Shootout Win on Teddy Bear Night

Lane Pederson Scores Teddy Bear Toss Goal

December 20, 2025

Allentown, PA – Toss the teddies! Lane Pederson’s second-period power-play goal from Cooper Marody and Egor Zamula sent the packed house at PPL Center into raptures and commenced the Phantoms’ 2025 Teddy Bear Toss. Thousands of Phantoms fans rocketed colorful stuffed animals of all shapes and sizes onto center ice in the annual chaotic event to benefit the kids at Valley Youth House in Bethlehem.

Beyond the fuzzy festivities, the Phantoms still had a hockey game to win. A strong team effort pushed the game into a shootout where Tucker Robertson’s goal provided the lead and Cooper Marody’s fourth round finish ripped it back 2-1. Carson Bjarnason then kicked Dylan Roobroeck’s attempt to the curb, clinching the win and two points for Lehigh Valley.

“It’s a huge, huge two going into the break,” said Bjarnason. “Then carrying it into the next games and leaving this first half of the season behind… Focusing on a new game and playing the way we can.”

Pederson’s goal to start the teddy bear toss came 2:11 into the second period. He took the shot from the left faceoff circle in the Wolf Pack’s zone, after passes from forward Cooper Marody and defenseman Egor Zamula, who made his 2025-26 Phantoms debut tonight. Marody and Zamula earned assists on the goal, and Pederson was ecstatic to have a crack at the net.

“I think everybody kind of jokes around before the game like, ‘who’s gonna get it’, and stuff,” said Pederson. “So, yeah, kind of cool to put that one in. But just a great pass, great play by Z and Coop. They kind of did the job for me and I just had an empty net to put it into.”

For Egor Zamula, who jumped into the lineup and quarterbacked the power play that led to the goal, it was the big defenseman’s first game with the Phantoms in about two-and-a-half years since March 30, 2023 when he last dressed for Lehigh Valley. Tonight was his 296th career game in the Flyers’ organization.

Hartford pushed back and forced some difficult saves out of the 34 total on the evening for Bjarnason. Back-to-back penalty kills in the second period were a big deal and kept the Phantoms ahead.

Syracuse eventually found the equazlizer at 8:29 into the third period on a deflection at the net-front by recently acquired Daniel Walcott (1st) off a Casey Fitzgerald point shot.

Hartford had another power play at the end of the third and into the overtime but somehow the Phantoms held them off again. Adam Ginning and Zayde Wisdom recorded back-to-back big blocks on the penalty kill in a critical sequence. That helped get the game to the shootout where Robertson pushed his season total to 2-for-2 with his first-round tally coming one week after his eighth-round winner last Saturday in Rochester and set the tone for more big saves by Bjaranson to finish the win.

The 20-year-old rookie goaltender has become quite the marathon man this season having been the backstop for all five shootouts this season going 3-2 in the skills competitions while making 17 shootout saves on 20 attempts, most in the AHL. Four of his last five starts have gone to overtime or shootout. The Phantoms are now tied with Coachella Valley with three shootout wins this season.

Lehigh Valley (14-11-3) improved to 6-3 in post-regulation decisions including 3-1 in overtimes and 3-2 in shootouts. The Phantoms also improved to 4-0 against Hartford (9-13-5) which includes three overtime or shootout victories.

“We all were playing the right way, and were competing the right way,” said Head Coach John Snowden. “But the biggest thing for us as a group is, you know, this game is a pressure business. It’s pressure for the players. It’s pressure for the coaches. It’s pressured to develop and move on to the next level. It’s pressure to win.”

“It’s awesome resilience for us,” said Lane Pederson. “It was a much needed victory, I think, like a morale booster. Hopefully, that kind of kick-starts us into the second half here. Obviously, we’re gonna get a nice break and recharge the batteries a little bit, and then hopefully we can hit the ground running in the second half.”

The win gives the team momentum into the holiday break. After a week-long vacation, they’re back at PPL Center on Saturday, Dec. 27 against the Charlotte Checkers, and Sunday, Dec. 28 in the afternoon against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. They will finish the six-game homestand, and the 2025 calendar year, against the Hershey Bears on New Year’s Eve.

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