Wild Win in Rockford 5-4

Avon Game-Winner in 3rd. Richard Scores Twice

February 22, 2025

Rockford, IL – The first-ever visit for the Phantoms to Rockford, Illinois was certainly one to remember. A wild back-and-forth night of goals and lead-changes ended with a Phantoms 5-4 victory to improve to 2-0-1 on their midwest road trip.

J.R. Avon tucked in the winning goal from the side of the net with just 7:26 left to break a late 4-4 tie but it was really Garrett Wilson who made the goal possible with his big and booming forecheck at a Rockford defenseman successfully popping the puck free to set up the scoring opportunity.

Anthony Richard (11th, 12th) led the attack with two goals and one assist, all in the first period. Hunter McDonald (3rd) also scored as did Jacob Gaucher with his team-leading 16th strike of the season.

Lehigh Valley improved to seven games over .500 for the first time on the season at 26-19-7 representing their high-water mark of the campaign. The Phantoms have points in five of the last six games (4-1-1) while they snapped Rockford’s four-game win streak.

The Rockford IceHogs had overcome a 4-2 deficit in the third period to roar back to 4-4 and then almost took the lead or found tying goals in the final minutes of the game. But the Phantoms, and goaltender Keith Petruzzelli, held them off.

As emotions and temperatures rose, the teams dove into a hard melee after the game had ended with Rockford captain Brett Seney jumping on the back of Phantoms captain Garrett Wilson to trigger the chaos.

The game was off-and-running right from the start with three goals in the first seven minutes. Anthony Richard (11th) buried it out in front at 1:22 on a steal from Oscar Eklind stripping a defenseman of the puck to give Lehigh Valley a 1-0 lead.

But Rockford answered with back-to-back goals by Joey Anderson (12th) and Cavan Fitzgerald (6th) to make it 2-1 Rockford at 6:39 into the game.

Richard was behind the goal to the left of the cage when he spotted Hunter McDonald making a cut for the slot just seconds after a power play had expired. Emil Andrae also assisted on the goal at 12:23 to tie the game at 2-2.

Rodrigo Abols cleared the zone with a puck moving quickly on its edge towards the Rockford crease. Richard chased down the long roller and whacked it on the move for a five-hole breakaway strike on Ben Gaudreau at 18:35 for his third point of the period and a 3-2 lead for the Phantoms at the break.

Lehigh Valley (26-19-7) played a more disciplined game in the second period and largely dominated play with an 11-3 shots advantage. Olle Lycksell from the right boards found Gaucher open in the slot for a big one-timer to a corner at 9:22 to make it 4-2.

Lycksell extended his point streak to six games since his return from the Philadelphia Flyers scoring 1-6-7 over the streak. Lycksell leads the Phantoms in scoring with 14-21-35 in just 36 games played.

Rockford (21-23-6) stormed back in the third to equalize. Louis Crevier (1st) scored on a blast from left point at 4:24 to make it 4-3. The Phantoms contended that there was contact with Petruzzelli’s glove but the goal stood.

Joey Anderson (12th, 13th) scored his second of the night after some zippy passing from Brett Seney and Cavan Fitzgerald to even the count at 7:11 into the third.

The Phantoms were hanging on and then it was the captain to set up the winner. Wilson’s bruising forecheck was the reason why the second-year pro, Avon, had the opportunity to try for the wrap-around stuff from the left of the cage. Initially denied at first, Avon got another crack at it and somehow pushed it in. He was celebrating in front of a frozen Rockford netminder as Gaudreau appeared to believe he was still holding it out and was still unaware it was actually behind him.

Rockford had some glorious and incredible chances the rest of the way but either missed or were denied by Petruzzelli. One sequence with just minutes remaining had Anderson in tight denied off the left pad of Petruzelli and then another push went behind the Phantoms goaltender and right on the line before clinking off the opposite post and somehow bouncing out.

Crisis averted. With a lucky break.

Lehigh Valley’s 31st one-goal game of the season is tied with Hershey for most in the AHL. The Phantoms are 18-6-7 in one-goal games.

The Phantoms have scored three or more goals in eight of their last nine games going 6-2-1 over the stretch. The Phantoms improved to 15-1-1 when scoring four or more goals in a game.

The Phantoms have also accumulated points in five consecutive away games (4-0-1) and have gone 9-2-1 on the road since January 1 including 2-0-1 on this midwest trip.

Lehigh Valley concludes the road trip on Tuesday at 8:00 p.m. at the Milwaukee Admirals, AHL affiliate of the Nashville Predators and first place in the Central Division.

The Phantoms return to PPL Center next Friday and Saturday in a two-game series with the Bridgeport Islanders. Friday is Hockey is for Everyone Night. Saturday is a tribute to the Philadelphia Eagles and their thrilling Super Bowl Championship including a Mardi Gras theme as well as prizes, giveaways and specials guests.

SCORING SUMMARY

1st 1:22 – LV, A. Richard (11) (O. Eklind) (1-0)
1st 4:47 – RFD, J. Anderson (12) (A. Athanasiou, K. Korchinski) (PP) (1-1)
1st 6:39 – RFD, C. Fitzgerald (6) (A. Levshunov, Z. Sanford) (1-2)
1st 12:23 – LV, H. McDonald (3) (A. Richard, E. Andrae) (2-2)
1st 18:35 – LV, A. Richard (12) (R. Abols) (3-2)

2nd 9:22 – J. Gaucher (16) (O. Lycksell, A. Ginning) (4-2)

3rd 4:24 – L. Crevier (1) (Z. Sanford, G. Mayhew) (4-3)
3rd 7:11 – J. Anderson (13) (B. Seney, C. Fitzgerald) (4-4)
3rd 12:34 – J. Avon (6) (Unassisted) (5-4)

Shots:
LV 28 – RFD 26

PP:
LV 0/3, RFD 1/4

Goaltenders:
LV – K. Petruzzelli (W) (2-2-0) (22/26)
RFD – B. Gaudreu (L) (2-2-0) (23/28)

Records:
Lehigh Valley (26-19-7)
Rockford (21-23-6)

UPCOMING

Tuesday, February 25 (8:00) – Phantoms at Milwaukee Admirals

Friday, February 28 (7:05) – Bridgeport Islanders at Phantoms – Hockey is For Everyone!

Saturday, March 1 (7:05) – Bridgeport Islanders at Phantoms – Mardi Gras Celebration!

Sunday, March 2 (3:00) – Phantoms at Hershey Bears

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