Phantoms Rally Back..Again!

Turn Tables on Laval for 3rd Straight Win

November 30, 2024

Allentown, PA – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms did it yet again with another rally from behind to pick up an exciting 4-3 win at PPL Center on Saturday night to cap a monumentally successful Thanksgiving Holiday stretch with a three-game win streak. Rodrigo Abols (4th), Anthony Richard (5th) and Jacob Gaucher (7th) all scored in a pivotal three-goal stretch in the third period less than five minutes apart to overcome an early 2-0 deficit.

Elliot Desnoyers (2nd) sparked the “Lehigh RALLY” Phantoms with his second goal of the season past the midway mark of the game to get the Phantoms on the board. Samu Tuomaala and Ethan Samson each contributed a pair of assists while Parker Gahagen came through with a clutch 28-save performance.

It was yet another gritty comeback effort for the Phantoms which was certainly appropriate for the occasion as the PPL Center fans delighted in the return of the Flyers mascot as GRITTY joined meLVin to entertain the crowd through the night.

Laval (13-6-1) raced out to a 2-0 lead in the first period on an early deflection goal by Jared Davidson (10th) from an Owen Beck shot and then later Laurent Dauphin (6th) got to the puck behind Gahagen before the Phantoms goaltender could fall backward on the puck. In between was a lengthy 5-on-3 power play for the Phantoms lasting 1:35 in which Lehigh Valley had some strong chances including Jacob Gaucher and Anthony Richard tries off the shoulder and helmet of big goaltender Jakub Dobes. But the Rocket hung on and maintained their 2-0 lead to the intermission.

The Rocket continued building momentum early in the second period with nine shots in the first 10 minutes but Gahagen made some clutch saves to hold off the visitors.

Lehigh Valley (9-6-4) finally broke through off a defensive zone faceoff win with some new line combos finding immediate chemistry. Jacob Gaucher won the draw and eventually Samu Tuomaala connected with Desnoyers in the slot who rifled his second goal of the season to the upper-left corner with 8:50 remaining in the middle frame to cut the deficit to 2-1. And the rally was on.

Anthony Richard almost equalized a few minutes later when he raced up ice on a shorthanded breakaway but his drive clanged off the post and caromed away somewhat foreshadowing the correction he could make on his next breakaway try.

Ethan Samson had a keep at the point and Oscar Eklind on the right boards found Rodrigo Abols in the high-slot who blasted through his fourth of the season at 6:01 into the third to even the score at 2-2. And the Phantoms were just getting started.

Just 3:24 after that it was Ethan Samson’s perfect connection with Richard on the move at the Laval line for the breakaway beauty to put the Phantoms ahead for the first time at 3-2 with 10:35 to play.

65 seconds later it was Jacob Gaucher winning a draw in the right circle and pivoting over to the backdoor to receive a perfect feed from Hunter McDonald on the right point and rifling home his seventh of the season with just 9:30 remaining to put the Phantoms ahead 4-2. Gaucher’s seven goals is second highest on the Phantoms only trailing Tuomaala who has eight.

Tuomaala’s secondary assist on the play gave him another multi-point night. Tuomaala leads the Phantoms with 12 assists and 20 points. Tuomaala moved up to a tie for eighth in the AHL in points

Alex Beaucage converted from between the circles at 6-on-5 to pull the Rocket to within a goal with just 2:05 left. But Gahagen made more clutch stops in the closing moments to finish Lehigh Valley’s perfect week and run the team’s win streak to three.

Lehigh Valley’s three-game win streak is tied for the longest this season for the Phantoms and was also achieved in a perfect three-game homestand from November 8-13. The Phantoms finished the month of November with a 5-1-0 record at PPL Center.

The homestand continues on Wednesday, December 4 with the Rockford IceHogs arriving to PPL Center marking the first-ever visit from the AHL affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks.

The Phantoms have their annual Teddy Bear Toss presented by Big Woody’s on Saturday, December 7 against the Hershey Bears as fans get to throw their Teddy Bear donations onto the ice after the Phantoms score their first goal of the game.

SCORING SUMMARY

1st 4:09 – LAV, J. Davidson (10) (O. Beck, T. Wotherspoon) (0-1)
1st 18:19 – LAV, L. Dauphin (6) (Z. Hayes, R. Kidney) (0-2)

2nd 11:10 – LV, E. Desnoyers (2) (S. Tuomaala, J. Gaucher) (1-2)

3rd 6:01 – LV, R. Abols (4) (O. Eklind, E. Samson) (2-2)
3rd 9:25 – LV, A. Richard (5) (E. Samson) (3-2)
3rd 10:30 – LV, J. Gaucher (7) (H. McDonald, S. Tuomaala) (4-2)
3rd 17:55 – LAV, A. Beaucage (1) (R. Kidney, F. Xhekaj) (6×5) (4-3)

Shots:
LV 24 – LAV 31

PP:
LV 0/2, LAV 0/2

Goaltenders:
LV – P. Gahagen (W) (1-0-1) (28/31)
LAV – J. Dobes (L) (7-3-1) (20/24)

Records:
Lehigh Valley (9-6-4)
Laval (13-6-2)

 

UPCOMING

Wednesday, December 4 – Phantoms vs. Rockford IceHogs – Pregame Happy Hour with $2 Draft Specials

Saturday, December 7 – Phantoms vs. Hershey Bears – Teddy Bear Toss presented by Big Woody’s

Sunday, December 8 (5:00) – Phantoms at Hershey Bears

Tuesday, December 10 – Phantoms at Toronto Marlies

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