The Phantoms and Checkers sure love overtime in the playoffs, huh?
The Lehigh Valley Phantoms and Charlotte Checkers faced off for Game 2 of their first-round playoff series Thursday night. After the Phantoms took the early series lead in Game 1, the Checkers bounced back to even up the series with a 5-4 win in double overtime.
Seconds after Phantoms goalie Sam Ersson made an incredible desperation save with his left pad, Charlotte defenseman Lucas Carlsson netted the game-winner with just 1:12 remaining in the second OT period.
Ersson made 45 saves on 50 Checkers shots.
Though the Phantoms ultimately lost Game 2, they certainly didn’t make things easy for Charlotte. The Checkers drew first blood with back-to-back markers from Justin Sourdif and Calle Sjalin to take an early 2-0 lead, but the Phantoms later responded with a pair of their own to tie the game up. Artem Anisimov scored the Phantoms’ first goal of the night with 43 seconds remaining in the opening stanza, and after a scoreless middle period, Olle Lycksell netted another just 40 seconds into the third frame.
Charlotte once again scored back-to-back tallies (including one from former Flyers prospect Connor Bunnaman) in the third period to take another two-goal lead, but the Phantoms simply refused to go away. Lycksell scored his second of the night soon after the midway point of the period, and Elliot Desnoyers netted his first goal of the playoffs 93 seconds later to make it a 4-4 game.
The Atlantic Division rivals put together a storied quintuple overtime game in 2018 with the Phantoms winning that marathon by a score of 2-1. Lehigh Valley fans in attendance were hoping for a similar result Thursday, but the Phantoms were unable to seal the deal this time around. Charlotte took advantage of the scrambling Phantoms late in the second overtime period, and Carlsson netted the dagger as Lehigh Valley now looks to regroup.
The Phantoms and Checkers will return to action Friday night for Game 3 at Bojangles Coliseum.