4-game winning streak ends for the Phantoms

The team couldn't connect on what opportunities were given to them.
BOARDMAN -- Cleveland Barons goalie Kenny Reiter showed no love for the Mahoning Valley Phantoms on Valentine's Day.
The Phantoms slung 34 shots on net and got nothing in return Tuesday as Reiter stopped them all for his second shutout against Mahoning Valley this season in a 3-0 win at The Ice Zone in North American Hockey League action.
Cleveland improves to 28-15-4, 60 points (two ahead of the Phantoms for second place).
The Phantoms fell to 27-15-4 and saw their four-game winning streak come to an end.
The home team simply couldn't connect on what opportunities were given to them and were outplayed at times.
In the first period, after the Phantoms won a faceoff in their own zone, Nick Kosinski stopped a clearing attempt on the right wing boards. He reversed to the point and waited for Clark MacLean to set traffic in front of the net.
Once he did, Kosinski lobbed a shot that appeared to knuckle down and beat a screened Ryan Zapolski to his right. The Barons took the lead at the 4:48 mark on Kosinski's 12th goal of the season.
Quick work
Cleveland made quick work on their second goal. Carter Camper gathered the loose puck in the Phantoms zone and skated out two-on-two.
Bret Larson laid his body out to prevent a pass, but Camper skated in deep past Larson's detour and still managed to feed Derek Roehl through the top of the crease. Roehl outskated his man to the net, and fired a wrist shot past Zapolski's stick on the short side. It was Roehl's first goal in eight games as a Baron as they led 2-0 with 4:35 left in the period.
Both teams had chances in the second period. Cleveland had a pair of two-man advantages, lasting 12 and 41 seconds, but couldn't convert.
The Phantoms had a five-on-three power play for a minute, 47 seconds, but couldn't get one past Reiter.
The Barons goaltender also stopped Brent Dexter's breakaway attempt midway through the period.
At the end of a Cleveland power play in the third period, Josh Leonard's attempt was stopped by Zapolski but the puck trickled behind him to the opposite post where Jeremy Tejchma stood alone and tapped in the loose biscuit to close out the scoring at the 5:08 mark.
The Phantoms outshot Cleveland 34-32 as Zapolski made 29 saves in the loss to drop to 17-10-4.
The Springfield Jr. Blues arrive this weekend for a pair of games against the Phantoms on Friday and Saturday. Faceoff both nights is scheduled for 7 p.m.