![Lehigh Valley Phantoms](https://www.oursportscentral.com/graphics/teams/resized/ahl_lehighvalley_phantoms19-200.png)
Lehigh Valley Returns from Break in Style
February 9, 2024 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Lehigh Valley Phantoms News Release
![Lehigh Valley Phantoms' Victor Mete and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins' Vinny Hinostroza on game night](https://www.oursportscentral.com/graphics/pictures/md20240209-893231.jpg)
Lehigh Valley Phantoms' Victor Mete and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins' Vinny Hinostroza on game night
(Lehigh Valley Phantoms)
Allentown, PA - The Lehigh Valley Phantoms returned from the 2024 AHL All-Star Break primed and claimed a thrilling 5-4 shootout win over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Friday night. Wade Allison (10th), Rhett Gardner (5th), Brendan Furry (3rd) and J.R. Avon (9th) all registered goals for Lehigh Valley, and newly called-up forward Matt Brown provided the clutch heroics in the skills competition.
The Phantoms (19-18-7) traded blows with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for 65 minutes in a game that saw various lead changes and momentum shifts. Eight total goals scored in regulation began with an open-ice delight for Lehigh Valley late in the first period while skating 4-on-4. After the puck was worked from low-to-high in Penguins territory, Emil Andrae slid a pass across the blue line to Wade Allison. With time and space, Allison wired home a perfect shot, low-blocker side, off the post and past Joel Blomqvist at 16:40.
For Wade Allison, he is the fourth Lehigh Valley Phantoms' player to reach double-digit goals this season. It is also his third goal in his last five games since returning from a brief, two-week injury layoff.
Lehigh Valley's 1-0 advantage was short-lived, as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton countered with a deuce before first intermission. Vinnie Hinostroza converted on the power play only 33 seconds after Allison's opening marker, and Peter Abbandonato got a deflection at the net front to give the Pens a 2-1 lead at 18:23.
But fresh out of the dressing room for the second period, Lehigh Valley quickly erupted for three goals in a span of less than two minutes. Pushing the pace and moving the puck north, the vision and creativity of Bobby Brink, Elliot Desnoyers and Adam Brooks all setup respective scoring plays. Tremendous hand-eye coordination by Bobby Brink denied a Penguins' shorthanded clearing bid. Brink proceeded to circle the perimeter and find an open Rhett Gardner at the net front for the power-play tap-in at 4:06 to equalize at 2-2.
Barely over a minute later, the Orange and Black took full advantage of a Pens' neutral zone turnover. Allison intercepted a flat pass near the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton blueline and immediately fed Desnoyers along the right wing. As the puck was funneled to the blue paint, Furry persistently jammed home the go-ahead goal after three whacks at the loose puck.
Only 44 seconds later, the quick scoring onslaught continued courtesy of J.R. Avon. Lehigh Valley blitzed 200 feet north beginning with a crisp, defensive zone draw won by Adam Brooks and an outlet pass by Emil Andrae to spring an offensive rush. Polei and Brooks connected on the rush, and Brooks set up Avon going hard to the middle of the ice for the perfect redirect.
The Penguins did not go down without a fight, as Alex Nylander and Ty Smith both tallied in the third frame to force sudden-death overtime and the eventual shootout. In the skills competition, Avon improved to 3-for-4 this season with a silky move in Round 1. Lukas Svejkovsky responded for the Baby Pens in Round 2 to tie the shootout at 1-1. Wade Allison put Lehigh Valley back in front with a Round 3 shootout goal, but it was soon taken off the board following video review. But in Round 4, Matthew Brown's wicked wrister tickled the twine, and was soon followed with one final stop by Felix Sandstrom to complete the 5-4 marathon and Phantoms' victory.
The Lehigh Valley Phantoms will conclude its brief, two-game weekend on Saturday night with a 7:05 p.m. road tilt against the Bridgeport Islanders. Lehigh Valley is set to return to PPL Center on Saturday, February 17 versus the Syracuse Crunch. It's Youth Jersey Night courtesy of our friends at Velaspan and Service Electric.
