Overtime Loss at WBS Extends Points Streak to Four

Hunter McDonald Scores First Regular Season Goal

November 6, 2024

Wilkes-Barre, PA – The Phantoms were oh-so-close to a perfect three-game road trip but ultimately couldn't make it to the sixth standings point as the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins pulled off a 2-1 overtime win on Wednesday night in Northeast Pennsylvania. Tristan Broz (4th) rifled home a top-shelf snipe to provide victory for the Penguins. Hunter McDonald scored his first career regular-season goal for Lehigh Valley to finally get the Phantoms on the board almost 48 minutes into a frustrating night against Tristan Jarry.

It was an exciting way to start a rivalry stretch that will see the two foes meet three times in eight days including rematches in Allentown this Friday night and also next Wednesday.

Lehigh Valley (3-3-3) now has a four-game point streak (2-0-2) since October 27 and also has points in five of its last six games while finishing a successful three-game road swing with a 2-0-1 mark.

Despite the low score, the night was hardly a low-event affair. The Phantoms hit the post twice in the second period on big shots by Louie Belpedio and Adam Ginning. The Penguins found the iron three times including an Emil Bemstrom crank in the second and a rapid-fire putback in the third from newcomer Phip Waugh when Wilkes-Barre/Scranton hit each post back-to-back just one second apart.

Aside from the various iron dents were big chances on the goaltenders. Jarry looked every bit the NHL veteran he is as the experienced netminder had sterling denials on Elliot Desnoyers, Zayde Wisdom, Ethan Samson, Rhett Gardner and more. The Phantoms largely dominated the first period with an 11-4 shots advantage and kept it up for much of the second period before the Penguins found some pushback.

Eventually, Mac Hollowell peeled around the cage to connect with fourth-liner Marc Johnstone at the net front in the closing seconds of the middle period to break the scoreless deadlock.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (7-2-0) carried its 1-0 lead into the third but the Phantoms kept pushing ahead in efforts to break Jarry's stellar netminding wizardry.

Olle Lycksell from the right-wing corner connected across the ice with rookie defenseman Hunter McDonald making a move from the left point who blasted home his one-timer with 12:34 left to get the Phantoms on the board. It was McDonald's first career regular-season goal but also not really. McDonald had scored in Game 2 of the Calder Cup Playoffs against the Hershey Bears last season.

After that equalizing marker, it was Cal Petersen's turn to put on his own goaltending clinic. The 30-year-old veteran left-hander had made some nice saves throughout the contes but the Baby Pens turned up the heat for much of the remainder of the third period including some down low chances by first-rounder Rutger McGroaty among other. In one wild sequence, the Phantoms were hemmed in AND Petersen's paddle had been knocked out of his hands. But he stayed cool and made one big pad save before securing a point shot with the glove to get his team a valuable stop.

Lehigh Valley was forced to kill a power play at the end of the third period to earn the standings point and continued with the strong penalty kill to open the second. Back to 4-on-4, Broz intercepted a pass in the neutral zone and sniped top shelf from the right wing for the game-winner.

Lehigh Valley is 1-1 in overtime decisions and 1-3 in games decided past regulation.

The Penguins improved to 3-0-0 against the Phantoms as they also won their fourth in a row.

The Phantoms outshot the Penguins 34-27 and also held Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to 0-for-4 on the power play while Lehigh Valley was just 0-for-1. The Phantoms and Penguins rematch on Friday night at PPL Center.

Friday is a Berks Dollar Dog Night and Saturday, November 9 against the Utica Comets features a Postgame Skate with the Phantoms players presented by NJM Insurance.

SCORING SUMMARY

2nd 19:43 – WBS, M. Johnstone (2) (M. Hollowell, A. Hayes) (0-1)

3rd 7:26 – LV, H. McDonand (1) (O. Lycksell, H. Grans) (1-1)

OT 3:00 – WBS, T. Broz (Unassisted) (1-2)

Shots: LV 34 – WBS 27

PP: LV 0/1, WBS 0/4

Goaltenders: LV – C. Petersen (OTL) (1-1-1) (25/27) WBs – T. Jarry (W) (4-0-0) (33/34)

Records: Lehigh Valley (3-3-3) Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (7-2-0)

Friday, November 8 – W-B/Scranton Penguins at Phantoms – Berks Dollar Dogs

Saturday, November 9 – Utica Comets at Phantoms – Postgame Skate with Players presented by NJM Insurance