GAME STORY: Toronto - 4 at Lehigh Valley - 3 (OT) 1/16/22

ALLENTOWN, Pa. - The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (10-12-8) managed a point in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Toronto Marlies, finishing their 3-in-3 weekend with a 1-1-1 record coming off a COVID layoff that prevented the team from practicing leading up to Friday's game in Wilkes-Barre.

Joey Anderson completed the hat trick and the Marlies' comeback with the overtime winner, as Brett Seney (one goal, three assists) forced overtime with 2:01 left in the third period. Erik Källgren stopped 22 of the 25 shots he faced to pick up the win for the Marlies.

Brennan Saulnier, Wade Allison and Alex Kile scored for the Phantoms in the loss. Garrett Metcalf stopped 23 of the 27 shots he faced in a losing effort, though Sunday's game was arguably the team's best performance on the weekend.

Lehigh Valley Phantoms Roster Notes

Four remain on the AHL's COVID list as assistant coach Jason Smith returned behind the bench Sunday. Assistant coach Riley Armstrong, goaltender Pat Nagle, defenseman Logan Day and forward Hayden Hodgson are in enhanced protocols at the direction of team medical staff and the AHL.

Former Flyers forward Danny Briere helped head coach Ian Laperriere behind the bench Friday in Wilkes-Barre and again on Saturday night as an assistant with both of the team's assistant coaches in COVID protocol, but was not behind the bench for Sunday's game.

Connor Bunnaman was a surprise late scratch for Sunday's game until it was announced shortly after puck drop that he was called up to the Philadlephia Flyers' taxi squad.

Brennan Saulnier returned to the Phantoms' lineup up front in Bunnnaman's absence. Charlie Gerard moved from wing to center to give the team four guys down the middle.

Cooper Zech was scratched on defense Sunday, and Ryan MacKinnon took his spot in the lineup.

Phantoms Scratches: Samuel Ersson (injured), Pat Nagle (COVID list), Cooper Zech, Logan Day (COVID list), , Hayden Hodgson (COVID list), Garrett Wilson (injured) and Tyson Foerster (injured)

Lines/Pairings

Maksim Sushko - Cal O'Reilly - Wade Allison Max Willman - Matthew Strome - Linus Sandin Isaac Ratcliffe - Charlie Gerard - Alex Kile Brennan Saulnier - German Rubtsov - Nick Lappin

Linus Hogberg - Adam Clendening Egor Zamula - Wyatte Wylie Mason Millman - Ryan MacKinnon

Garrett Metcalf - Felix Sandstrom

Toronto Marlies Roster Notes

Erik Kallgren got the start in net for the Marlies Sunday afternoon, with Hayden Hawkey serving as the team's backup goaltender.

Marlies Scratches: Joseph Woll, Noel Hoefenmayer, Teemu Kivihalme, Bobby McCann, Matthew Hellickson, Seymon Der-Arguchintsev, Ben Finklestein, Gordie Green, Marc Michaelis, Jeremy McKenna, Brennan Mennell and Nick Robertson

Lines/Pairings

Antti Suomela - Brett Seney - Joey Anderson Alex Steeves - Mikhail Abramov - Josh Ho-Sang Jack Kopacka - Joseph Blandisi - Pavel Gogolev Richard Clune - Curtis Douglas - Ryan Chyzowski

Filip Král - CarlDahlström Kristins Rubīns - Joseph Duszak Chad Krys - Mac Hollowell

Erik Källgren - Hayden Hawkey

GAME RECAP

1st Period

The Phantoms did a good enough job to start the contest, playing their third game in as many days, by keeping it simple and sticking to their structure that head coach Ian Laperriere has been preaching to his players since Day One.

They had two opportunities in the opening 5:01 to take a 1-0 lead, getting back-to-back power plays - one after Brennan Saulnier was slashed on his backhand attempt at an empty side of the net, and another for a Marlies too many men minor - but were unable to convert.

Lehigh Valley kept the Marlies from getting a shot on goal in the opening 11 minutes, but a tripping penalty on Adam Clendening gave the Marlies power play a chance to grab momentum and Toronto did just that.

Joseph Duszak let loose a hard shot from the right point on the ensuing power play, and from his net-front position Joey Anderson was able to get a stick on the shot and tip the puck down before stuffing it in past Phantoms' goaltender Garrett Metcalf for his 11th of the season.

The Phantoms responded on the next shift, getting a game-tying goal from Brennan Saulnier on a bit of a fortuitous bounce. From behind the net, Saulnier attempted to center it in front for one of his linemates. Instead, the puck bounced off the back of a Marlies defender and across the goal line past Marlies netminder Erik Kallgren.

Toronto just seemed to have momentum on their side following their power play tally, as they ended up firing 11 shots on net in the final eight minutes of the period - getting a second goal from Anderson with 1:48 left to re-gain their lead at 2-1 after Antti Suomela fed Anderson out in front for a quick shot past Metcalf.

