Sharp goaltending and late-game grit extend Lehigh Valley’s hot start as they hold off Toronto’s rally
ALLENTOWN, PA — Aleksei Kolosov didn’t just stop pucks Saturday night at PPL Center. He stopped momentum. He stopped comebacks. And when the Toronto Marlies pulled their goalie for one final push with 2:25 remaining, he stopped any hope of stealing points from a Lehigh Valley team that refuses to lose.
The Phantoms extended their winning streak to four games with a gritty 3-2 victory over Toronto, returning to PPL Center after more than two weeks away. Devin Kaplan, Lane Pederson, and Alexis Gendron provided the offense while Kolosov’s 22-save performance powered Lehigh Valley to its best 12-game start since 2017-18 at 8-3-1. The Marlies (6-5-1) saw their three-game winning streak snapped despite dominating the opening period with 14 shots.
The Turning Point
The game’s defining sequence came in the third period when the Marlies mounted their final push.
At 13:44, Bo Groulx buried a low shot from the slot after Alex Nylander chipped the puck from behind the net, with Vinni Lettieri adding the secondary assist, cutting the Phantoms’ lead to 3-2. PPL Center suddenly got nervous. Then Lane Pederson took a hooking penalty shortly after, handing Toronto a power play and golden opportunity to tie.
The Phantoms’ penalty kill rose to the occasion. Blocking lanes. Clearing rebounds. Kolosov standing tall through traffic. When Toronto pulled Vyacheslav Peska for the extra attacker with 2:25 left and called timeout at 50 seconds to set up one final play, the defensive unit—anchored by Christian Kyrou, Helge Grans, and Garrett Wilson grinding along the boards—held firm. Kolosov made two final saves in the closing sequence to seal the victory.
“Our D were tight,” head coach John Snowden said afterward. “They tracked hard, took space away, and made it really difficult for Toronto to get moving. We had a plan going in for how they like to generate offense, and the guys executed it really well.”
How It Happened
Lehigh Valley generated early chances, including a shot that rattled off Joseph Woll’s mask, but Toronto controlled the opening period with a 14-9 shot advantage. The Marlies struck at 18:02 when Jacob Quillan created space behind the net and found Borya Valis alone in the slot for his sixth goal of the season, with Henry Thrun adding the secondary assist. Kolosov turned aside 13 of 14 shots in the frame, including several close-range stops, to keep the deficit at one.
The Phantoms flipped the script completely in the second period. Just 1:33 in, rookie Devin Kaplan unloaded a blast from the slot off Anthony Richard’s setup, with Christian Kyrou adding the secondary assist, tying the game 1-1 and igniting the PPL Center crowd. “We weren’t skating like we usually do in the first,” Snowden said. “We did some good things, but I thought once we got our legs under us in the second period, we started stacking good shifts together, and the game turned in our favor.”
At 5:16, Lane Pederson capitalized on a rebound after Alex Bump’s sharp-angle shot bounced off Woll’s pad, with Ty Murchison earning the secondary assist, giving the Phantoms their first lead at 2-1. It was Pederson’s team-leading fifth goal and his sixth point in his last five games.
At 9:28, the Phantoms earned a four-minute power play after Benoit-Olivier Groulx caught Richard high with his stick on a high-sticking double minor. Despite heavy pressure and multiple close calls, Toronto’s penalty kill held strong. But Lehigh Valley refused to let up. At 16:09, Alexis Gendron used his blazing speed to beat a Toronto defender down the right wing and snapped a low shot past Woll to extend the lead to 3-1. Pederson and Kyrou collected assists—Kyrou’s second of the night.
Moments later, Woll’s night ended after allowing three goals on 24 shots, replaced by Vyacheslav Peska. The Phantoms dominated the second period with a 17-4 shot advantage.
The third period opened with more Phantoms pressure on an early power play, but they couldn’t add insurance. When Bo Groulx cut it to 3-2 late, Toronto smelled blood—but Kolosov and the defense refused to crack.
Player of the Game: Aleksei Kolosov
Twenty-two saves. Fourteen in the first period alone to keep the deficit at one. Multiple close-range stops when Toronto’s late push threatened to tie it. The 23-year-old netminder, freshly returned from a brief stint with the Philadelphia Flyers, looked every bit the franchise goalie Lehigh Valley needs him to be.
His .917 save percentage told the statistical story, but his recent body of work tells an even better one—Kolosov has now stopped 92 of his last 98 shots (.939 save percentage over that stretch) and continues to look more comfortable with each outing. When the Marlies pulled their goalie and threw everything at him in the final minutes, Kolosov stayed square, tracked pucks through traffic, and made two final saves to secure his fourth win of the season.
Bottom Line
For Lehigh Valley: This balanced, veteran-led effort shows why they’re legitimate contenders in the Atlantic Division. At 8-3-1, they’re playing complementary hockey—timely scoring, opportunistic defense, and clutch goaltending when it matters most. “I think we’re close to being a full team,” Snowden reflected. “It’s hard to play a perfect 60 minutes, but what’s important is that we’re trending in the right direction. The group is playing together, playing for each other, and we’re learning how to win games like this.”
For Toronto: The Marlies showed resilience climbing back from 3-1 down, but couldn’t finish. Three-game win streak snapped, and the inability to capitalize on a late power play will sting as they hit the road for their next two. Benoit-Olivier Groulx led Toronto with 3 shots on goal but also took 6 penalty minutes across 3 infractions, exemplifying the team’s discipline issues that proved costly.
