Pederson Stuns Penguins in OT Win

Phantoms Rally Late for 4-3 Victory

March 14, 2026

Allentown, PA – Lane Pederson (20th, 21st) scored a late tying goal and then blasted home the overtime winner as the Lehigh Valley Phantoms pulled off another fantastic, late rally to down the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 4-3 on Saturday night.

The Phantoms were down 3-1 with under 6:00 remaining. But Oliver Bonk (5th) scored on the power play to spark the comeback. Pederson tied the game with a 6-on-5 goal with just 1:04 left and then cranked home the winner with a 4-on-3 power-play blast with just 10 seconds remaining in overtime.

Boris Katchouk (7th) also scored for the Phantoms in his return to his former team while David Jiricek racked up three assists in just his third game with his new team and Anthony Richard posted a three-helper night as well.

Lehigh Valley (26-26-6) essentially scored all four goals while enjoying a man advantage. Katchouk’s goal in the second period came just after a Penguins’ penalty had expired. Then Bonk scored a 5-on-4 power-play goal with barely over five minutes remaining in the third followed by Pederson’s tying tally at 6-on-5 and then Pederson’s winning strike at 4-on-3.

The game in Wilkes-Barre was the opener of a home-and-home weekend series with the rematch set for Sunday at 3:05 p.m. at PPL Center in Allentown.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (36-15-7) opened the scoring in the first period at 13:02 with NHL veteran Ryan Graves (3rd) blasting one past Carson Bjarnason from the left circle after a nifty passing sequence in transition. The Phantoms were down 1-0 but were still getting chances. Breakaways for Anthony Richard and newcomer Noah Powell were either saved by Joel Blomqvist for missed the net.

The Penguins boosted their lead to 2-0 early in the second period with rookie Tanner Howe spinning around to connect with Joona Koppanen (7th) across the ice to score from the left circle at 4:54 into the middle frame.

Lehigh Valley got one back on a nifty shot-pass from the right corner by Anthony Richard finding Katchouk’s stick at the net-front. The goal at 10:15 into the second period to get the Phantoms on the board came just moments after a Lehigh Valley power play had expired. Katchouk scored 21 goals for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last season. The recent acquisition from the Iowa Wild has now produced two goals and three assists for five points in his last four games with the Phantoms.

The Penguins briefly thought they had bumped their lead up to 3-1 when Joona Koppanen knocked in another but the goal was taken off the board when video-review determined a kicking motion.

But Finn Harding’s (2nd) goal a few minutes later would count when his drive from the right point through a screened Bjanrason made it through to the far post at 16:12 into the second period. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton led 3-1 at the break.

The Phantoms turned it on in the third period but it appeared the bounces were impeding their comeback efforts. Tucker Robertson rushed in after a Zayde Wisdom pressure and steal on the right boards but his shorthanded breakaway went for naught as it found the crossbar and stayed out. Same for a Hunter McDonald shot that was deflected over the glove of Blomqvist that also found iron.

But Lehigh Valley kept coming and the Penguins were forced to take penalties to slow them down. A bouncing puck in the slot found the stick of Oliver Bonk who knocked it in at 14:47 to pull Lehigh Valley to within one.

A faceoff win for Lane Pederson led to a quick shot by Anthony Richard from the point which bounced out to Pederson at the bottom of the left circle to bury his sharp-angle tying tally at 6-on-5 with just 1:04 left thus forcing the second overtime contest between the two rivals.

The Penguins had difficulties keeping up with the Orange and Black in the overtime and took two separate penalties in the extra frame. Lehigh Valley had zero shots in its first overtime power play but the second one connected, and just in time. Jiricek at center point slid a perfect pass over to Pederson in the left circle whose winning shot went across Blomqvist and to the upper-right corner on the glove side of the Penguins’ netminder with just 10 seconds remaining to cap the comeback and clinch the thrilling win.

Pedreson leads the Phantoms with 21 goals and also became the first Lehigh Valley player to score multiple overtime winners this season including his conversion on October 31 at Hartford.

Both of Lehigh Valley’s wins against the Penguins have been after regulation including a December 28 shootout triumph at PPL Center.

The Phantoms trimmed their Magic Number down to 25 points to punch their ticket for the Calder Cup Playoffs. There are 14 games remaining in the regular season beginning with the rematch on Sunday at 3:05 p.m. at PPL Center.

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