Game Story: Lehigh Valley - 3 at W-B/Scranton - 4 (OT) 3/30/24

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. - In an entertaining, back-and-forth affair between the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Lehigh Valley Phantoms, it was was the Penguins overcoming a pair of one-goal deficits on their way to a 4-3 overtime win Saturday night on home ice.

Corey Andonovski played the role of hero in the three-on-three overtime session, taking a pass from Dmitri Samorukov and making a strong move to the net past a defender before tucking a backhander past Phantoms goaltender Felix Sandstrom (31 saves) to lift the Penguins to the big come-from-behind win.

It was a game of momentum Saturday after a first period tally from Ethan Samson gave the Phantoms an early 1-0 lead, as the Penguins got goals 1:55 apart late in the second period on tallies from Radim Zohorna and Austin Rueschhoff to take a 2-1 lead to the third.

After a pair of Phantoms goals 1:56 apart in the third period from Samu Tuomaala and Emil Andrae put Lehigh Valley back in front, 3-2, the Penguins got a game-tying goal from Avery Hayes (first career AHL goal) with 3:32 left in regulation to force overtime leading up to Andonovski's heroics.

Joel Blomqvist stopped 23 of the 26 shots he faced to pick up the win.

Post-Game EXTRA!

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins head coach JD Forrest

On riding the momentum swings, getting the final push.

"I mean, we were just playing our game. I thought we had a good start, actually. And then, you know, they scored that goal, we got a little bit out of sorts, for whatever reason, and you know, we found our way back into it. So, over the course of the game, there's gonna be some waves there. I thought we, we handled it all right, we got back to what we wanted to do in the second and most of the third too. I thought for the most part in the third we did what we wanted to do. We showed some resiliency to get that one to push it to overtime."

Penguins forward Corey Andonovski

On the momentum swings in tonight's game being pivotal in the outcome.

"I thought when we had those swings of momentum, like, we managed them well. Like I said, it's gonna happen throughout the course of the game and for us, I think the message was just stick to our game plan."

On his 3-on-3 OT goal, making most of increased opportunities

"I'm not saying anything to [head coach JD Forrest] obviously that's his call, but I think how depleted our roster is at times this year and getting some more opportunity that was the case tonight. Obviously whenever you get that opportunity you try to make the most of it. Not even blacked out, but just tried to make a good move and get the puck on net. And thankfully it went in."

GAME STORY

The Penguins had the opening three shots on net Saturday night, though the team clearly looked like a team that hadn't played any games this week.

As the first period wore on, the Phantoms began generating some chances of their own - later cashing on on the game's opening goal 11:26 into the contest after Elliot Desnoyers chipped a puck behind the Penguins' net and Jon-Randall Avon stole a puck and out-worked a Penguins' defender behind the cage.

Avon brought the puck around the net and fed Samson pinching in from the right point for a quick shot past Blomqvist on Samson's second goal of the season.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton got the game's first power play opportunity late in the first period, but were unable to convert - with Vinnie Hinostroza taking a slashing minor halfway through the Pens' man advantage.

The fast pace of play in the first period carried over into the middle frame.

With the Phantoms playing their second game in as many nights, and the Penguins playing their first game in six days, it appeared Wilkes-Barre/Scranton was able to get to their game and controlled large portions of the period.

The Penguins' hard work resulted in the Phantoms taking penalties, though the home team was unable to convert on a pair of power plays with their 0-for-3 showing on the man advantage with five minutes left before the second intermission being the glaring difference in why they trailed by that same 1-0 score.

However, the continued pressure allowed the Penguins to break through to tie the game with 2:55 left in the period after some strong work following an offensive zone face-off from Rueschhoff and Zohorna.

After Zohorna won the draw, Rueschhoff collected the puck in the slot and attempted to muscle one in - being hooked and his shot attempt stopped by Sandstrom. Zohorna was in position for the rebound, tucking it past the Phantoms netminder to tie the game at 1-1.

On the following shift, Phantoms defender Emil Andrae took several strides to center ice to hit Matthew Quercia up high away from the puck - resulting in the Penguins' fourth power play of the game with 1:46 left in the period.

This time, the Penguins power play cashed in to take a 2-1 lead to the third period - with Rueschhoff finishing off a rebound at the net after a shot from Hinostroza was redirected on net by Zohorna.

In all, the Penguins out-shot the Phantoms 17-4 in the second period - eventually being rewarded for their effort with two late-period goals to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead heading to the final frame.

The Pens kept their foot on the gas to begin the third period, out-shooting Lehigh Valley 6-1 in the opening minutes of the period.

After an early-period Penguins penalty was killed off, the hard-fought battle ensued.

