Phantoms’ Bartus blanks Stars, 3-0

STAFF REPORT

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — For Game 3 of their best-of-5 playoff series against the Traverse City North Stars, Mahoning Valley Phantoms coach Bob Mainhardt turned back the clock to 2008 when goaltender Garrett Bartus was his number-one netminder.

Thursday at Centre Ice Arena, Bartus stopped all 28 shots fired at him by the North Stars as the Phantoms won, 3-0, to seize a 2-1 series lead and home-ice advantage back.

Game 4 will be played tonight at 7:05. The Phantoms record here improved to 3-2-2.

If necessary, Game 5 will be played Sunday at 7 p.m. at the Ice Zone in Boardman.

Bartus’ shutout was the Phantoms second of the season. Jordan Tibbett had the other during the regular season.

In the 2008 North American Hockey League playoffs, Bartus played in 11 games, posting a 6-4-1 record.

Tibbett started the first two games of the series, winning Game 1 (5-4) and losing Game 2 (4-3 in overtime) at the Chevrolet Centre,

In Game 3, the Phantoms came out flying, pummeling Traverse City goaltender C.J. Motte with 14 shots in the opening period and scoring on two of them.

Midway through the first period, Nick Shkreli connected for a power-play goal on an assist from Robert Harrison.

Late in the period, Meo sent the puck over Motte’s blocker into the top of the net for a 2-0 lead. Cullen Lundholm assisted.

The North Stars managed just five shots at Bartus.

The North Stars controlled much of the action during the first 12 minutes of the second period. But with time running down in the middle frame, Erik Higby scored another even-strength goal for a 3-0 Phantoms lead. Assisting were Cole Schneider and Shkreli.

Bartus was at his busiest at the end as the North Stars outshot the Phantoms, 13-6, in the final period.

Motte made 27 saves.

The Phantoms killed off three North Stars’ power plays, including two in the third period. The North Stars killed off six of the Phantoms’ seven man-advantages.

Brandon Saad, the NAHL’s Rookie of the Year, sat out his third straight playoff game with a shoulder injury.