of the second period, opening up a 3-1 lead. Trey Scott scored at 3:26, his first USHL goal, using the defenseman as a screen and sliding a wrist shot through Callaghan’s five-hole. Shance Lachance doubled the Phantoms' lead at 5:41, snapping a one-timer off the rush past Callaghan to the glove side. It was Lachance’s team-leading 16th goal of the season and league-leading ninth power-play goal. Lachance moved into third place on the Phantoms' all-time list for power-play goals with 16, trailing record-holder Keifer Sherwood by only five man-advantage tallies.

The game remained at 3-1 until Muskegon pulled Callaghan to the bench for the extra attacker with 3:11 remaining in regulation. Nine seconds later, Chase Pietila stole a pass in the left corner of his own zone and fired the puck 200 feet into the yawning cage. Pietila has goals in three of his last four games and points in five straight, a team-high for active point streaks, one game shy of the team-long for the season that belongs to Justin Varner, and two games shy of the record set by Trey Taylor last season for a point streak by a defenseman of seven games. The Phantoms tacked on an insurance goal when Jake Rozzi’s shot from the right circle hit off a defenseman in front and bounced behind Callaghan with 1:58 left in regulation.

Youngstown will have the next week off for the USHL Christmas break before returning to the ice, when they’ll head to Iowa for a three-games-in-three-cities-in-three-nights stretch beginning on December 29 against Dubuque, with Cedar Rapids on December 30, and Waterloo wrapping up the trip on New Year’s Eve. The Phantoms will be back home January 6-7 against The U17s.

By the Numbers

Shots – 31

Saves – 24

Power Play – 2/5

Penalty Kill – 5/6

Goals – Lachance, Pietila, Rozzi, Scott, Whitelaw

Assists – Bechen, Cerbone (2), Isogai, Pietila, Rozzi, Svoboda, Whitelaw

Source:  Youngstown Phantoms