Phantoms Land Ovetime Standings Point at Hartford
Abols, Eklind, Tuomaala Score for Lehigh Valley
October 25, 2024
Hartford, CT – Lehigh Valley and Hartford traded leads back and forth in a topsy-turvy game but eventually, Bo Groulx (3rd) capped the see-saw affair with an overtime winner past Alexei Kolosov in a 4-3 victory for the Wolf Pack on Friday night.
Lehigh Valley (1-2-1) received goals from Rodrigo Abols (1st), Oscar Eklind (2nd) and Samu Tuomaala (2nd) but Hartford (3-1-1) had some strikes of its own from Brett Berard (5th), Matthew Robertson (1st) and Jake Leschyshyn (1st).
The Phantoms and Wolf Pack were meeting for the first time since their highly entertaining Opening Night encounter at PPL Center on October 12 and ended up trading 4-3 extra-time decisions in each others’ buildings. Lehigh Valley won 4-3 in a shootout back in the first matchup. But Hartford evened the score with its own 4-3 overtime triumph in the rematch.
Berard opened the scoring for the Wolf Pack when he had enough space to dangle around Phantoms goaltender Alexei Kolosov and slide home a backhander just 3:38 into the game.
Lehigh Valley countered at 11:00 into the game when Olle Lycksell quickly connected with Abols from the left dot who sniped past Dylan Garand for the equalizer. Hunter McDonald also assisted on the sequence.
The Phantoms came charging out of the game in the second period eventually taking a 10-3 shots advantage in the frame as well as a 2-1 lead on the scoreboard. Eklind’s rebound goal from the left of the cage of a shot by J.R. Avon gave Lehigh Valley its first lead of the night at 6:38 into the second period. Elliot Desnoyers recorded his second assist of the season on the play as well.
Hartford found its game in the latter minutes of the second period and had Lehigh Valley on the ropes. Following an icing an a faceoff win, Robertson’s shot from the left boards connected off the far post and in to tie the game at 2-2 at 15:44.
Things were looking promising for the Orange and Black to start the third period with an early play. But a mishandled puck led to Leschyshyn racing past the defense on a breakaway and a top-shelf tally at just 49 seconds in for a 3-2 lead. It was the first shorthanded goal surrendered by the Phantoms this season.
But Lehigh Valley was still on the power play and ready to strike back. Tuomaala blasted home a one-timer from just above the right dot on some quick work by Emil Andrae and Anthony Richard to set him up. Hartford’s lead lasted only 19 seconds and suddenly we were all square again, this time at 3-3.
Kolosov made a number of impressive saves for the remainder of the third including a pair of breakaway denials to keep the game even. But Groulx finished the night with the winning goal just 39 seconds into the overtime when he was all alone on top of the goalie and had enough time to dangle and stuff home the five-hole winner. Anthony Richard had just chased down Berard on the breakaway to save the day but the puck was still live and Casey Fitzgerald got to it at the end boards to flip it over to Berard and then back out in front for Groulx to cap the Wolf Pack win.
The Phantoms scored a power-play goal for a third time in four games.
Oscar Eklind scored his second goal in the last three games.
Abols scored a goal in the AHL for the first time in five years since striking for seven goals with the Springfield Thunderbirds in the 2019-20 season.
The Phantoms return to PPL Center Saturday night and Sunday afternoon at 3:05 p.m. as they welcome the GRand Rapids Griffins who are appearing in Allentown for the first time ever. Sunday’s Haunted on Hamilton game will feature a costume parade for the kids, trick or treating, and face painting.
SCORING SUMMARY
1st 3:38 – HFD, B. Berard (5) (B. Groulx, N. Sucese) (0-1)
1st 11:00 – LV, R. Abols (1) (O. Lycksell, H. McDonald) (1-1)
2nd 6:38 – LV, O. Eklind (2) (E. Desnoyers, J. Avon) (2-1)
2nd 15:44 – HFD, M. Robertson (1) (B. Scanlin, J. Leschyshyn) (2-2)
3rd 0:49 – HFD, J. Leschyshyn (1) (A. Sykora) (SH) (2-3)
3rd 1:18 – LV, S. Tuomaala (2) (A. Richard, E. Andrae) (PP) (3-3)
OT 0:39 – HFD, B. Groulx (3) (B. Berard, C. Fitzgerald) (3-4)
Shots:
LV 29 – HFD 30
PP:
LV 1/4, HFD 0/3
Goaltenders:
LV – A. Kolosov (OTL) (1-2-1) (26/30)
HFD – D. Garand (W) (2-0-0) (26/29)
Records:
Lehigh Valley (1-2-1)
Hartford (3-1-1)
UPCOMING
Saturday, October 26 – Grand Rapids Griffins at Phantoms
Sunday, October 27 (3:05) – Grand Rapids Griffins at Phantoms (Haunted on Hamilton, Spooky Fun!)
Wednesday, October 30 – Phantoms at Hershey Bears
Saturday, November 2 – Phantoms at Springfield Thunderbirds
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