Shorthanded Wizardry- Phantoms Even Series 1-1

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AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms

Shorthanded Wizardry- Phantoms Even Series 1-1

May 2, 2025 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Lehigh Valley Phantoms News Release


Hershey, PA - Zayde Wisdom was a shorthanded wizard on Friday night with a pair of opportunistic goals in the third period to help propel the Phantoms to a 3-1 victory after Hershey in Game 2 of the Atlantic Division Semifinals. Lehigh Valley's thrilling and gutty victory on Friday night evens the series at 1-1 heading into a Sunday rematch at PPL Center in Game 3.

Anthony Richard broke a scoreless tie late in the second period as the Phantoms finally solved Hunter Shepard after almost five periods. Helge Grans had two assists. And Parker Gahagen's skills were on full display to the GIANT Center contingent in a tremendous 19-save effort that featured several dazzlers and a couple breakaway stops.

The Phantoms' penalty killers held Hershey to 1-for-6 on the power play and had to kill an unusual 3:00 man advantage as well as a 6-on-5 attack in the last two minutes. Not only did Lehigh Valley's penalty kill stave off the Chcolate and White, but the Phantoms thrived while a man down and actually outscored the Bears when Hershey had the extra skater on the ice.

That was all thanks to Zayde Wisdom and his hustle.

Wisdom had two shorthanded goals in the regular season among his 13 goals and 32 points total in his breakout year. But his pair of goals in the third period as Lehigh Valley built leads of 2-0 and 3-1 were the difference-maker in the contest. And he also happened to perform well in his regular penalty kill duties with blocks and tipped passes as per usual.

He's been a fantastic story all season and head coach Ian Laperriere has sung his praises throughout the 2024-25 campaign on the other side of some disappointing numbers the year before with only three points.

"He's a kid who came to our camp and told me this summer that I'll make the team and you won't be able to take me out," Laperriere said. "A lot of guys tell me that but not too many guys walk the walk. And now he's one of the leaders in that room. I couldn't be happier and he's just a great kid."

But shorthanded goals were set up on carries up the right wing by Jacob Gaucher and Elliot Desnoyers. Wisdom hustled up to present a shorthanded option for his teammates. The first he scored on a backhand while holding off Miroshnichenko and the second he deflected in off his skate. But with no distinct kicking motion that one would count as well.

"I can't even take credit for that," Wisdom said. "That was all Desy (Desnoyers) and Gauch (Gaucher). They put it in a good area for me. I just drove the net. Go to the net and good things happen, right?"

The opening of the game was as squeaky tight as it could be. Both teams were defending hard and were barely giving up anything. At the 11-minute mark into the contest, shots were only 1-1. Not exactly the most scintillating of goaltenders' duels. But we were just getting started.

Spencer Smallman cut in with a big shot from the right slot on the move but Gahagen snagged it with the glove in his first tremendous denial of the evening. He had another one off the right pad off Henrik Rybinski on the move and Ivan Miroschnichenko down low and then later with a big blast off the right pad challenged Gahagen and Hershey was starting to feel it.

Lehigh Valley got it going in the second period on the other side of losing their captain. Garrett Wilson received a game misconduct for a boarding major but the Phantoms thrived on the unusual 3:00 power play (after a Hershey penalty for too many men) and then started to take control. Elliot Desnoyers raced out of the box with a breakaway in the clear but Hunter Shepard moved back with Desnoyers' dangle to keep it out.

One minute later it was Matt Strome's turn for a breakaway and the former Phantoms forward was somehow held off by an even better save by Gahagen off the right pad. After the dueling breakaways, somehow it was still 0-0 until the final minutes of the second period.

The Phantoms kept up momentum from a four-minute double-minor power play and eventually broke through with 1:19 left in the second period on a phenomenal pass from the right-wong corner by Nikita Grebenkin in the corner connecting wth Anthony Richard out in front for the chip past Shepard.

Grebenkin received credit for his second point of the playoffs while also celebrating his 22nd birthday.

For the second game in a row, the Phantoms found themselves in some penalty trouble. But it worked out okay for the Orange and Black thanks to Wisdom's shorthanded proclivities.

Some pressure through the neutral zone led to Gaucher driving up the right wing and connecting perfectly with Wisdom who held off Miroshnichenko defending to somehow flip a backhander past Shepard at 2:05 for a 2-0 lead. Adam Ginning sent Gaucher cruising up the right wing to earn the secondary assist on the play.

Hershey got on the board on the same power play with Alex Limoges scoring from the left circle on the stick side of Gahagen at the same time the Phantoms' goaltender had bumped the cage off the pegs. The goal still counted and the Bears were back within a goal at 2-1 at 2:50 into the third.

Another Hershey power play. And another Wisdom shorthanded goal.

This time it was Helge Grans, on his second helper of the night, who found Desnoyers. Wisdom was more closely guarded on this rush and it didn't appear he would easily be able to get a stick on the puck. But the pass went off his skate instead and was knocked into the goal on the move without a distinct kicking motion to make it 3-1 at 6:34 into the third.

The Phantoms found themselves a familiar situation in the last four minutes of the game when they were a man down for the remainder of the contest. Hershey had a power play with 3:57 left and then pulled Shepard for an extra attacker with 2:00 to go but the Phantoms thwarted the defending Calder Cup Champs the rest of the way to finish the win and even the series.

Game 3 of the series is at PPL Center on Sunday at 5:05 p.m. All home playoff games are an Orange Out with fans encouraged to wear orange to the game to match the Phantoms players. The first 5,000 fans in attendance will receive rally towels.

Game 4 of the series is also a home game for the Phantoms next Friday, May 9 at 7:05 p.m.

SCORING SUMMARY

2nd 18:41 - LV, A. Richard (3) (N. Grebenkin, H. Grans) (1-0)

3rd 2:05 - LV, Z. Wisdom (1) (J. Gaucher, A. Ginning) (SH) (2-0)

3rd 2:50 - HER, A. Limoges (1) (I. Miroshnichenko) (PP) (2-1)

3rd 6:34 - LV, Z. Wisdom (2) (E. Desnoyers, H. Grans) (SH) (3-1)

Shots:

HER 20 - LV 15

PP:

LV 0/5, HER 1/6

Goaltenders:

LV - P. Gahagen (W) (3-1) (19/20)

HER - H. Shepard (L) (1-1) (12/15)

Series:

Lehigh Valley and Hershey are tied 1-1

Calder Cup Playoffs - Atlantic Division Semifinals

Best of 5 Series

Game 1 - Wednesday, April 30 - Phantoms 0 at Hershey Bears 3

Game 2 - Friday, May 2 - Phantoms 3 at Hershey Bears 1

Game 3 - Sunday, May 4 (5:05) - Hershey Bears at Phantoms

* Game 4 - Friday, May 9 (7:05) - Hershey Bears at Phantoms

* Game 5 - Sunday, May 11 (5:00) - Phantoms at Hershey Bears

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