What’s Next
Lehigh Valley Phantoms host the Springfield Thunderbirds on Friday, November 14 before Phan Con Night on Saturday against the Hershey Bears—a chance to keep rolling in front of home crowds.
Toronto Marlies travel to Grand Rapids for a Tuesday matchup with the Griffins before heading to Cleveland, looking to rebound from this road loss.
Scoring Summary
1st Period
18:02 – TOR: Borya Valis (6) – Assists: Jacob Quillan (11), Henry Thrun (4) – 1-0 TOR
2nd Period
1:33 – LV: Devin Kaplan (3) – Assists: Anthony Richard (6), Christian Kyrou (5) – 1-1
5:16 – LV: Lane Pederson (5) – Assists: Alex Bump (5), Ty Murchison (2) – 2-1 LV
16:09 – LV: Alexis Gendron (2) – Assists: Lane Pederson (2), Christian Kyrou (6) – 3-1 LV
3rd Period
13:44 – TOR: Benoit-Olivier Groulx (4) – Assists: Alex Nylander (5), Vinni Lettieri (4) – 3-2 LV
Penalties
1st Period
10:03 – TOR: Cédric Paré (Roughing) – 2 min
12:18 – LV: Karsen Dorwart (Holding) – 2 min
2nd Period
09:28 – TOR: Benoit-Olivier Groulx (High-sticking, Double Minor) – 4 min
19:22 – TOR: Easton Cowan (Tripping) – 2 min
3rd Period
01:48 – TOR: Benoit-Olivier Groulx (Hooking) – 2 min
13:44 – LV: Lane Pederson (Hooking) – 2 min
Penalty Summary: Toronto 10 minutes (5 penalties), Lehigh Valley 4 minutes (2 penalties)
Goaltenders
Lehigh Valley
Aleksei Kolosov (W) – 60:00 TOI, 22 saves on 24 shots (.917 SV%)
Toronto
Joseph Woll (L) – 36:09 TOI, 21 saves on 24 shots (.875 SV%)
Vyacheslav Peska – 21:36 TOI, 12 saves on 12 shots (1.000 SV%)
Three Stars of the Game
⭐⭐⭐ Lane Pederson (LV) – 1 Goal, 1 Assist
⭐⭐ Christian Kyrou (LV) – 0 Goals, 2 Assists
⭐ Devin Kaplan (LV) – 1 Goal, 0 Assists
By The Numbers
Scoring by Period:
- 1st Period: TOR 1, LV 0
- 2nd Period: TOR 0, LV 3
- 3rd Period: TOR 1, LV 0
- Final: LV 3, TOR 2
- Lane Pederson: 5 goals, 6 points in last 5 games — The veteran center is leading the Phantoms’ offensive charge with timely production, including a goal and an assist Saturday night for a 2-point performance.
- Aleksei Kolosov: 22 saves on 24 shots (.917 SV%), 60:00 TOI, 92 of last 98 saves (.939 SV%) — The 23-year-old returned from Philadelphia and delivered his fourth win of the season, playing the full 60 minutes. His recent hot streak shows him settling into elite AHL form.
- Joseph Woll/Vyacheslav Peska: 33 saves on 36 shots combined — Woll allowed 3 goals on 24 shots (.875 SV%) in 36:09 of ice time before being replaced by Peska, who stopped all 12 shots he faced (1.000 SV%) in 21:36 of relief work. The goalie change steadied Toronto but couldn’t overcome Lehigh Valley’s momentum.
- Christian Kyrou: 7 points in 4 games since trade, 2 assists tonight — The recently-acquired defenseman from Dallas continues his torrid start, providing two more assists and logging heavy minutes with a +2 rating. Coach Snowden praised his puck-moving ability and two-way impact.
- Alex Bump: Team-high 6 shots on goal, 1 assist — The forward generated significant offense despite not scoring, assisting on Lane Pederson’s go-ahead goal and leading all Phantoms skaters in shot attempts.
- Second Period Dominance: Lehigh Valley outshot Toronto 17-4 — The Phantoms completely flipped the script after being outshot 14-9 in the first, scoring three goals and chasing Woll from the net.
- Shots: Lehigh Valley 36, Toronto 24 — Despite Toronto’s strong first period (14-9 shots), the Phantoms controlled the final 40 minutes with a 27-10 shot advantage. Period breakdown: TOR (14-4-6), LV (9-17-10). LV shot leaders: Alex Bump (6), Hunter McDonald (5), Karsen Dorwart (5). TOR shot leaders: Cédric Paré (4), Easton Cowan (3), Bo Groulx (3), Borya Valis (3).
- Plus/Minus Leaders: Lane Pederson +2, Christian Kyrou +2 — Both had excellent two-way games, with Pederson’s goal-and-assist performance and Kyrou’s two-assist night reflected in their outstanding plus/minus ratings.
- Penalty Discipline: LV 2 penalties (4 min), TOR 5 penalties (10 min) — The Phantoms maintained better discipline throughout, with just two players taking penalties (Karsen Dorwart holding, Lane Pederson hooking). Toronto’s Benoit-Olivier Groulx took three penalties himself including the costly four-minute high-sticking double minor that gave Lehigh Valley extended power-play time in the second period.
- Home Record: 3-1-0 — Lehigh Valley continues to defend PPL Center effectively after returning from a five-game road trip where they went 3-1-1.
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