Phantoms Land Ovetime Standings Point at Hartford

Abols, Eklind, Tuomaala Score for Lehigh Valley

October 25, 2024

Hartford, CT – Lehigh Valley and Hartford traded leads back and forth in a topsy-turvy game but eventually, Bo Groulx (3rd) capped the see-saw affair with an overtime winner past Alexei Kolosov in a 4-3 victory for the Wolf Pack on Friday night.

Lehigh Valley (1-2-1) received goals from Rodrigo Abols (1st), Oscar Eklind (2nd) and Samu Tuomaala (2nd) but Hartford  (3-1-1) had some strikes of its own from Brett Berard (5th), Matthew Robertson (1st) and Jake Leschyshyn (1st).

The Phantoms and Wolf Pack were meeting for the first time since their highly entertaining Opening Night encounter at PPL Center on October 12 and ended up trading 4-3 extra-time decisions in each others’ buildings. Lehigh Valley won 4-3 in a shootout back in the first matchup. But Hartford evened the score with its own 4-3 overtime triumph in the rematch.

Berard opened the scoring for the Wolf Pack when he had enough space to dangle around Phantoms goaltender Alexei Kolosov and slide home a backhander just 3:38 into the game.

Lehigh Valley countered at 11:00 into the game when Olle Lycksell quickly connected with Abols from the left dot who sniped past Dylan Garand for the equalizer. Hunter McDonald also assisted on the sequence.

The Phantoms came charging out of the game in the second period eventually taking a 10-3 shots advantage in the frame as well as a 2-1 lead on the scoreboard. Eklind’s rebound goal from the left of the cage of a shot by J.R. Avon gave Lehigh Valley its first lead of the night at 6:38 into the second period. Elliot Desnoyers recorded his second assist of the season on the play as well.

Hartford found its game in the latter minutes of the second period and had Lehigh Valley on the ropes. Following an icing an a faceoff win, Robertson’s shot from the left boards connected off the far post and in to tie the game at 2-2 at 15:44.

Things were looking promising for the Orange and Black to start the third period with an early play. But a mishandled puck led to Leschyshyn racing past the defense on a breakaway and a top-shelf tally at just 49 seconds in for a 3-2 lead. It was the first shorthanded goal surrendered by the Phantoms this season.

But Lehigh Valley was still on the power play and ready to strike back. Tuomaala blasted home a one-timer from just above the right dot on some quick work by Emil Andrae and Anthony Richard to set him up. Hartford’s lead lasted only 19 seconds and…