Lycksell OT Goal Has Phantoms Point Streak at 7

Alexis Gendron with Another Two-Goal Game in Exciting Comeback

November 13, 2024

Allentown, PA – The “Lehigh RALLY” Phantoms were at it again. Olle Lycksell (2nd) blasted home an overtime winner as the Phantoms rallied from behind for a third consecutive game to cap a perfect homestand as Lehigh Valley bested the visiting Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 4-3 on Wednesday night at PPL Center. Alexis Gendron (4th, 5th) had his second two-goal performance in less than a week and scored the tying goal with just 1:33 left in the third period. Louie Belpedio (2nd) also found the back of the net while Eetu Makiniei (3-0-1) backstopped the victory with 25 saves

Lehigh Valley (6-3-3) has now won three straight as well as five of its last six. The team’s seven-game point streak is the longest for the Phantoms since an eight-game point streak in February 2018 which is also the longest in Lehigh Valley history. The Phantoms currently hold the longest active point streak in the AHL.

It’s only the second time that Lehigh Valley has won consecutive home games in overtime at PPL Center. The Phantoms also won back-to-back extra-time contests on November 29 and November 30, 2019 on goals by T.J. Brennan against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Andy Welinski against Hartford. The only other time for Lehigh Valley to win consecutive games in overtime came via a pair of road wins last year with Cooper Marody’s goal at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on February 21, 2024 followed by Bobby Brink’s overtime winner on February 24, 2024.

Staying calm and cool when facing adversity and deficits has been a hallmark of this team so far in the young season and has been especially helpful on the team’s three-game homestand in which they have rallied back every time. Last Friday, the Phantoms trailed 2-0 in the first period before exploding for four goals in the second en route to a 5-3 triumph over the Penguins. On Saturday, Lycksell tied the game with just 3:29 left for his first goal of the season before Rhett Gardner finished off the Utica Comets in overtime. In fact, there has only been one win this season in which the Phantoms did NOT trail at any point in the game (November 2 at Springfield).

After trading chances throughout the first period, the Phantoms broke through with the first goal of the game on Louie Belpedio’s blast from the point through traffic that found the back of the net past Filip Larsson with 37 seconds remaining in the period. The goal, which was assisted by Olle Lycksell, appeared to deflect off something on its way in to go past the shoulder of the Penguins goaltender but it remained credited to Belpedio for his second marker in the last three games.

A gutsy sequence in the first period saw rookie defenseman Hunter McDonald sacrifice for three consecutive blocked shots to help stave off a strong Penguins push.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (8-3-1) turned the tables on the Phantoms with a pair of goals just 16 seconds apart early in the second period. Marc Johnstone (3rd) deposited the first of the game for the Penguins at 2:57 into the period amidst a lengthy net-front scramble with Makiniemi covering space and trying to find the puck. A turnover near the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton bench resulted in a quick 3-on-2 for the Penguins with Emil Bemstrom (3rd) rifling home the go-ahead lamplighter at 3:13.

The period turned into a bit of a track meet with chances back-and-forth amidst 33 total shots in the frame. Alexis Gendron and Rodrigo Abols were denied by Larsson on breakaways but another chance in the clear for Gendron would result in his first goal of the night. Garrett Wilson found an opportunity amidst two Penguins forecheckers to provide a long chip for the rookie speedster that sent him in for the equalizer with 1:21 remaining in the second.

Lehigh Valley shored things up defensively and kept up the pressure in the third period but still allowed the Penguins to take the lead. Despite a 7-1 shots advantage and consistent presence in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton zone, it was the Penguins who were able to race away and take advantage of a mistake. First-rounder Owen Pickering took the shot himself on a 2-on-1 with Rutger McGroaty and beat Makiniemi for his first career pro goal with just 5:27 left to put the Penguins ahead at 3-2.

But the Phantoms weren’t done. Before they could even pull their goalie for an extra attacker, Gendron offered a big slapshot on the rush after a long connection from Samu Tuomaala. His blast from the left circle tied the game at 3-3 with just 1:27 left.

Alexis Gendron has a pair of multi-goal performances within the past week including his initial tow-goal outburst on Friday also against the Penguins. The rookie seventh-rounder has four goals in the last five games and now rates second on the team with five goals trailing only Jacob Gaucher who has six.

Lehigh Valley finished the third period with a power play that carried into overtime and the second strongest power play in the league at 29.1% entering the night would come through yet again. Moments after Tuomaala’s blast rang off the iron and stayed out, it would be Lycksell from the right circle shooting through the glove-hand side of Larsson for the winning goal at 1:06 into overtime with Tuomaala and Ben Gleason against providing the assists.

The Phantoms improved to 2-2-1 against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this season. The two teams just completed a stretch of three games in eight days in which the Phantoms had the upper-hand with a 2-0-1 mark against their rivals over the quick series. The Phantoms don’t see the Penguins again until a December 21 visit to NEPA.

Lehigh Valley is 3-0-0 when scoring the first goal of the game and is 3-0-1 when tied at the second intermission.

The Phantoms are 2-1 in overtime games and also 3-2 in games decided after regulation (overtime and shootout combined).

Next up is a Friday away game att the Springfield Thunderbirds and then the Phantoms return to PPL Center on Saturday as they welcome the two-time defending Calder Cup Champion Hershey Bears.

SCORING SUMMARY

1st 19:23 – LV, L. Belpedio (2) (O. Lycksell) (1-0)

2nd 2:57 – WBS, M. Johnstne (3) (J. Koppanen, I. Belliveau) (1-1)
2nd 3:13 – WBS, E. Bemstrom (3) (V. Ponomarev) (1-2)
2nd 18:39 – LV, A. Gendron (4) (G. Wilson) (2-2)

3rd 14:33 – WBS, O. Pickering (1) (R. McGroaty) (2-3)
3rd 18:27 – LV, A. Gendron (5) (S. Tuomaala, B. Gleason) (3-3)

OT 1:06 – LV, L. Lycksell (2) (S. Tuomaala, B. Gleason) (PP) (4-3)

Shots:
LV 39 – WBS 28

PP:
LV 1/4, WBS 0/1

Goaltenders:
LV – E. Makiniemi (W) (3-0-1) (25/28)
WBS – F. Larsson (OTL) (2-2-1) (35/38)

Records:
Lehigh Valley (6-3-3)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (8-3-1)

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