Tuomaala Scores Winner for Flyers
September 14, 2024
Allentown, PA – Samu Tuomaala had a pair of overtime goals last year for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and the team’s AHL All-Star Classic representative continued that trend with a September strike in extra-time to finish the highly successful Rookie Series at PPL Center presented by Zoom Drain.
Emil Andrae corraled the puck in the high-right slot and looked ready to shoot but his pump-fake appeared to deceive everyone in the building except for Tuomaala on the backdoor who buried his chance just 33 seconds into overtime for the Philadelphia Flyers to walk away with a 3-2 decision.
The Flyers and Rangers split extra-time decisions on the weekend with New York victorious in a shootout on Friday 4-3 followed by Philadelphia’s counter on Saturday.
It was also Tuomaala’s second time scoring an overtime winner against the Rangers prospects. His first overtime goal last year came against the Hartford Wolf Pack on November 3, 2023.
Matteo Mann and Sawyer Boulton scored for the Flyers in the first and second periods to give Philadelphia a 2-0 lead despite largely being outplayed by the Rangers. Carson Bjarnasson came through with 14 straight stops in the first period and then relief goaltender Sam Hillebrandt finished off the win with several strong denials in the second and third.
The Rangers kept up the momentum and finally broke through with two straight strikes in the second period to equalize. Matthew Robertson on the power play and Adam Edstrom on a shorthanded breakaway pulled the Blueshirts to even.
Mann is a seventh rounder and a defenseman who found an opening to cut over to the slot and then receive a pass from Josh Zakreski perfectly onto his tape setting up the opening tally at 3:05 into the game. Jacob Gaucher’s secondary assist was the first of two helpers on the night for the returning Lehigh Valley center.
Philly’s second period goal came off the stick of fourth liner Sawyer Boulton after a nifty set up by Zayde Wisdom at 6:29 into the second frame.
But the Flyers were still just hanging on. Robertson’s point shot on the power play might have been deflected on its way past Hillebrandt for the Rangers to get on the board just past the midway mark of the second period.
After Brett Berard of the Rangers was sent off for spearing and the Flyers had a five-minute power play, it would be New York to take advantage. Philly couldn’t get its man-advantage attack on track. Meanwhile, Adam Edstrom nicely anticipated and picked off a drop which he turned into a shorthanded breakaway conversion with 4:29 remaining in the second for a 2-2 tie.
Philadelphia’s best period was the third. The Flyers and Rangers both had some nice chances but Hillebrandt and relief Rangers’ goaltender Hugo Ollas were equal to the task in a scoreless frame.
That set up the quick tally in overtime for Tuomaala from Andrae to cap the fun weekend which included Matvei Michkov’s debit on Friday followed by a last-minute tying goal by Massimo Rizzo with 14.4 seconds left and then a terrific overtime win for the Flyers in the finale.
Both the Flyers and Rangers will resume Rookie Camp at their respective training sites and then the regular training camps will commence a few days later.
Lehigh Valley’s training camp at PPL Center begins on Sunday, September 29 with the Phantoms taking to the ice in preseason action on Tuesday, October 1 against the rival Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Opening Night against the Hartford Wolf Pack will include many of the same players we saw this weekend playing for both sides. The Saturday, October 12 clash will also include a Rally Towel giveaway presented by Service Electric.
SCORING SUMMARY
1st 3:05 – PHI, M. Mann (J. Zakreski, J. Gaucher) (1-0)
2nd 6:29 – PHI, S. Boulton (Z. Wisdom, J. Gaucher) (2-0)
2nd 10:57 – NYR, M. Robertson (R. Korczak) (PP) (2-1)
2nd 15:31 – NYR, A. Edstrom (Unassisted) (SH) (2-2)
OT 0:33 – PHI, S. Tuomaala (E. Andrae) (3-2)
Shots:
PHI 27 – NYR 38
PP:
PHI 0/2, NYR 1/3
Goaltenders:
PHI – C. Bjarnasson (ND) (14/14)
PHI – S. Hillebrandt (W) (22/24)
NYR – T. Boyko (ND) (13/15)
NYR – H. Ollas (OTL) (11/12)
