Thrilling Overtime Finish: Phantoms Edge Penguins 4-3
Wilkes-Barre, Pa. - In a nail-biting finish at Mohegan Arena, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins experienced a heartbreaker, falling 4-3 in overtime to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms during their annual St. Patrick’s Day game.
The Penguins, sporting a strong record of 36-15-6-2, seemed to have the game in hand, holding a two-goal lead with under six minutes left in regulation. But Lehigh Valley had other plans, capitalizing on a power play and then tying it up with an extra attacker to push the game into overtime. The Phantoms clinched the win with a power-play goal in the extra period, snatching victory from the Penguins.
Ryan Graves got the Penguins on the board first, firing a shot past Phantoms goalie Carson Bjarnason 13 minutes into the opening period. Joona Koppanen, who set up Graves with a slick between-the-legs pass, doubled the lead in the second period with a well-placed shot under the crossbar, thanks to a perfect setup from Tanner Howe.
The Phantoms responded with former Penguin Boris Katchouk scoring right after a power play ended, putting Lehigh Valley on the board midway through the game. Though Koppanen nearly extended the Penguins' lead with a second goal, it was overturned on review. Finn Harding then restored the two-goal cushion for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton with a shot that threaded through traffic late in the second period.
The Penguins maintained their lead deep into the third period until Oliver Bonk's power-play goal brought the Phantoms within one. With time winding down, Lehigh Valley pulled their goalie, and Lane Pedersen netted the equalizer, sending the game to overtime.
Pedersen was the hero again, delivering the decisive blow with just 10 seconds left in OT, converting a one-timer from the left dot on the power play.
Bjarnason was solid between the pipes for the Phantoms, making 28 saves. Penguins goalie Joel Blomqvist stopped 21 shots in the tough overtime loss.
The Penguins won't have long to dwell on this one, as they face the Phantoms again tomorrow in a quick rematch at PPL Center, with puck drop at 3:05 p.m.
Looking ahead, the Penguins return home on Saturday, Mar. 28, for an exciting Star Wars Night against the Laval Rocket, starting at 6:05 p.m. Fans can secure their seats for this and future games by contacting the Penguins’ office or visiting Ticketmaster.
For those who can't make it to the arena, every Penguins game is available to stream live on AHLTV via FloHockey, offering a comprehensive viewing experience for hockey enthusiasts.