Taylor Leier just scored the winning goal to clinch the Stanley Cup for the Philadelphia Flyers and went into full celebration mode. Er, Leier just netted the Calder Cup-clinching goal for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and immediately punctuated it with a joyous celebration.
Of course, neither one of those things happened Friday night at Allentown’s PPL Center, but Leier did score a goal, and his celebration was just as emphatic as if it had been a Cup-winning goal for either the Flyers or Phantoms.
“If you watched the video, you know I had a lot of emotion after that first goal. It felt really good,” the 24-year-old Leier said on Friday night after scoring his first AHL goal since April 15, 2017.
Leier, the MVP of the 2017 AHL All-Star Classic, had been on the Flyers’ roster the past 1½ seasons but got little playing time over his 49 games, accumulating two goals and five assists. Getting sent down to Lehigh Valley to start the season wasn’t the greatest feeling in the world for the speedy left wing, but time – and scoring – heals all wounds.
Before this season with the Phantoms, where he’s played nine games so far, his last regular season game was with the Flyers on Jan. 6. That’s a long time to sit out in any sport.
Leier netted a second goal in the game, a third-period tally during 4-on-4 play, but it still wasn’t as sweet and tasty as that first one, when he stepped out of the penalty box and took a blueline breakaway on Springfield goalie Michael Hutchinson, beating him stickside with a backhand.
But even though the goal was an individual breakout for Leier, he admitted it was just one moment in what he hopes is a long career, and only one moment in a game.
Leier’s goal put the Phantoms on top to stay at 2-1 and started an explosion of three goals in less than three minutes as Lehigh Valley took command of the game.
After Saturday night’s 7-4 loss to the AHL- and Atlantic Division-leading Charlotte Checkers (11-3-0, 22 points) at PPL Center, the Phantoms (7-4-1-1, 16 points) get one more crack at them Wednesday night.
The Checkers snapped the Phantoms’ two-game winning streak, scoring three goals in the second period after Lehigh Valley took a 3-2 lead into the first intermission.
Unfortunately, the Phantoms will be without the services of rugged winger Tyrell Goulbourne, who was suspended for two games after being assessed a penalty against the Checkers last Saturday.
In the last minute of that game, Goulbourne received a match penalty for slew-footing and a game misconduct for continuing an altercation.
Goulbourne will also sit out the game in Providence on Friday but be back for the game in Springfield on Saturday.
Chris Conner, a 13-year pro in his fourth straight season with the Phantoms, picked up his 300th AHL assist, and added his 301st as well, in the win over Springfield last Friday. He also picked up a goal against the Thunderbirds and added one more against the Checkers on Saturday, earning PSECU Player of the Week honors.
Conner, 34, is relentless on the attack. His 300th AHL assist came at a critical time, with the Phantoms trailing 1-0. He sent a pass from the right half wall to Greg Carey on the left side of Hutchinson for the score to tie the game, setting the table for Leier to put the Phantoms on top.