Game Story: Lehigh Valley - 4 at W-B/Scranton - 3 (OT) 1/6/24

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. - The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Lehigh Valley Phantoms renewed their rivalry Saturday night in what was surprisingly the first meeting between the two teams on the season as the AHL schedule approaches its midway point on the 2023-24 season.

There was no love lost on the ice, and an especially frustrating result for the Penguins after letting a 3-1 lead slip away in the third period before losing 4-3 in overtime.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton appeared in control after Peter Abbandonato tallied his sixth of the season to give the Pens a two-goal lead early in the third period, but credit Lehigh Valley for generating a pushback and erasing that two-goal with tallies 1:12 apart to force overtime.

Samu Tuomaala led the way in the Phantoms' comeback, scoring two goals - including the overtime game winner.

Ronnie Attard added the game-tying third period goal, while Cooper Marody also scored for Lehigh Valley in the win.

Post-Game EXTRA!

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins head coach JD Forrest

On blowing the 3-1 lead in the 3rd period and losing in overtime.

"3-1 at home with that much time left? You gotta close that out. That's not how you want to end up a game like that when you're in control like that. So yeah, not fun."

On what went wrong after Abbandonato's goal made it 3-1 Penguins.

"They had a good push. It went to overtime and then it's 3-on-3. Their guy had a nice shot on the 3-on-3 - we kind of duplicated some coverage there. And we missed some easy ones on that third goal for sure. So yeah, just simple things that shouldn't happen."

On how they manage a third game in three days - the team's first 3-in-3 of the season.

"It's just a different kind of challenge. You know, that's why we play - we like the challenges. Whether it's three in three or playing against the top team, or whatever the case is, we're just chalking it up to as another opportunity to see how we can do in a challenging environment. All teams have to do it, so we just got to figure out what works for us."

GAME STORY

The Penguins and Phantoms had a bit of a feeling out process in the opening five minutes, much as you'd expect two teams playing each other for the first time would.

Lehigh Valley generated eight shots on goal in the opening minutes, aided by an early period power play, but it was the Penguins opening the scoring Saturday night shortly after failing to convert on their first man advantage opportunity.

Corey Andonovski carried a puck into the offensive zone, and got help from Taylor Fedun to get the biscuit down low behind the net where the Penguins were eventually able to break free with the puck.

Andonovski got to a loose puck behind the net, sent it up to the left point by St. Ivany and the Penguins defender skated the puck to center point before firing a shot through traffic that changed directions on its way past Sandstrom. Filipe was credited with the goal, his fourth of the season, with 7:41 left before the first intermission.

The Phantoms tied the game up at 1-1 just over a minute and a half later, with Olle Lycksell behind the net and feeding Marody out in front for a quick tap-in past Hellberg with 6:02 left in the first frame.

The physicality picked up in the middle frame, as there were a lot more pushing and shoving matches and post-whistle scrums than in the opening 20 minutes as the two teams renewed their rivalry.

After failing to break the 1-1 tie with an early period power play, the Penguins found themselves shorthanded 4-on-3 in the middle period. Luckily for the home crowd who braved the snow to come out to tonight's game, Hellberg and the Penguins' penalty killers held and kept the game deadlocked heading into the final six minutes of the period.

Then, a relatively harmless shot from Elliot Desnoyers after an offsides whistle started a scrum. The shot didn't reach the Penguins goaltender, but it didn't stop Jagger Joshua from letting Desnoyers know that kind of play wouldn't be tolerated. The two teams quickly converged to the side of the Penguins net, with Phantoms captain Garrett Wilson dropping his gloves and wrestling Jonathan Gruden to the ice.

The referees assessed an extra penalty to Wilson, and while the Penguins didn't officially convert on the ensuing man advantage they scored to take a 2-1 lead three seconds after the Penguins' power play had expired.

Credit Ty Smith with a heads-up play off of a face-off win, skating the puck to the center point and opening up Nylander from atop the right circle for a shot past Sandstrom to put the Penguins on top in a one-goal game heading to the third frame.

The Penguins came out for the third period with a one-goal lead, and got on the attack early to extend their lead to 3-1.