SCORING SUMMARY
1st 16:40 - LV, W. Allison (10) (E. Andrae, A. Brooks) (1-0)
1st 1713 - WBS, V. Hinostroza (8) (J. Gruden, A. Nylander) (PP) (1-1)
1st 18:23 - WBS, P. Abbandonato (8) (X. Ouellet, V. Hinostroza) (1-2)
2nd 4:06 - LV, R. Gardner (5) (B. Brink) (PP) (2-2)
2nd 5:14 - LV, B. Furry (3) (E. Desnoyers, W. Allison) (3-2)
2nd 5:58 - LV, J. Avon (9) (A. Brooks, E. Polei) (4-2)
3rd 2:55 - WBS, A. Nylander (14) (V. Hinostroza, J. Gruden) (4-3)
3rd 8:43 - WBS, T. Smith (8) (J. Gruden, A. Rueschhoff) (4-4)
SHOTS
LV 32 - WBS 23
POWER PLAYS
LV 1/4, WBS 1/5
GOALTENDERS
LV - F. Sandstrom (W) (9-6-2) (19/23)
WBS - J. Blomqvist (L) (14-7-4) (27/31)
RECORDS
Lehigh Valley (19-18-7)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (24-16-7)
UPCOMING
Saturday, February 10 (7:00) - Lehigh Valley at Bridgeport
Saturday, February 17 (7:05) - Syracuse at Lehigh Valley - Youth Jersey Night from Velaspan and Service Electric
Stay current with the latest Phantoms news with the Phantoms 365 app available for Apple and Android devices and at www.phantomshockey.com
Follow the team on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lehighvalleyphantoms), Twitter (@lvphantoms), and Instagram (@lehighvalleyphantoms).
Images from this story
![]() Lehigh Valley Phantoms' Victor Mete and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins' Vinny Hinostroza on game night |
• Discuss this story on the American Hockey League message board...
American Hockey League Stories from February 9, 2024
- Amerks Unable to Hold Lead in Overtime Loss to Crunch - Rochester Americans
- Admirals Get Lucky #13 - Milwaukee Admirals
- Lehigh Valley Returns from Break in Style - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- Moose Fall to Griffins in Shootout - Manitoba Moose
- Prosvetov Shines as Eagles Top Abbotsford, 3-1 - Colorado Eagles
- Griffins Outlast Moose in 10-Round Shootout for Seventh Consecutive Victory - Grand Rapids Griffins
- The Canucks Drop Their First Game Back in a 3-1 Loss in Colorado - Abbotsford Canucks
- Hogs Earn Points in Third Straight Game with OT Loss to Stars - Rockford IceHogs
- O'Rourke and Walker Lift Iowa to 2-1 Win Over Tucson - Iowa Wild
- Iowa Edges Out Tucson 2-1 - Tucson Roadrunners
- Damiani Sends Stars Past IceHogs in Overtime - Texas Stars
- Penguins Drop Back-And-Forth Game in Shootout, 5-4 - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Bears Return From Break With 3-1 Win Over Bruins - Hershey Bears
- Wolves Drop 3-1 Decision to Admirals - Chicago Wolves
- Senators Shut Out by Comets in Weekend Opener at CAA Arena - Belleville Senators
- Wolf Pack Top Islanders - Bridgeport Islanders
- Monsters Pick up Point in 4-3 Overtime Loss to Checkers - Cleveland Monsters
- Wolf Pack Score Four Unanswered Goals in 2000th Game to Power Past Islanders 4-1 - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Checkers Complete Incredible Comeback in Cleveland - Charlotte Checkers
- San Diego Blanks Calgary - San Diego Gulls
- Wranglers Grounded by Gulls - Calgary Wranglers
- P-Bruins Topped by Bears in Third Frame - Providence Bruins
- Crunch Rally Past Amerks, 3-2, in Overtime - Syracuse Crunch
- Goaltender Poulter Perfect Against Senators, Comets Win 2-0 - Utica Comets
- Mikael Samuelsson and Mike Komisarek Are Guiding Young Players to Understand Canucks Hockey - Abbotsford Canucks
- Morning Skate Report: February 9, 2024 - Henderson Silver Knights
- Flames Recall Dustin Wolf - Calgary Wranglers
- Game Day: SD vs CGY - Calgary Wranglers
- Bears' Trineyev Suspended for One Game - AHL
- Weeks Returned to Indy - Rockford IceHogs
- Game Preview: Iowa Wild vs. Tucson Roadrunners - Iowa Wild
- Wolf Pack Welcome Islanders to Town for 2,000th Game in Franchise History - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Kuzmin Reassigned to Norfolk - Manitoba Moose
- Game Preview: Bears at Bruins, 7:05 p.m. - Hershey Bears
- Bojangles Game Preview: February 9 at Cleveland - Charlotte Checkers
- Svejkovsky, Hamaliuk Reassigned to Penguins - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Game Preview: Condors v San Jose, 7 p.m. - Bakersfield Condors
- Game #43: Tucson Roadrunners vs. Iowa Wild - Tucson Roadrunners
- IceHogs Return to Action at Home against Stars for Margaritaville Night - Rockford IceHogs
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
![OurSports Central](https://www.oursportscentral.com/assets/img/footer-logo-latest.png)