GAME STORY: Lehigh Valley - 2 at Toronto - 3 OT (11/20/21)

TORONTO, Ont. - In their first game in Canada in 685 days the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (3-8-4) took a one-goal lead to the third period for the second straight night this weekend but were unable to secure the win, falling 3-2 in overtime to the Toronto Marlies (8-4-1) on a game-winning 3-on-3 goal from Josh Ho-Sang in the final minute of OT.

The Phantoms got off to a strong start, taking a 2-0 lead on first period goals from Morgan Frost and Isaac Ratcliffe, but were unable to maintain their lead over the course of 60 minutes.

Marc Michaelis cut into the Phantoms early 2-0 lead in the second period, and Ho-Sang (one goal, one assist) set up the Marlies' game-tying goal in the third period, as his shot from the right circle bounced into the net off Rich Clune's right leg atop the Phantoms' crease. Joseph Duszak and Brett Seney recorded two assists each for the Marlies in the win.

Lehigh Valley Phantoms Roster Notes

Pat Nagle got the start in net for Lehigh Valley Saturday afternoon. Felix Sandstrom served as the team's backup.

German Rubtsov did not play Saturday after leaving in the 1st period Friday night in Rochester.

Charlie Gerard was also not in the Phantoms' lineup Saturday.

Hayden Hodgson served his two-game suspension and returned to the Phantoms' lineup up front.

Lehigh Valley went with 11 forwards and seven defensemen, as Ryan MacKinnon drew into the lineup Saturday as the 18th skater.

Phantoms Scratches: Samuel Ersson, Mason Millman (lower body), German Rubtsov (injured 11/19 in ROC) Linus Sandin (upper body), Wyatte Wylie (upper body), Charlie Gerard & Tyson Foerster (upper body)

Lines/Pairings

Connor Bunnaman - Cal O'Reilly - Hayden Hodgson Garrett Wilson - Morgan Frost - Gerry Mayhew Isaac Ratcliffe - Jackson Cates - Maksim Sushko Brennan Saulnier - Matt Strome

Cam York - Egor Zamula Cooper Zech - Logan Day Linus Hogberg - Adam Clendening Ryan MacKinnon

Pat Nagle - Felix Sandstrom

Toronto Marlies Lineup Notes

Michael Hutchinson got the start for the Marlies Saturday evening with Keith Petruzzelli dressed as the team's backup goaltender.

Marlies Scratches: Erik Kallgren, Noel Hoefenmayer, Teemu Kivihalme, Mac Hollowel, Matthew Hellickson, Bobby McMann, Antti Suomela, Jack Kopacka and Nick Robertson

Lines/Pairings:

Alex Steeves - Semyon Der-Arguchintsev - Joey Anderson Brett Seney - Marc Michaelis - Josh Ho-Sang Pavel Gogolev - Mikhail Abramov - Kurtis Gabriel Kyle Clifford - Curtis Douglas - Richard Clune

Filip Kral - Alex Biega Kristians Rubins - Joseph Duszak Carl Dahlstrom - Brennan Menell

Michael Hutchinson - Keith Petruzzelli

GAME RECAP

1st Period

The Phantoms put together one of their best periods of the season Saturday afternoon in Toronto, jumping out to a 2-0 lead on goals from two Ontario natives in Morgan Frost and Isaac Ratcliffe.

Former Phantoms forward Kurtis Gabriel took a boarding penalty on Connor Bunnaman at the team benches, giving Lehigh Valley an early power play opportunity.

Though they didn't score a power play goal officially, Frost got a puck at the left point from Wilson and scored his third of the season after making a move at the top of the left circle and patiently waiting and placing a shot through traffic to the far post.

Ratcliffe took a hooking minor near the midway mark of the period, but after the Phantoms killed it off they got back to out-working the Marlies on the forecheck.

Late in the period, the Phantoms extended their lead to 2-0 on a give-and-go play between Isaac Ratcliffe and Jackson Cates. Ratcliffe sent an area pass to Cates for a shot that Marlies' goaltender Michael Hutchinson was able to stop. Fortunately for the Phantoms, the rebound kicked out right to Ratcliffe who scored on a rebound tap in for his second of the season.

The teams traded penalties in the final 1:04, but it was a period largely dominated by Lehigh Valley. The Phantoms were credited with 11 shots in the opening 20 minutes to the Marlies' four.

2nd Period

The two teams played low-event hockey in the opening half of the period, with the Marlies playing much better than they did in the first frame and holding a 4-3 edge in the shots on goal department.

The Marlies started to generate more consistent offensive pressure in the second half of the period, and consequently drew themselves within a goal with 6:59 left before the second intermission on Marc Michaelis' third of the season from Joseph Duszak and Brett Seney.

Hayden Hodgson was active in the middle frame, with a pair of chances at opposite ends of the period as well as a roughing minor with 5:01 left in the period that the Phantoms were able to kill off.

Duszak took a holding minor at 18:30, giving the Phantoms some carryover power play time to begin the third period looking to add to their 2-1 lead.

3rd Period

Toronto was able to tie the game at 2-2 early in the third, as a Josh Ho-Sang shot from the right-wing circle bounced off the leg of Rich Clune atop the crease and in past Phantoms' netminder Pat Nagle.

Still, Lehigh Valley was defending pretty well for the most part - only allowing the Marlies 12 shots through the opening 40 minutes and keeping things to the outside.

The Phantoms had a few chances late in the period, a chance by Hayden Hodgson and a mini-breakaway from Garrett Wilson to name a few, but were ultimately out-shot 6-3 in the third period and found themselves playing their second overtime game of the weekend.

Overtime

The Phantoms had their chances in OT in the opening half of the five-minute period, but were unable to find a game-winner despite out-shooting the Marlies 4-1 in the 3-on-3 period.

Instead, it was Ho-Sang entering the Phantoms' defensive zone with speed and stickhandling his way to a shot from the slot as he was falling to the ice for a highlight reel game-winning goal for the Marlies to complete the comeback with under 40 seconds left before a looming shootout.

GAME SUMMARY

1st Period

1:47: TOR - (PP) Gabriel, minor (boarding) 3:50: LV - Frost (3) - Wilson(7), York(5)8:22: LV - (PP) Ratcliffe, minor (hooking) 16:13: LV - Ratcliffe (2) - Cates(1), Hodgson(2)18:56: TOR - (PP) Douglas, minor (hooking) 19:28: LV - (PP) Wilson, minor (interference)

2nd Period

13:01: TOR - Michaelis (3) - Duszak, Seney 14:59: LV - (PP) Hodgson, minor (roughing) 18;30: TOR - (PP) Duszak, minor (holding)

3rd Period

3:34: TOR - Clune (1) - Ho-Sang, Douglas 4:13: TOR - (PP) Anderson, major (boarding) 4:13: TOR - Anderson, game misconduct 8:04: LV - (PP) Strome, minor (hooking)

Overtime

4:20: TOR - Ho-Sang (8) - Duszak, Seney

BOXSCORE

Lehigh Valley   2 - 0 - 0 - 0 = 2 Toronto Marlies  0 - 1 - 1 - 1 = 3

Shots

Lehigh Valley   11 - 8 - 3 - 4 = 26 Toronto Marlies  4 - 8 - 6 - 1 = 19

Goalies

LV: Pat Nagle (16 saves - 19 shots) TOR: Michael Hutchinson (24 saves - 26 shots)

Power Play

LV: 0-for-4 TOR: 0-for-4

Penalty Kill

LV: 4-for-4 TOR: 4-for-4