Blinded by the White! Phantoms Win 4-2

Foerster With Another Two-Goal Game

January 27, 2023

Lehigh Valley, PA – Tyson Foerster (14th, 15th) tallied twice, including a spectacular goal while he was tripped up in the second period, Olle Lycksell recorded three helpers, and Sam Ersson shined in net with 34 saves in a 4-2 throttling against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Friday night at PPL Center. Ronnie Attard (6th) contributed a goal and an assist and Cal O’Reilly (4th) also found the back of the net for the Phantoms who recorded a pair of power-play goals in the opening period and didn’t look back.

With a 5-2 road win over the Penguins in the rear-view mirror last week, Lehigh Valley (20-15-5) replicated a similar, dominant performance to earn its 20th win of the season in front of their energetic hometown crowd of 7,748 that included many fans wearing white in the team’s new Whiteout promotion.

GRITTY and Lou Nolan were on hand to cheer on the Phantoms to victory on Flyers Night as the team sported their new Whiteout jerseys for the first time. Lehigh Valley took to the ice wearing a bold, new all-white combo including white pants and white gloves. As the game developed, it appeared the Penguins had a tough time matching the intensity of the Phantoms’ bright new look.

With Flyers P.A. Announcer Lou Nolan introducing the team’s first power-play of the night, the Phantoms responded. Foerster started the Phantoms scoring party by going bombs away on a power-play goal with a big one-timer at the 8:11 mark. Only nine seconds into Lehigh Valley’s first crack on the man-advantage, Egor Zamula fed Foerster positioned in his office at the top of the left circle.

Lehigh Valley’s hot hand on the power play continued into their second chance of the night. Olle Lycksell played “catch me if you can” as he wheeled around the zone almost two full rotations. He connected with captain Cal O’Reilly on the backdoor who banged home his fourth goal of the season from the base of the right circle going five-hole on Filip Lindberg at 12:55.

Two more goals in the middle stanza opened a comfy, four-goal cushion for the Phantoms. A pretty passing play on the transition was finished by Ronnie Attard only 3:30 into the new period. Bobby Brink gained the offensive zone along the left-wing before setting up a give-and-go with Lycksell. After the ensuing return pass to Lycksell, he found an open Attard in the slot to record his sixth marker of the regular season shooting high-glove past Lindberg.

Lycksell’s three-helper night is his second such performance of the season having also accomplished the feat on November 26 versus Rochester.

Only 86 seconds later, Foerster struck again in acrobatic fashion for his 15th goal of the season. Driving the net on a 2-on-1 rush, Foerster lost his footing but still muscled a heavy shot on frame while falling down to open a 4-0 Lehigh Valley lead. His highlight-reel conversion on a chip that went off the glove of Lindberg ended the night for the Penguins goalie who was replaced by Taylor Gauthier in relief.

Foerster remains red-hot with his third multi-goal night of the season, with all occurring in only a two-week span. The Alliston, Ontario native also punished the Baby Pens with a two-goal performance one week prior in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. In so doing, Foerster also took sole possession of the team-lead in goals passing Elliot Desnoyers (14) who is no longer at the very top of the chart for the first time this season.

The Pens began to chip away at their deficit in the third period, but Ersson held strong with key stops down the stretch. Tyler Sikura ended Ersson’s clean sheet bid at 9:54 of the third period, and Corey Andonovski tallied at 11:31 to trim Lehigh Valley’s lead to 4-2. But an outstanding 5-for-5 night on the penalty kill and 12 third-period saves by Ersson held Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s late push at bay.

The important win pulls the Phantoms out of a fourth-place tie with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Bridgeport and allowed Lehigh Valley to separate itself from the pack in the tight Atlantic Division standings.

The Phantoms will conclude their weekend with a Saturday night delight against the Hershey Bears at PPL Center with meLVin Youth Winter Hats for the first 2,000 kids age 12 and under presented by our friends at Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital.

SCORING SUMMARY

1st – 8:11 – LV T. Foerster (14) (E. Zamula, O. Lycksell) (PP) 1-0
1st – 12:55 – LV C. O’Reilly (4) (O. Lycksell, L. Belpedio) (PP) 2-0

2nd – 3:30 – LV R. Attard (6) (B. Brink, O. Lycksell) 3-0
2nd – 4:56 – LV T. Foerster (15) (R. Attard, E. Zamula) 4-0

3rd – 9:54 – WBS T. Sikura (5) (D. Caggiula, J. St. Ivany) 4-1
3rd – 11:31 – WBS C. Andonovski (7) (T. Fedun, R. Ansons) 4-2

Shots:
LV 26 – WBS 36

PP:
LV 2/5, WBS 0/5

Goalies:
LV – Sam Ersson (W) (11-9-1) (34/36)
WBS – F. Lindberg (L) (6-9-1) (14/18)
T. Gauthier (ND) (8/8)

Records:
Lehigh Valley (20-15-5)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (19-16-5)

UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Saturday, January 28 (7:05) vs. HERSHEY BEARS
Wednesday, February 1 (7:05) vs. HERSHEY BEARS
Friday, February 3 (7:05) vs. PROVIDENCE BRUINS
Saturday, February 4 (7:05) at Hershey Bears

UPCOMING PROMOTIONS

Saturday, January 28 (7:05) vs. Hershey Bears – meLVin Youth Winter Hats presented by Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital (first 2,000 kids age 12 and younger)

Wednesday, February 1 (7:05) vs. Hershey Bears – Pregame Happy Hour. $2 Miller Lites and Yuenglings available until Puck Drop

Friday, February 3 (7:05) vs. Providence Bruins – Phantoms Premier Member Appreciation Night. Great Prizes! Berks $1 Hot Dogs

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