Phantoms Triumph at Penguins 3-2 in Shootout
February 14, 2025
Wilkes-Barre, PA – Rodrigo Abols returned to the Phantoms the same way he left. His shootout winner in the third round vaulted Lehigh Valley to a 3-2 win at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Valentine’s Day. His second-to-last game before his three-week stretch with the Philadelphia Flyers also included a shootout winner with a fourth-round strike at Rochester on January 17. In between his shootout conversions, Abols had made his NHL debut during a nine-game stint with the Philadelphia Flyers.
Samu Tuomaala (11th) and Jacob Gaucher (15th), with a third-period tying tally, both scored for Lehigh Valley (23-18-6) who never led until the very end of the shootout. Parker Gahagen (30/32) was fantastic between the pipes in recording his seventh consecutive win.
It was Lehigh Valley’s first win in six trips to northeast Pennsylvania this season. And they earned it.
The boys were back as well and made an immediate impact. Three players involved in the key plays had all recently been up with the Philadelphia Flyers prior to the NHL Four Nations Break. Abols with the shootout winner and Gaucher with the tying goal on an assist by Anthony Richard were all welcome additions back into the Lehigh Valley lineup.
The Phantoms also played in their league-leading 17th overtime game of the season and picked up their 11th win past regulation which includes a record of 4-1 in shootouts as well as 7-5 in overtimes. The Phantoms also rallied from a second-intermission deficit for a third time this season.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (26-12-5) opened the scoring with 6:00 remaining in the first period on a flick to the right of the cage by Sam Poulin (12th) who had his back turned when he collected the rebound of Dan Renouf’s point shot. The Baby Pens carried a 1-0 lead into the intermission.
Lehigh Valley countered with a goal at 4:00 into the second period on a hard scramble in the crease. Massimo Rizzo had been pushed by a defenseman into goaltender Joel Blomqvist allowing Tuomaala to score from the right dot into the unguarded upper-half of the net. Initially not ruled a goal on the ice, the officials conferenced and determined that the goal was good. Tuomaala leads the Phantoms with 31 points and has three goals in his last four games. Rizzo and Abols assisted on the play.
The Penguins took the lead again with a power-play goal with 1:05 remaining in the second on a rebound to Tristan Broz (14th) in the left circle off a shot by Vasily Ponomorev.
It looked like Lehigh Valley was in trouble early in the third period when a puck careened in the crease and perhaps off a post while Gahagen was blasted backwards into the cage. While the Phantoms’ goaltender was down, Emil Andrae raced the other direction on a breakaway that was broken up by a slash from Filip Kral.
After taking an extended amount of time to get back on his skates, it was determined that Gahagen was okay to stay in the game. On Lehigh Valley’s subsequent power play, Anthony Richard from the right boards offered a perfect shot-pass to Gaucher in the low slot who deflected the tying goal top shelf with 12:54 remaining to make it 2-2 with his team-leading 15th lamplighter of the season.
The Penguins had a close call with barely over a minute left in the third period but Gahagen fought it off with the left pad and a ricochet off the side of the net back out in front was swept away to get the game to overtime. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton carried the play and had possession for most of the overtime but Lehigh Valley’s defenders kept finding opportunities to break up scoring tries. Shots in the overtime were 2-0 for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton but perhaps the best chance was in the last minute for the Phantoms when Richard rushed in and splt the Penguins defenders only to shoot it high over the upper-right corner.
Gahagen was a perfect in the shootout just as he was last week against Cleveland. He improved to 3-0 in shootouts during his personal seven-game win streak with skills competition victories on January 17 at Rochester, February 7 vs. Cleveland and now tonight at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
It was also extra sweet on this Valentine’s Day for Gahagen to pick up a win in this building. The last time he played at Wilkes-Barre on December 21 he gave up seven goals in a most unpleasant appearance. Since that game and beginning with a December 28 win over Charlotte, the 31-year-old Army Captain has gone 7-0-0, 1.38, .947. Gahagen’s 1.38 GAA is second-best in the AHL for all goalies who have played two or more games in that stretch (trailing Cooper Black of Charlotte at 1.00).
The Phantoms play a pair of home games this weekend when they host the Syracuse Crunch in a Saturday Night tilt on Margaritaville Night with Bucket Hats from Capital Blue. Sunday at 3:05 p.m. is a rematch with the Penguins on meLVin’s big birthday celebration with all his mascot friends.
SCORING SUMMARY
1st 14:00 – WBS, S. Poulin (12) (D. Renouf, J. St. Ivany) (0-1)
2nd 4:00 – LV, S. Tuomaala (11) (M. Rizzo, R. Abols) (1-1)
2nd 18:55 – WBS, T. Broz (14) (A. Hayes, V. Ponomarev) (PP) (1-2)
3rd 7:06 – LV, J. Gaucher (15) (A. Richard, O. Lycksell) (PP) (2-2)
Shootout
WBS – V. Koivunen X, E. Bemstrom X, T. Broz X
LV – O. Lycksell X, S. Tuomaala X, R. Abols GOAL
Shots:
LV 28 – WBS 32
PP:
LV 1/3, WBS 1/4
Goaltenders:
LV – P. Gahagen (W) (8-1-1) (30/32)
WBS – J. Blomqvist (SOL) (6-5-3) (25/27)
Records:
Lehigh Valley (23-18-6)
W-B/Scranton (26-12-5)
UPCOMING
Saturday, February 15 (7:05) – Syracuse Crunch at Phantoms – Bucket Hats from Capital Blue. Margaritaville Night. Live Music “Jimmy and the Parrots”
Sunday, February 16 (3:05) – W-B/Scranton Penguins at Phantoms – meLVin’s Birthday with his mascot friends!
Wednesday, February 19 (8:00) – Phantoms at Grand Rapids Griffins
Friday, February 21 (8:00) – Phantoms at Grand Rapids Griffins
Saturday, February 22 (8:00) – Phantoms at Rockford IceHogs
