The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (8-11-4-2) closed out 2021 with a comeback win over the Utica Comets (18-2-2) 6-5 in overtime in front of 3,917 at Adirondack Bank Center. It was the Phantom’s first game in ten days.
The Phantoms went into this game missing several key players, including Cam York, Gerry Mayhew, Felix Sandstrom, and Jackson Cates, who were moved up to the Flyers Taxi Squad.
Pat Nagle started in goal, and the scratches for the game were Mason Millman, Wade Allison, Matt Strome, and Tyson Foerster.
Two minutes and fifty-five seconds into the first period, the Comets got the puck away from the Phantoms, and Brian Flynn (2) made a backhand pass to Chase De Leo (4) for the breakaway goal and a 1-0 lead.
Then, with 13:35 left, Michael Vukojevic (2) set up Colton White (1), who ripped the shot past Nagle to the lower left circle for a 2-0 lead. Tyler Irvine (1) also assisted the goal. The Phantoms were having a hard time getting any momentum going. Isaac Ratcliffe tried to get the Phantoms on the board, but Mareks Mitens stopped his shot.
With 6:43 left, the Comets were on the attack as Robbie Russo (10) found Chase De Leo (5) from downtown to the left circle for a 3-0 lead. Jeremy Groleau (5) also assisted De Leo’s goal. The Comets led 3-0 at the end of the first period, and the shots were 9-5 Comets.
The Phantoms were having a tough time generating shots while the Comets were pushing the Phantoms around. Lehigh Valley did not get off a shot in the last ten minutes of the first period.
In the second period, Cal O’Reilly and Charlie Gerard had opportunities to score. However, Mareks Mitens denied their shots. With 15:02 left, Fabian Zetterlund (8) set up Colton White (2) for a shot that went in the right circle. Nagle had traffic in front of him, and the Comets lead grew to 4-0.
Then, the Phantoms started to chip away at the Comets lead with 13:40 left. Maksim Sushko (4) found Logan Day (1), who fired the puck into the right circle that cut the Comets lead 4-1. However, the Comets would get that goal back with 11:10 left when Graeme Clarke (10) cross pass to Frederik Gauthier (1) as he riffled the puck through the left circle for a 5-1 lead. A.J. Greer (10) also assisted Gauthier’s goal.
The Phantoms didn’t quit and continued to find ways to score. With 3:26 left, Egor Zamula’s (10) shot was tipped in by Isaac Ratcliffe (4) to the right-center point as the Phantoms trailed by three 5-2 after two periods.
The shots were 22-18 Comets. The Phantoms played a better second period after they scored their first goal. They were hustling, attacking, and aggressive.
In the third period, the Phantoms kept their foot flat to the floor. Thirty-nine seconds into the third period, Cal O’Reilly (9) made a backhand pass to Hayden Hodgson (5), who sent the puck past the glove of Mareks Mitens. The Phantoms now trailed the Comets 5-3.
With 15:44 left, the Phantoms rushed to the Comets zone as Egor Zamula’s (11) shot was redirected by Garrett Wilson (7) for the goal now trailing by one 5-4. Wyatte Wylie (3) assisted Wilson’s goal.
Meanwhile, Pat Nagle was making some terrific saves. With eleven minutes left, Nagle robbed Aarne Talvitie’s shot. Nagle also robbed Samuel Laberge, hitting Nagle’s right pad. With 1:50 left, Logan nearly tied the game when his shot hit the post. Not long after that, Nagle was pulled with 1:29 left for an extra attacker.
The Phantoms were attacking from all directions. Finally, with thirty-seven seconds left, Cal O’Reilly’s (10) cross-ice pass to Hayden Hodgson (6) ripped the shot to the top of the cage that tied the game 5-5. Adam Clendening (9) and O’Reilly assisted Hodgson’s goal. After three periods, the game remained tied 5-5 and headed into overtime. The shots were 34-28 Comets.
In overtime, both teams were doing more passing than shooting. With 1:02 left, Hayden Hodges (5) was looking to shoot the puck until he found Cal O’Reilly (4). Hodges passed to O’Reilly with Comets diving to block the shot, but O’Reilly had an open net in front of him for the goal that completed the comeback 6-5.
The Phantoms finished the night with 30 shots, 0/3 on the power play, and Pat Nagle made 29 of 34 saves. The Phantoms got off to a horrible start, only to battle back. They got better as the game went along.
The Phantoms return to the PPL Center today against the Bridgeport Islanders at 6:05 pm.
