Phantoms take over third with shutout

March 4, 2017 at 12:05a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

Friday’s battle for third place in the USHL’s Eastern Conference was a showcase for goaltenders Ivan Kulbakov and Adam Brizgala.

“I wouldn’t be shocked if you see these guys in the NHL in the next couple of years,” Phantoms coach Brad Patterson. “Both are big-time guys.”

The Phantoms’ Kulbakov won this round, stopping all 29 shots the Muskegon Lumberjacks fired at him in Youngstown’s 3-0 victory at the Covelli Centre.

“Best goalie I’ve ever seen,” said Phantoms forward Chase Gresock, who scored the game-winning goal late in the second period. “He’s unbelievable. He’s ready to go all the time.”

The Phantoms (28-15-4-1, 61 points) leaped over the Lumberjacks (28-16-3-1, 60 points) for sole possession of third place. The top four teams qualify for the postseason. Youngstown has a seven-point lead on the fifth-place Green Bay Gamblers.

Friday’s game was Kulbakov’s 20th straight start. Backup Britt League returned to the lineup after suffering a groin injury.

Kulbakov was at his best in the first period.

First came his version of “The Save.” Drawn to the left of his goal, the Belarus native dove hard to his right as Lumberjacks forward Koby Bender stared at an open goal. Somehow Kulbakov’s stick made contact with the puck, deflecting the shot away from the cage.

“It was incredible,” forward Alex Esposito said. “I’m sure we’ll see it on Twitter and what-not tonight.

“All season, Ivan has been our best player and he keeps us in every game,” the Phantoms assistant captain said. “He just plays like a pro.”

Not long after that, Kulbakov was strongly tested when the Lumberjacks had a two-man advantage for 68 seconds.

“Ivan rocked back there, our D corps also did a great job during that [penalty] kill,” said Patterson, crediting Jake Gingell and Dominic Dockery. “It doesn’t happen a lot through the course of a year where you are down 5-on-3. You don’t get to practice it every day.”

Gresock’s goal changed the tone of the game. He trailed Tommy Apap on a 2-on-1 break as Apap skated in deep then feathered a soft pass to Gresock in the slot,

“I was just calling for the puck,” Gresock said. “The goalie was out pretty far so I went around him and slid it in.”

Twenty-seven seconds later, the lead was doubled as Esposito hopped over the boards, found the puck and skated in untouched.

“Their D man thought there was an open wing, the puck was right in front of me so I skated at the middle and shot it at that [defenseman],” Esposito said.

The puck trickled through Brizgala’s pads.

Esposito said Muskegon inspires him because he was cut by the Lumberjacks in the 2015 training camp.

“There’s a little fire there every time [we] play,” Esposito said.

The Phantoms improved to 19-0-0-0 when leading after two periods. Austin Pooley’s empty-net goal sealed the victory.

Former Phantom defenseman Ty Farmer played his first game at the Covelli Centre in a visitor’s uniform. In late January, the Phantoms traded Farmer to the Lumberjacks for draft picks.

“Very playoff-like,” Patterson said, noting the Phantoms and Lumberjacks play again tonight. “The first period, we kind of weathered the storm.”

The Lumberjacks had a 12-4 edge in shots in the first period.

“I really liked the way we finished the game,” Patterson said. “Their goaltender was great tonight.”

Brizgala, a Czech Republic native, stopped 18 shots.