2nd Period

The Phantoms pounced on a turnover at the offensive zone blue line early in the middle frame, with Cal O'Reilly picking off a Marlies pass and quickly flipping it to the net front where Wade Allison swooped in and scored to tie the game at 2-2 just 1:12 into the period.

The goal marked his second in as many nights for Allison, who looks to be getting his timing back in his third game back from an upper body injury that caused him to miss three games.

From there, Lehigh Valley seemed to have gained some momentum. They had several shifts of extended offensive zone time, and out-shot the Marlies by a 10-6 margin in the period.

Allison drew the Phantoms a power play in the waning moments of the period, setting up the Phantoms with some carry-over power play time to begin the third.

3rd Period

Things got tighter as the third period clock continued to wind down, as both teams dug in and were in search of a go-ahead goal.

After the Phantoms' carryover power play from the middle frame expired, it appeared as though the referees' whistles were kept in their pockets.

The two teams continued to grind their way into the later stages of the third period, with neither team willing to take any extra chances and risk being the reason their team let a 2-2 game slip away.

A big hit by Adam Clendening on Josh Ho-Sang stopped play with 8:25 left, and while no penalty was called it certainly set the tone for more physical play the rest of the way.

Newcomer Alex Kile teamed up with Isaac Ratcliffe on a forecheck with just over six and a half minutes left, with Ratcliffe picking up a turnover behind the Marlies' net and feeding it in front for a backhander by Kile that eluded the Marlies' goaltender to break the 2-2 tie with 6:32 left in regulation.

The lead was short-lived, however, as Brett Seney found a way to open up enough of a shooting lane to get his shot from inside the right-wing circle through traffic and past Metcalf to tie the game back up at 3-3 with 2:01 to play.

The goal forced overtime, but as the third period horn sounded a high hit from Maksim Sushko on Joseph Duszak at the right point resulted in a penalty called by referee Jordan Samuels-Thomas at 20:00 - giving the Marlies a 4-on-3 power play to work with in overtime.

Overtime

The Marlies were able to convert on the ensuing man advantage and win the hockey game on a hat trick goal from Anderson, but more interesting was what happened as the two teams were crossing paths to exit the ice at opposite ends of the rink.

Marlies captain Rich Clune, who had dropped the gloves earlier in the contest with Brennan Saulnier, sought out to find Clendening after the game to try to settle the score. It looked like tempers flared but things were about to cool off when Saulnier came charging in and threw a glove-on punch at Clune - causing the two teams to reconvene near the visiting team's bench area.

Fans in attendance at PPL Center near the visiting tunnels where Marlies players exited the ice allege that Clune attempted to swing his stick at a fan on his way to the team's locker room area.

The only penalty recorded on the game sheet as of Sunday evening at 9:30 p.m. ET is a cross-checking minor assessed to Saulnier, though additional supplemental discipline could be on the way if the AHL reviews the tape and deems suspensions necessary.

It got real ugly, real quick after that one ended which is a bit odd since the Phantoms and Marlies only ever meet twice a season under normal circumstances and just resumed the 1-home/1-away series between the two teams this season for the first time since the pandemic cancelled the end of the 2019-20 season.

GAME SUMAMRY

1st Period

2:54: TOR - (PP) Duszak, minor (slashing) 5:01: TOR - (PP) bench minor, too many men (served by Ho-Sang) 11:19: LV - (PP) Clendening, minor (tripping) 12:13: TOR - PPG Anderson (11) - Duszak, Seney 12:55: LV - Saulnier (2) - Millman, Rubtsov 18:12: TOR - Anderson (12) - Suomela, Seney

2nd Period

1:12: LV - Allison (2) - O'Reilly 8:25: LV - Saulnier, major (fighting) 8:25: TOR - Clune, major (fighting) 18:41: TOR - (PP) Rubins, minor (interference)

3rd Period

13:28: LV - Kile (1) - Ratcliffe, Gerard 17:59: TOR - Seney (6) - Dahlstrom, Kral 20:00: LV - (PP) Sushko, minor (roughing)

Overtime

1:06: TOR - PPG Anderson (13) - Seney, Steeves 1:06: LV - Saulnier, minor (cross-checking)

BOXSCORE

Toronto Marlies  2 - 0 - 1 - 1 = 4 Lehigh Valley 1 - 1 - 1 - 0 = 3

Shots

Toronto Marlies  11 - 6 - 9 - 1 = 27 Lehigh Valley 8 - 10 - 7 - 0 = 25

Goalies

TOR: Erik Kallgren (22 saves -  25 shots) LV: Garrett Metcalf (23 saves - 27 shots)

Power Play

TOR: 2-for-2 LV: 0-for-3

Penalty Kill

TOR: 3-for-3 LV: 0-for-2