The Lake Erie Monsters put a halt to their three-game losing streak in a big way on Sunday afternoon, shutting out the Philadelphia Phantoms, 3-0, in the Phantoms only appearance at Quicken Loans Arena this season. The shutout, provided by Tyler Weiman, was the Monster netminder's fourth of the season, a number that now ties him for second in the AHL. It was also Lake Erie's fourth shutout of the season.
After the first 30 minutes of the game were without any scoring, the Monsters drew first blood when T.J. Galiardi tallied his second goal in as many games and fourth of the season at the 10:17 mark of the second period. Coming into the zone, Galiardi threw a puck to the net from above the faceoff circle and had it deflect off a Phantoms defender and squeak in on the short side of Phantoms goalie Michael Teslak. Mike Vernace and Wes O'Neill were credited with the assists on the goal. The assist was O'Neill's first point of the year.
Darcy Campbell would add to the lead less than five minutes later, scoring just as time expired on a Philadelphia penalty. With his head up at the point, defenseman Nigel Williams spotted Campbell floating across the blueline. With the puck on his stick, Campbell fired a shot toward the net. With forward Per Ledin screening him, Teslak had no chance of stopping Campbell's shot, as the disc squeezed between the goalie's blocker and the post. Nathan Smith picked up the second assist on the goal.
It would take almost a full 20 minutes until the next goal, but the Monsters captain, Smith, put the game out of reach with his fourth of the season at the 14:18 mark of the third. With the puck on his off wing, Ledin spotted Smith driving the net beyond a Phantoms defender and threw it toward the net. As the puck landed on the ice, Smith chipped it over the glove of Teslak to put the Monsters up, 3-0. Derek Peltier was credited with the second assist on the goal.
"It was a great pass from Per Ledin and I just chipped it over the goalie's glove-hand side and I think the goal kind of clinched it," Smith commented on his goal.
Weiman ended the game with 31 saves on 31 shots, while Phantoms netminder Teslak turned away 35 of 38 Lake Erie shots on goal.
"When you start winning, that's when you build confidence and there is no secret to that," said head coach Joe Sacco. "It starts from our goaltending out and tonight it definitely started with Tyler. Our guys were on the same page and everyone was pulling the same way tonight and it was enjoyable to watch."
The Monsters next game is slated for Wednesday, January 14th when the Quad City Flames make their only appearance of the year at The Q for a 7:00 p.m. start.
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