December 31, 2024
Allentown, PA – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms had their three-game home win streak come to a close in the 2024 finale as the visiting Charlotte Checkers used a pair of shorthanded goals from John Leonard to vault past the Phantoms 6-3 in the annual New Year’s Eve game at PPL Center.
Area fans were in a festive mood throughout the night despite the result on the ice as they celebrated the conclusion of 2024 with their Light-Up sticks from Penn Community Bank which they also discovered were stackable to create some impressive long connections and loops.
But it was the New Jersey native Leonard who was looping his way past the Phantoms defense with consecutive shorties early in the second period to give Charlotte a 2-0 lead.
Garrett Wilson (7th) got to the net-front for a rebound goal off a Louie Belpedio point shot to get the Phantoms on the board at 13:00 into the second period at 2-1. The Phantoms’ captain has been the team’s hottest scorer of late with four goals in the last eight games and five goals in the last 11.
But the Checkers roared back with former Phantom Kyle Criscuolo shoving a Phantoms defender off the puck to set up Rasmus Asplund for a one-timer in the slot to boost the margin to 3-1 at the second intermission.
Criscuolo dangled and sped past the Phantoms defense early in the third period for a breakaway goal to stretch the lead to 4-1.
But Lehigh Valley answered back with consecutive goals by J.R. Avon (3rd) and Rodrigo Abols (7th) to pull the Phantoms back in the game. Their goals 25 seconds apart were the second-quickest consecutive goals of the season and brought the end-of-the-year contingent at PPL Center to a roar.
Zayde Wisdom connected with Elliot Desnoyers on the move whose shot handcuffed goaltender Chris Dreidger and deflected high in the air. By the time it came down, Avon successfully got a touch to knock it forward and off a Charlotte leg and into the net to make it 4-2 at 7:14 into the final frame.
Then it was Oscar Eklind connecting with Abols in the slot who unloaded a big one-timer to make it 4-3. Emil Andrae received his third assist of the season on the ply as well.
But the Phantoms couldn’t find the equalizer and Charlotte put together two more goals down the feisty stretch to finish the win. Riley Hughes (1st) scored out in front after Cal Petersen scrambled to his left for a strong save on the back-door. And Oliver Okular (10th) tucked in his power-play marker a few minutes later from the right of the cage to seal the deal.
In the meantime, various tensions were escalating in the third period resulting in four Phantoms heading off early including misconducts for Jacob Gaucher, Adam Ginning and Alexis Gendron.
The Phantoms are back in action on Friday night at the Utica Comets in the first game of 2025. The central New York excursion continues on Saturday at the Syracuse Crunch.
Lehigh Valley’s next home game is Saturday, January 10 against the Hartford Wolf Pack featuring a blackout theme as well as blackout knit caps from the Morning Call.
SCORING SUMMARY
2nd 1:46 – CLT, J. Leonard (13) (Unassisted) (SH) (0-1)
2nd 2:35 – CLT, J. Leonard (14) (Unassisted) (SH) (0-2)
2nd 13:00 – LV, G. Wilson (7) (L. Belpedio, R. Gardner) (1-2)
2nd 16:44 – CLT, R. Asplund (11) (K. Criscuolo, T. Carrick) (1-3)
3rd 2:53 – CLT, K. Criscuolo (11) (M. Kierstad, M. Benning) (1-4)
3rd 7:14 – LV, J. Avon (3) (E. Desnoyers, Z. Wisdom) (2-4)
3rd 7:39 – LV, R. Abols (7) (O. Eklind, E. Andrae) (3-4)
3rd 13:25 – CLT, R. Highes (1) (J. Leonard, M. Benning) (3-5)
3rd 16:29 – CLT, O. Okuliar (10) (J. Sourdif, J. Leonard) (PP) (3-6)
Shots:
LV 21 – CLT 28
PP:
LV 0/3, CLT 1/4
Goaltenders:
LV – C. Petersen (L) (7-10-2) (22/28)
CLT – C. Dreidger (W) (8-4-1) (18/21)
Records:
Lehigh Valley (13-13-5)
Charlotte (18-8-3)
UPCOMING
Friday, January 3 (7:00) – Phantoms at Utica Comets
Saturday, January 4 (7:00) – Phantoms at Syracuse Crunch
Tuesday, January 7 (7:00) – Phantoms at Hershey Bears
Friday, January 10 (7:05) – Hartford Wolf Pack at Phantoms – Blackout Knit Caps from The Morning Call
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