The Phantoms are one game away from moving on to the next round of the playoffs. Unfortunately, they are also one game away from being eliminated.
They entered Friday night with a chance to send home the back-to-back Calder Cup champions, the Hershey Bears. Cal Petersen, starting after an injury to Parker Gahagen, was torched for six goals. The Bears exploited the top part of the net against the veteran goaltender.
With a do-or-die Game 5 on Sunday, the Phantoms need to have their best performance. That initially made some wonder if Ian Laperriere could turn to his rookie goaltender, Carson Bjarnason, in the pivotal game. Bjarnason backed up Petersen in the Game 4 loss.
But here’s something important to note. That was the first time Bjarnason suited up for a game. Since his arrival after the end of the Wheat Kings season, he has not appeared in a game in any capacity for the Phantoms. Bjarnason last played on Apr. 1, over a month ago.
Bjarnason also admitted a few weeks ago that he is still dealing with an injury. It may stem from the stick he took in the eye during the Wheat Kings Game 1 matchup against the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
Regardless, an elimination game is not the time to give a rookie goaltender his first action. Laperriere confirmed that he will turn back to Petersen for Sunday's game. Even with that news, Bjarnason should be kept far away from this game. If Petersen has a similar performance on Sunday, it is more likely that he will get pulled in this type of game.
Keith Petruzzelli was called up from Reading due to Gahagen's injury. The Royals' season is over, so Petruzzelli will be here for as long as he is needed. He played six games for the Phantoms during the season, spending most of his time in the ECHL. Petruzzelli last played on Apr. 23, so he is fresher than Bjarnason.
Eetu Makiniemi has also reportedly been cleared after an injury he suffered kept him out for a few months. His last game was on Nov. 16, so he's not likely to be the first option Laperriere would turn to if he is ready for gameplay. But he has 59 games of experience in the AHL and did go 3-0-1 in his five games this season.
Bjarnason is expected to be the Phantoms' top goaltender next season. It is best to let him get started in the AHL with a fresh season ahead of him, not when the season is on the line. Playoff hockey can be intense, and this series against Hershey has shown that to be true. The teams have combined for 205 penalty minutes in four games, with the Phantoms having 131 of them.
It was a big loss for the Phantoms to lose Gahagen, as he had posted strong regular-season and playoff numbers. He had won three of his five postseason games, though the fifth was when he left early due to injury. It's up to Petersen to lead the Phantoms to the next round. Bjarnason's time will come, but that time should not be right now.