Phantoms begin big home series with 2-1 victory

St. Louis is the top team in the NAHL and it’s at the Ice Zone this weekend.

By GREG GULAS

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

BOARDMAN — The St. Louis Bandits are hands down the best team in the North American Hockey League.

Right now, that is.

Sporting a league-best 33-7-1 overall mark entering their weekend series with Mahoning Valley, the entire league and most especially the Phantoms realize that the road to the Robertson Cup runs through St. Louis.

That is why it is so critical for the Phantoms to flex their muscles this weekend if they expect to make up some ground on the North Division leaders.

Goals by Grant Blakey and Kyle Bailey, and another excellent display in goal by Garrett Bartus helped the Phantoms to a 2-1 victory Friday over the Bandits at the Ice Zone as they captured the first game of their two-game set with St. Louis.

“This really was a big win for us as it stared the weekend off on the right foot,” Phantoms coach Bob Mainhardt said. “It was definitely a classic match-up with both teams working hard the entire night. We’ll have to beat them and vice-versa, so it’s a good feeling to get the first one under your belt,”

“[Grant] Blakey went hard to the net and good things tend to happen when you do that. As for [Kyle] Bailey, his goal was also well-deserved because of his hard work as well.

“The line of Bailey, [Brent] Dexter and [Miles] Winter was clicking all night for us,” Mainhardt said.

It didn’t take the Phantoms long to draw first blood as Blakey, with assists from both Jon Madden and Bailey, registered his 16th goal of the season just 1:20 into the contest for the early advantage.

It remained that way after one period of play as Mahoning Valley outshot St. Louis, 13-10 during the first 20 minutes of play.

Bailey staked the Phantoms to a two-goal cushion when his slap shot registered at 6:10 of the second period. On the play, Madden added his second assist while Dexter was credited with his 14th assist of the season.

As it turned out, that was all the offense that Mahoning Valley would generate and all that they would need.

When Ben Warda’s wrister got past Phantoms goalie Garrett Bartus at 11:00 of the second period, the Bandits cut Mahoning Valley’s lead in half, 2-1.

A scoreless third period showed the Phantoms with a 21-19 shot advantage as Bartus rejected all but one of St. Louis’ 41 shots on the night.

“It was great to bounce back after suffering two losses last weekend to this same St. Louis Bandits team,” Bartus said. “We came out with more intensity, more heart and wanted it badly.

“They are an excellent team and every time we hook up with them you can expect a hard-fought game by both teams,” Bartus said. “They’ll be hungry Saturday night so expect them to pick up the tempo.”

Mainhardt was pleased with his netminder.

“No doubt Garrett was a difference-maker tonight. What a duel between both goaltenders. Tonight was like play-off hockey,” he said.

Both teams had 41 shots on goal as Bartus improved to 17-5-3 with the win.

St. Louis goalie Cal Heeter absorbed the loss and fell for just the fifth time in 22 outings this season.

Mahoning Valley’s (25-11-4, 54 points) win, coupled with Traverse City’s 4-2 defeat of the Alpena Ice Diggers (25-14-2, 53 points) helped the Phantoms (25-11-4, 54 points) reclaim sole possession of second-place in the North Division.

These same two teams will meet tonight at 7:15 at the Ice Zone in the final game of their two-game weekend set.