Austin Rueschoff won a puck battle along the right-wing wall and sent it up to the right point for St. Ivany, who collected the puck and fired a hard shot on net that Sandstrom had trouble handling. The rebound went into the left-wing circle where Abbandonato was able to slide in a rebound goal into a mostly empty net 3:50 into the final frame.

Credit to the Phantoms, who down 3-1 in the third period didn't pack up and call it a night.

Instead, they made it a one-goal game with 11:28 left in the third on a strong shot from Tuomaala off an assist from Louie Belpedio and then tied the game up at 3-3 just over a minute later on a goal from the right-wing circle by Attard.

Just like that, it was a whole new hockey game with 10:16 left in regulation.

The two teams got it to overtime, and that's when Tuomaala sealed the deal with his second of the night to complete the Phantoms' comeback win.

Lehigh Valley Phantoms Lineup Notes

Felix Sandstrom got the start in net for the Phantoms Saturday night, with Cal Petersen serving as the team's backup.

Phantoms Scratches: Helge Grans, Ethan Samson, Evan Polei and Brendan Furry

Lines/Pairings:

Garrett Wilson - Tanner Laczynski - Wade Allison Olle Lycksell - Adam Brooks - Cooper Marody Jon-Randall Avon - Elliot Desnoyers - Samu Tuomaala Jordy Bellerive - Jacob Gaucher - Zayde Wisdom

Emil Andrae - Louie Belpedio Victor Mete - Ronnie Attard Adam Ginning - Adam Karashik

Felix Sandstrom (Backup: Cal Petersen)

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Lineup Notes

Magnus Hellberg got the start in net Saturday for the Penguins. Joel Blomqvist served as the Penguins' backup goaltender.

Plenty of lineup changes with the Penguins in the middle game of a three-in-three weekend.

Rem Pitlick was traded to Chicago Saturday morning.

Jesse Puljujarvi sat out Saturday after playing Friday night. Head coach JD Forrest said post-game that Puljujarvi's absence was scheduled and part of the plan heading into the weekend as to not play him in three games in three nights in his first game action after having double hip surgery over the summer.

Penguins Scratches: Jesse Puljujarvi, Sam Houde, Dillon Hamaliuk, Xavier Ouellet, Owen Headrick, Raivis Ansons and Avery Hayes

Lines/Pairings:

Vinnie Hinostroza - Colin White - Alex Nylander Sam Poulin - Peter Abbandonato - Austin Rueschhoff Matt Filipe - Joona Koppanen - Corey Andonovski Jagger Joshua - Jonathan Gruden - Marc Johnstone

Dmitri Samorukov - Ty Smith Jack Rathbone - Jack St. Ivany Will Butcher - Taylor Fedun

Magnus Hellberg (Backup: Joel Blomqvist)

GAME SUMMARY

1st Period

5:51: WBS - (PP) Andonovski, minor (hooking) 9:08: LV - (PP) Laczynski, minor (hooking) 12:19: WBS - Filipe (4) - St. Ivany, Andonovski 13:58: LV - Marody (9) - Lycksell

2nd Period

3:29: LV - (PP) Attard, minor (tripping) 8:12: LV - Wisdom, minor (roughing) 8:12: WBS - Samorukov, minor (roughing) 9:25: WBS - (PP) Butcher, minor (tripping) 14:54: WBS - Gruden, minor (roughing) 14:54: LV - Wilson, minor (roughing) 14:54: LV - (PP) Wilson, minor (roughing) 16:57: WBS - Nylander (12) - Smith, Hinostroza

3rd Period

3:50: WBS - Abbandonato (6) - St. Ivany, Rueschhoff 8:32: LV - Tuomaala (9) - Belpedio 9:44: LV - Attard (6) - Avon, Gaucher

Overtime

1:30: LV - Tuomaala (10) - Belpedio, Marody

BOXSCORE

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

Shots

Lehigh Valley   11 - 10 - 10 - 2 = 33 W-B/Scranton  9 - 12 - 5 - 2 = 28

Goalies

LV: Felix Sandstrom (25 saves - 28 shots) WBS: Magnus Hellberg (29 saves - 33 shots)

Power Play

LV: 0-for-2 WBS: 0-for-3

Penalty Kill

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