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Phantoms win in OT, stay alive in AHL playoffs

Chris Conner’s breakaway goal sealed a 2-1 victory over the Hershey Bears.

The Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the Flyers' top farm team, remained alive in the Calder Cup playoffs Wednesday night.

Barely.

Veteran right winger Chris Conner scored on a breakaway 1 minute and 49 seconds into overtime, lifting the Phantoms to a 2-1 win over host Hershey, which would have swept the best-of-five, opening-round AHL series with a victory.

Game 4 will be Saturday in Hershey's Giant Center at 7 p.m. A Phantoms win would force a decisive Game 5 on Sunday in Allentown at 5:05 p.m.

Thirty-seven seconds into the third period, a bizarre goal by Phantoms captain Colin McDonald tied the score at 1. McDonald dumped in the puck from center ice and it got past goalie Pheonix Copley, who has been one of Hershey's best players in the series.

The Phantoms nearly took the lead with 8:16 left in regulation, but Mark Zengerle fired a shot off the crossbar.

The teams finished with 30 shots apiece.

The Bears took a 1-0 lead when Stanislav Galiev finished off a three-on-one, beating goalie Martin Ouellette to the short side with 8:25 left in the second period. Ouellette, the Phantoms' third-string goalie, was playing because leg injuries had sidelined Anthony Stolarz and Alex Lyon.

Hershey won the first two games - 1-0 in overtime, and a 5-4 comeback victory - despite having the lead for a combined total of 33 seconds in those contests. In those two games, Lehigh Valley had a 66-38 shots advantage.

Lehigh Valley finished the regular season tied for the second-most points (101) in the AHL.

- Sam Carchidi