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Phantoms take franchise-best winning streak into tonight’s game
Youngstown enters its
weekend games vs. Fargo on an 8-game win streak
By Tom Williams
YOUNGSTOWN
During his eight-year career as a professional hockey player including two with the Youngstown SteelHounds, Brad Patterson doesn’t remember being on a team with an eight-game winning streak.
“Maybe [I was],” said the Youngstown Phantoms assistant coach who has been with the junior hockey team for all six of its seasons. “The biggest thing about a streak like that is not so much how many [wins] you have in a row but how close the group gets.
“The past few weeks, the team has really grown together,” Patterson said. “That’s the biggest thing.”
On Jan. 31, the Phantoms were shut out by the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, 5-0, at the Covelli Centre. It was their fourth straight loss at the Covelli Centre and they were struggling to hold onto fourth place in the USHL’s Eastern Conference.
Since then, they’ve been red-hot. The Phantoms (27-13-5, 59 points) have reeled off a franchise-record eight straight wins. Six came on the road in a pair of three-game trips.
“We’re starting to really roll,” said Phantoms captain Josh Nenadal, a member of the Phantoms squad two years ago that was one win short of playing in the USHL final. “We had kind of the same [things] where we dropped two games that we shouldn’t have.
“We got swept at home and Coach [Anthony Noreen] came in and talked to us. From that point, we started playing playoff hockey.”
In April 2013, the Phantoms defeated the Green Bay Gamblers, 3-1, in the USHL Eastern Conference semifinals. In the next round, the Dubuque Fighting Saints needed five games to oust the Phantoms before winning the title with a sweep in the USHL Finals.
The Phantoms’ winning streak has vaulted them into second place in the Eastern Conference, just three points behind the Rough Riders (31-15-0, 62 points).
The top four teams in each conference qualify for the playoffs. The Fighting Saints and Muskegon Lumberjacks trail the Phantoms by three and four points, respectively.
“This is absolutely so much more fun,” said forward Max Letunov, a second-round pick of the St. Louis Blues in last June’s NHL Draft. “Last year was a frustrating year for us.”
The Phantoms followed up their strongest playoff showing with a thud, finishing in last place in the 2013-14 season.
Letunov said this year’s team has bonded much better.
“Everyone likes everyone,” the Moscow native said.
Ironically, while the Phantoms are hotter than any USHL team, they were cold as ice during last week’s road trip to Bloomington, Ind.
“A couple of guys brought extra blankets on the bus but it didn’t save us,” said Letunov, a native of Moscow.
Nenadal said, “It had to be negative 10 in that bus. I was laying in my bunk and I could see my breath right in front of my face.”
Did it faze him?
“I love sleeping in the cold,” Nenadal said. “Being a hockey player, I love the cold. We’re well-adjusted to it.”
Letunov said he’s noticed how much colder it’s been this winter.
“Moscow is exactly as Ohio,” the second-year Phantom said of the weather. “It gets warm in the summer, In the winter, sometimes it gets crazy so this is kind of usual for me.”
Patterson said the coaches are pleased with how role players have been big contributors.
“Instead of relying on two or three guys to get a big goal or a big hit or make a big play, we can put anybody on the ice,” Patterson said. “That’s something you strive towards.”
Last week, the Phantoms’ trip started with a 1-0 victory over the Bloomington Thunder. Goaltender Chris Birdsall recorded the shutout and Letunov scored the goal.
“Birdie was tremendous for us,” Noreen said. “I felt our team defense kept most of what they did to the outside, and did a really nice job getting down and blocking shots.”
In Green Bay, Wis., the Phantoms posted two wild victories. In Saturday’s game, neither the Phantoms nor the Gamblers scored in the first two periods. Then Youngstown’s offense exploded, scoring five times for a 5-1 win. Matt Alvaro scored twice while Kiefer Sherwood, Kyle Connor and James Winkler had the others.
“We just couldn’t put the puck into the net,” Nenadal said of the first two periods. “But we stuck with it, going to the net and we got rewarded for it, a couple of more than we probably deserved. “
Sunday, the Phantoms’ goal-scoring explosion continued in an 8-5 victory. Taylor Best scored twice while Chase Pearson, Winkler, Sherwood, Letunov and Bryan Lemos had the others.
“The first two periods were our best of the weekend,” Noreen said. “I liked our response and the energy level we had in the third. It was good to see with that being our third game in four days.”
Nenadal had a great view of the action after he was ejected for jumping in to help Vas Kolias, who was in a scrum with a couple of Gamblers.
“Green Bay got a little kick-start at the start of the third period,” Nenadal said. “Birdie played phenomenal all weekend, so did Colin [DeAugustine]. It’s just awesome watching our forwards get rewarded for going to the net.”
Next up is a rare visit by the Fargo Force (19-20-5, 43 points) from the Western Conference. The sixth-place Force are eight points out of a playoff berth.
“This is the best time of the year, the most fun hockey,” Nenadal said. “You can ask any player. This is where all the best players come to show, this is where you win a championship so that’s what we’re aiming for.”