December 10, 2024
Toronto, ON – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms raced out to a 2-0 lead on a pair of goals by Jacob Gaucher (9th, 10th) in the first period but the Toronto Marlies surged back and stayed unbeaten at home with a 6-3 decision on Tuesday night at Coca-Cola Coliseum.
J.R. Avon (2nd) scored for a second consecutive game with his power-play blast at the end of the second period to give the Phantoms a chance for another exciting third-period comeback but the top defense in the AHL held off Lehigh Valley the rest of the way.
Toronto (12-3-5) was led by defenseman Mikko Kokkonen (1st, 2nd) with a pair of goals while Marlies captain Logan Shaw racked up one goal with two assists.
Lehigh Valley (9-9-5) made it look easy in the opening 20 minutes. Olle Lycksell found a wide-open Jacob Gaucher at the net-front for a power-play tap-in at 3:15. And the Gaucher found the handle on a loose puck after a blocked shot and tucked in his second of the game at 10:52. The Phantoms were seemingly in charge with a 2-0 lead as Gaucher took the team-lead in goals by becoming the first to reach double digits this season.
The second period was a different story. The Marlies racked up four goals in 11 minutes in a middle-stanza onslaught that had the Phantoms scrambling. Kokkonen connected just 28 seconds in and then Nick Abruzzese (6th) scored during a net-front scramble with Petersen also coming up with the save. Alex Steeves (13th) took advantage of a blue-line turnover to bury a breakaway beauty past Petersen at 6:58 to extend his goal streak to five games. Kokkonen’s second goal at 10:34 put the Marlies ahead at 4-2.
Lehigh Valley one back with just 10.9 seconds later as J.R. Avon enjoyed his homecoming with a cage-rattler on a power-play blast from the top of the right circle mere seconds after Oscar Eklind slid one through that hit off the post.
The Phantoms had momentum into the dressing room with a 4-3 deficit at the second intermission.
But Matt Benning (1st) converted from the high slot to a top corner and Shaw finished his three-point night with a blast from the left dot at 8:41 shortly after a collision on the opposite boards had the Phantoms wondering about a possible call.
The Phantoms scored multiple power-play goals for the fourth time this season and the first time since November 8 against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Gaucher has three goals in the last three games including the Teddy Bear goal last Saturday.
Avon has goals in back-to-back games after being held scoreless in the first 16 games of the season.
Cal Petersen absorbed the loss with 31 saves while Artur Akhtyamov improved to 8-0-1 in a 26-save performance.
The road trip continues with a pair of games in Cleveland, Ohio against the first-place Monsters on Thursday and Saturday.
SCORING SUMMARY
1st 3:15 – LV, J. Gaucher (9) (O. Lycksell, H. Grans) (PP) (1-0)
1st 10:52 – LV, J. Gaucher (10) (Unassisted) (2-0)
2nd 0:28 – TOR, M. Kokkonen (1) (L. Shaw, M. Benning) (2-1)
2nd 3:55 – TOR, N. Abruzzese (6) (L. Shaw, A. Steeves) (2-2)
2nd 6:58 – TOR, A. Steeves (13) (M. Barbolini) (2-3)
2nd 10:34 – TOR, M. Kokkonen (2) (Unassisted) (2-4)
2nd 19:49 – LV, J. Avon (2) (B. Gleason, O. Eklind) (PP) (3-4)
3rd 6:31 – M. Benning (1) (J. Blandisi, C. Pare) (3-5)
3rd 8:41 – L. Shaw (3) (A. Steeves, D. Mermis) (3-6)
Shots:
LV 29 – TOR 37
PP:
LV 2/4, TOR 0/2
Goaltenders:
LV – C. Petersen (L) (4-7-2) (31/37)
TOR – A. Akhtyamov (W) (8-0-1) (23/26)
Records:
Lehigh Valley (9-9-5)
Toronto (12-3-5)
UPCOMING
Thursday, December 12 (7:00) – Phantoms at Cleveland Monsters
Saturday, December 14 (7:30) – Phantoms at Cleveland Monsters
Wednesday, December 18 (7:05) – Providence Bruins at Phantoms – Pregame Happy Hour, $2 Draft Beers
Friday, December 20 (7:05) – Toronto Marlies at Phantoms – meLVin Youth Winter Knit Cap presented by Reilly Children’s Hospital
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