By Michael Heilman

The Lehigh Valley Phantoms returned to the PPL Center Friday night to take on the Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins. The Penguins defeated the Phantoms 6-2 Thanksgiving eve and the Phantoms were looking to return the favor.

Both of these teams came right out of the gate with their aggressive play early in the first period as both Phantoms right-winger Kurtis Gabriel and Penguins left-winger Jamie Devane headed to the penalty box for fighting. The Penguins would commit another penalty as right-winger Anthony Angello paid a visit to the penalty box for tripping, giving the Phantoms a power play. The Phantoms capitalized as T.J. Brennan shot the puck that deflected off of the stick of Matthew Strome (1) for the goal. Strome was credited the goal while T.J. Brennan (6) and Cal O’Reilly (11) assisted on Strome’s goal to give the Phantoms a 1-0 lead.

Twenty-one seconds later, the Phantoms would extend their lead 2-0 as Pascal Laberge (3) scored with Carsen Twarynski (1) and Mark Friedman assisting Laberge’s goal. The Phantoms struck again to further their lead 3-0 as Carsen Twarynski (2) scored with Steven Swavely (1) and Reece Willcox (3) assisting Twarynski’s goal. The Phantoms went on another power play fourteen minutes and forty-two seconds still in the first period as Penguins defender Niclas Almari headed to the penalty box for boarding. The Phantoms would add another power-play goal by Carson Twarynski (2), scoring his second goal of the game to make it a 4-0 Phantoms lead with Mark Friedman (6) and Pascal Laberge (1) assisting Twarynski’s goal. The Phantoms led 4-0 at the end of the first period.

A minute into the second period, the Phantoms struck again with another goal by Isaac Ratcliffe (2) to make it a 5-0 Phantoms lead. Andy Welinski (7) and Gerry Fitzgerald (2) assisted Ratcliffe’s goal. The Penguins went on the power play nineteen minutes and eighteen seconds in the second period as Nate Prosser headed to the penalty box for roughing. Eight seconds later, the Penguins would end the shut out for Berube as Jamie Devane (1) scored to cut the Phantoms lead 5-1 as Thomas Di Paul (2) and Ryan Haggerty (3) assisted Devane’s goal. The Phantoms led 5-1 at the end of the second period.

What looked like an easy win for the Phantoms turned to a nightmare in the third period as the Penguins went on a rampage. Andrew Agozzino (9) scored nine minutes and twenty-two seconds in the third period to cut the Phantoms lead 5-2. Sam Miletic (11) and Matt Abt (1) assisted Agozzino’s goal. Less than two minutes later, Anthony Angello (4) scored with Chase Berger (4), and Matt Abt (2) assisting Angello’s goal to cut the Phantoms lead to two 5-3. Less than a minute later, Andrew Agozzino (10) scored his second goal of the game with Sam Miletic (12) and Niclas Almari (7) to make it a one-goal Phantoms lead 5-4. The Penguins tied the game up with two minutes left in the third period as Adam Johnson (2) scored with Stefan Noesen (7) and Andrew Agozzino (12), assisting Johnson’s goal to tie the game up 5-5. The fans at the PPL Center were not happy watching the Phantoms breakdown and blow a five-goal lead as the third period came to an end tied 5-5.

With a minute left in overtime, the Phantoms salvaged the win as T.J. Brennan (1) scored with Nicolas Aube-Kubel (3) and Mikhail Vorobyev (9) assisting Brennan’s goal to give the Lehigh Valley Phantoms a 6-5 win over the Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins.

The Penguins dominated the Phantoms in shots on goal total with forty-three to the Phantoms twenty-six. The Phantoms were two for three on the power play while the Penguins were one for three. Phantoms goalie Jean Francois-Berube made thirty-eight out of forty-three saves while Penguins goalie Emil Larmi made twenty out of twenty-six saves.

The three stars of the game were Phantoms forward Carsen Twarynski with two goals and one assist, Phantoms defenseman T.J. Brennan with one goal and one assist, and Phantoms forward Matthew Strome with one goal.

The Phantoms will wrap up the month of November Saturday at 7:05 as they host the Hartford Wolf Pack from the PPL Center.