GAME STORY: W-B/Scranton - 5 at Lehigh Valley - 4 (OT)2/27/21

ALLENTOWN, Pa. - In a back-and-forth game that featured several lead changes, it was the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (4-2-1) getting the last goal in a highly-entertaining 5-4 overtime decision over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (4-1-2) Saturday night in the rematch between these two in-state rivals.

The offensive hot streaks continued for both Max Willman (two goals, goals in four straight games) and Zayde Wisdom (one goal, one assist). The two are in a three-way tie with Chicago's Seth Jarvis for the rookie goal scoring lead with six goals apiece.

Ryan Fitzgerald (one goal, one assist) got the Phantoms' power play on the board in the second period, and set up Wisdom for a power play tally in the final three minutes to force overtime.

Mason Millman (two assists) recorded his first points as a pro tonight.

### Lehigh Valley Phantoms Roster Notes

Lines/Pairings:

Ryan Fitzgerald - Cal O'Reilly - Zayde Wisdom Max Willman - Chris Mueller - David Kase Garrett Wilson - Tanner Laczynski - Linus Sandin Brennan Saulnier - Tanner MacMaster - Ralph Cuddemi

Egor Zamula - Wyatte Wylie Linus Hogberg - Derrick Pouliot Mason Millman - Logan Day

Felix Sandstrom - Zane McIntyre

Scratches: Eamon McAdam, Tyler Wotherspoon, Maksim Sushko, Matthew Strome, Isaac Ratcliffe, Chris Bigras, Pascal Laberge and Tyson Foerster

GAME RECAP

1st Period

It was a pretty sloppy start to the game for both teams, who also faced off against each other last night in Wilkes-Barre.

Lehigh Valley nearly took the 1-0 lead after a pretty display of passing from Tanner Laczynski to Wyatte Wylie to Linus Sandin saw the latter alone in the slot, but the puck was just pushed wide of the net. Seconds later, the Penguins scored in transition on an odd-man rush.

Felix Robert picked up a loose puck and turned on the jets, flying up the right wing with Jan Drozg. Robert elected to shoot, beating Felix Sandstrom to the far side to put the Penguins ahead 1-0 just prior to the midway mark of the period.

The Phantoms responded with a goal of their own moments later. Cal O'Reilly got a puck to Zayde Wisdom, who made a nifty backhand pass to center it to Max Willman. Willman did the rest, using a slick toe-drag move before shooting through a Penguins' defender's legs and through the five-hole of Shane Starrett.

Willman's fifth of the season marked four straight games with a goal for #20, who is obviously playing with a ton of confidence.

Lehigh Valley had not one, but two power play chances in the final 5:06 of the opening period. They were unable to convert, dragging their lackluster power play success rate even lower at 1-for-27 clip heading into the middle frame.

2nd Period

The Penguins struck early in the middle frame, again scoring off the rush to take a 2-1 lead 1:09 into the period. Jordy Bellerive took a cross-ice pass from Sam Miletic and appeared to beat a sliding Sandstrom to the five-hole. Bellerive was just assigned to the Penguins from Pittsburgh, announced earlier in the day.

Willman again had the response for the Phantoms, scoring on a similar toe-drag move in the left-wing circle to tie the game back up at 2-2 just over three minutes later. The goal moved Willman into a tie for the rookie goal scoring lead with six markers on the season at that point.

Then, Penguins defenseman Cam Lee took a boarding minor - sending the Phantoms to their third power play of the contest. It wasn't pretty, but Lehigh Valley converted on the power play to take their first lead of the game.

Mason Millman got a puck down low behind the net, where Cal O'Reilly was first to the puck. The Phantoms' captain fed the puck to Ryan Fitzgerald at the side of the net and the Phantoms' forward found a way to sneak it in past Starrett for his third tally of the season.

The sea-saw battle continued as the Penguins were able to tie things back up at 3-3 with 5:17 left before the second intermission. An offensive zone face-off win by Frederick Gaudreau allowed Nick Schilkey to re-direct a Bill Sweezey point shot past Sandstrom, on what was truly an expert deflection by the former Ohio State product. Schilkey's second of the season sent the two teams to the third period in a deadlock.

3rd Period

For the second straight period, the Phantoms allowed an early goal. This time, it was just 23 seconds into the final frame when Kevin Czuczman centered the puck to the top of the Phantoms' crease. Sandstrom made the initial stop on Bellerive, but Sam Miletic also crashed the net and potted the rebound goal to put the Penguins in front 4-3.

From there, Lehigh Valley was on their heels a bit in the opening half of the period - out shot 6-1 in the first six minutes of the period.

The Phantoms had a power play opportunity with a chance to tie the game with 6:19 left to play, but were unsuccessful.

It wasn't until their fifth and final power play chance of the night, with just over three minutes left to play, that Lehigh Valley was able to find pay dirt. And you only need one (maybe two?) guess as to who buried the game-tying goal.

A great play by Ryan Fitzgerald coming out of the corner and forcing a turnover, followed by a nifty deke opened things up for a cross-ice feed to a wide open Zayde Wisdom - who made no mistake and quickly roofed it past Starrett with 3:06 left in regulation.

Wisdom's sixth goal of the season moved him into a three-way tie for the rookie goal scoring lead with fellow teammate Max Willman and Chicago's Seth Jarvis.

Overtime

The OT period didn't last long.

Willman got to a loose puck at the top of the defensive zone directly following a face-off, and you had a feeling he was about to turn on the jets and lead a rush up ice in the 3-on-3. He opted, instead, to send a blind drop pass back to Egor Zamula. Unfortunately for Willman and the Phantoms, he didn't see the Penguins' forward trailing the play.

Gaudreau picked off the pass and opted to shoot on the ensuing 2-on-1 rush, giving the Penguins the 5-4 OT win.

GAME SUMMARY

1st Period

9:11: WBS - Robert (2) - Zohorna 13:40: LV - Willman (5) - Wisdom, O'Reilly 14:54: WBS - (PP) Drozg, minor (tripping) 17:24: WBS - (PP) Robert, minor (slashing)

2nd Period

1:09: WBS - Bellerive (3) - Miletic, Schilkey 4:27: LV - Willman (6) - Pouliot, Millman 6:22: WBS - (PP) Lee, minor (boarding) 7:26: LV - PPG Fitzgerald (3) - O'Reilly, Millman 11:27: LV - (PP) O'Reilly, minor (holding) 14:43: WBS - Schilkey (2) - Sweezey, Gaudreau

3rd Period

0:27: WBS - Miletic (1) - Bellerive, Czuczman 16:54: LV - PPG Wisdom (6) - Fitzgerald

Overtime

0:40: WBS - Gaudreau (1) - unassisted

BOXSCORE

W-B/Scranton  1 - 2 - 1 - 1 = 5 Lehigh Valley  1 - 2 - 1 - 0 = 4

Shots

W-B/Scranton  9 - 15 - 10 - 2 = 36 Lehigh Valley   9 - 8 - 8 - 0 = 25

Goalies

WBS: Shane Starrett (21 saves - 25 shots) LV: Felix Sandstrom (31 saves - 36 shots)

Power Play

WBS: 0-for-1 LV: 2-for-5

Penalty Kill

WBS: 3-for-5 LV: 1-for-1