Lehigh Valley was able to tie the game up at 2-2 after Rhett Gardner won an offensive zone face-off back to Tuomaala for a quick snipe to the top shelf past Blomqvist with 10:55 left in regulation.

With momentum all of a sudden on their side, the Phantoms took full advantage - taking the lead 1:56 later after Tuomaala's goal on a point shot through traffic from Andrae that eluded everyone on its way into the back of the net.

The Penguins didn't call it quits trailing 3-2 late in the third.

Instead, the fourth line came through at a crucial moment - with Evan Vierling's shot rebounded in by Hayes for his first career AHL goal to even the game back up at 3-3 with 3:32 left in regulation to force overtime.

And then Andonovski called game, taking a puck from Samorukov in the neutral zone and making a nice move on a Phantoms defender before slipping a backhander past Sandstrom to lift the Penguins to the big overtime win.

Lehigh Valley Phantoms Lineup Notes

Felix Sandstrom got the start in net for the Phantoms Saturday night. Cal Petersen served as the team's backup goaltender.

With Sandstrom back with Lehigh Valley, goalie Parker Gahagen was reassigned to ECHL-Reading.

Phantoms Scratches: Will Zmolek, Mason Millman, Zayde Wisdom, Tyler Gratton, Jacques Bouquot, Matthew Brown and Ryan Johansen

Lines/Pairings:

Adam Brooks - Tanner Laczynski - Cooper Marody Brendan Furry - Rhett Gardner - Samu Tuomaala Garrett Wilson - JR Avon - Elliot Desnoyers Evan Polei - Jacob Gaucher - Adam Karashik

Emil Andrae - Helge Grans Victor Mete - Louie Belpedio Hunter McDonald - Ethan Samson

Felix Sandstrom (Backup: Cal Petersen)

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Lineup Notes

Joel Blomqvist got the start in net for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Ludovic Waeber served as the team's backup goaltender.

Taylor Gauthier was recalled from ECHL-Wheeling, but was the third goalie and not active for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Saturday.

With Jack St. Ivany, Ryan Shea and Sam Poulin up with Pittsburgh, and injuries to Jagger Joshua and Vasily Ponomarev, there were plenty of new faces up from ECHL-Wheeling this week and new opportunities to make an impression.

Evan Vierling and Matthew Quercia joined the Penguins and were in the lineup front - both appearing in their AHL debuts.

Penguins Scratches: Marc Johnstone, Vasily Ponomarev (week-to-week, lower body since March 22), Jagger Joshua (day-to-day, body since ), Peter Abbandonato (week-to-week, lower body since), Max Cajkovic, Sam Houde (out for season, lower and upper body injuries), Scooter Brickey and Justin Addamo.

Lines/Pairings:

Vinnie Hinostroza - Radim Zohorna - Austin Rueschhoff Jonathan Gruden - Joona Koppanen - Corey Andonovski Evan Vierling - Raivis Ansons - Lukas Svejkovsky Matt Filipe - Matthew Quercia - Avery Hayes

Ty Smith - Taylor Fedun Xavier Ouellet - Dmitri Samorukov Jack Rathbone - Owen Headrick

Joel Blomqvist (Backup: Ludovic Waeber)

GAME SUMMARY

1st Period

11:26: LV - Samson (2) - Avon, Desnoyers 15:42: LV - (PP) Gardner, minor (high-sticking) 16:41: WBS - (PP) Hinostroza, minor (slashing)

2nd Period

3:45: LV - (PP) Polei, minor (holding) 13:00: LV - (PP) Laczynski, minor (high-sticking) 17:05: WBS - Zohorna (8) - Rueschhoff 18:14: LV - (PP) Andrae, minor (roughing) 19:00: WBS - PPG Rueschhoff (10) - Zohorna, Hinostroza

3rd Period

2:46: WBS - (PP) Quercia, minor (interference) 9:05: LV - Tuomaala (15) - Gardner 11:01: LV - Andrae (5) - Gardner, Brooks 16:28: WBS - Hayes (1) - Vierling, Smith

Overtime

1:17: WBS - Andonovski (6) - Samorukov, Koppanen

BOXSCORE

Lehigh Valley   1 - 0 - 2 - 0 = 3 W-B/Scranton  0 - 2 - 1 - 1 = 4

Shots

Lehigh Valley   12 - 4 - 10 - 0 = 26 W-B/Scranton  8 - 17 - 9 - 1 = 35

Goalies

LV: Felix Sandstrom (31 saves - 35 shots) WBS: Joel Blomqvist (23 saves - 26 shots)

Power Play

LV: 0-for-2 WBS: 1-for-4

Penalty Kill

LV: 3-for-4 WBS: 2-for-2