Lehigh Valley Phantoms (15-4-3) at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (8-11-5)
Wednesday, April 28, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. –Wilkes-Barre, PA
Tonight’s Game – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms make their last visit to Wilkes-Barre this year to tangle with the Penguins on Wednesday night. The Phantoms 3-1-1 against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this season with four of the five encounters requiring overtime. The Phantoms have points in eight of their nine games with a 7-1-1 record over the stretch and have also won three straight after a trio of nailbiters against the Binghamton Devils on Friday, Saturday and Monday. The Penguins ended their recent losing slide with a 6-3 win against Hershey on Sunday that put a halt on the Bears’ seven-game win streak.
Last Time Out – The Phantoms raced out to a 5-1 lead in the first period only to see the Devils rally back to tie the game. Linus Sandin’s second of the game came on the power play midway through the third period for the 6-5 win. Pascal Laberge scored 10 seconds into the game for the fastest goal in Lehigh Valley history. Cam York scored his first pro goal as part of a three-point night that including two assists. And Cal O’Reilly had a Phantoms’ season-high three assists to reach the 500 Assist milestone becoming only the 10th in AHL history in the exclusive club. It was also only the second time in Lehigh Valley history for the team to score five goals in a period.
Cal Reaches 500! – Veteran center Cal O’Reilly racked up three assists on Monday night at the Binghamton Devils to become just the 10th in AHL history to record 500 helpers. The 15th year pro has appeared in the AHL All-Star Classic five times and is a captain with his fourth different team (also Iowa, Utica, Rochester). O’Reilly’s 628 career points rates 35th all-time in AHL history. O’Reilly is on a four-game point streak with 6 assists in the stretch.
AHL All-Time Assists Leaders:
- Fred Glover (1948-68) 814
- Mike Nykoluk (1956-72) 686
- Tim Tookey (1980-95) 621
- Keith Aucoin (2001-14) 613
- Art Stratton (1955-75) 555
- Jody Gage (1979-96) 544
- Peter White (1992-2005) 533
- Bill Sweeney (1957-69) 510
- Cal O’Reilly (2005-21) 500
Lightning Fast Laberge – Pascal Laberge scored just 10 seconds into the game on Monday at the Binghamton Devils marking the fastest goal in Lehigh Valley history and the second-fastest in franchise history. Petr Straka had the previous Lehigh Valley record when he scored 15 seconds into the game on December 14, 2014 when the Phantoms quickly and famously raced out to a 3-0 lead just 21 seconds later against the Binghamton Senators.
Tye McGinn has the franchise record with a goal just nine seconds into the game for the Adirondack Phantoms vs. Portland Pirates on March 24, 2013 in Glens Falls, NY.
Fastest goal to start a game in Phantoms franchise history:
:09 Tye McGinn – ADK vs. Portland Pirates, Mar. 24, 2013
:10 Pascal Laberge – LV at Binghamton Devils, Apr. 26, 2021
:13 Todd Fedoruk – PHI at WBS Penguins, Dec. 26, 2004
:13 Niko Dimitrakos – PHI at Norfolk Admirals, Nov 25, 2006
:15 Petr Straka – LV vs. Binghamton Senators, Dec 14, 2014
High Five! – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms racked up five goals in the first period on Monday night marking just the second time in Lehigh Valley history that the team has put up a quintet of markers in a single frame (also November 9, 2018 vs. Springfield). The franchise record in six goals which has happened twice. This was the 15th time for the Phantoms’ franchise to score five goals in a period and just the third time it has happened in the FIRST period of a game.
It is only the second time in the last ten years for the Phantoms franchise to score five goals in a period and just the fifth time in the last 19 years. It happened nine times in the first five years of the franchise for the Philadelphia Phantoms from 1996-2001.
Phantoms Franchise Most Goals in a Period:
6 – Philadelphia at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, 2nd, Jan 8 2000
6 – Adirondack vs. Albany Devils, 2nd, Apr 1, 2011
Lehigh Valley Record Most Goals in a Period:
5 – Lehigh Valley vs. Springfield Thunderbirds, 2nd, Nov 9, 2018
5 – Lehigh Valley at Binghamton Devils (Newark), 1st, Apr 26, 2021
Yowza York! – Flyers 2019 first-rounder Cam York had a big night in just his fourth pro game on Monday at the Binghamton Devils with his first pro goal on a big slapshot from the top of the left circle. He followed that up with a pair of assists for a three-point game while also receiving the first penalty of his pro career as well. He finished as the #2 Star of the Game in the Phantoms’ 6-5 victory at the Devils. The Big Ten Defenseman of the Year with the University of Michigan, Cam York made his professional debut on Wednesday, April 21 against the Hershey Bears and shook off the rust as he played his first game in five weeks since the Big Ten tournament in March. York signed an NHL Entry-Level Contract with the Philadelphia Flyers and was officially added to the Phantoms roster on April 1. The southern California native from Anaheim Hills was captain of the USA team that won the Gold Medal at the 2021 World Juniors in Edmonton.
Zamula Gets the Call – Defenseman Egor Zamula has steadily improved through his rookie campaign. The 21-year-old Russian made his NHL debut with the Flyers on Tuesday night at the New Jersey Devils becoming the fourth Lehigh Valley Phantom to make his NHL debut this season and the 30th all-time to receive a recall from Lehigh Valley for an NHL debut with the Flyers.
Phantoms to Make NHL Debuts in 2021 Season:
Maksim Sushko Feb 18, 2021 (PHI vs. NYR)
Tanner Laczynski Apr 3, 2021 (PHI at NYI)
Wade Allison Apr 15, 2021 (PHI at PIT)
Egor Zamula Apr 27, 2021 (PHI at NJ)
The Series – The Phantoms are 3-1-1 against the Penguins this season
Feb 26 @ WBS L 2-4 Goals for Zayde Wisdom and Max Willman
Feb 27 @ LV OTL 4-5 Max Willman 2 goals. OT winner for WBS Frederick Gaudreau
Mar 8 @ WBS OTW 4-3 Ryan Fitzgerald overtime goal
Mar 21 @ LV OTW 5-4 Tanner Laczynski first two pro goals including overtime winner. Allison & Foerster goals
Apr 3 @ LV SOW 5-4 Tyson Foerster 2 goals and shootout winner.
Upcoming –
Saturday, May 1, 7:05 – Devils at Phantoms (PPL Center)
Sunday, May 2, 3:00 – Phantoms at Bears
Wednesday, May 5, 7:05 – Bears at Phantoms (PPL Center)
Paint The Ice! – Come down to PPL Center this Sunday, May 2 to “Paint the Ice!” Here is your chance to be down on the ice to paint a picture or message, as well as get a picture with our very own meLVin! Plus enjoy the Phantoms game at Hershey LIVE on the video-board.
Our sales staff will be on hand to discuss getting season tickets for next season as well. This event is free and open to the public.
General Public from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Exclusive for Season Ticket Members beginning at 1:00 p.m.
Provident Bank Pennsylvania Cup
Phantoms 8-4-1 = .654
Bears 9-5-2 = .625
Penguins 4-6-3 = .423
Pennsyvania Cup Upcoming:
Apr 25: Penguins 6 – Bears 3
Apr 28: Phantoms at Penguins
May 1: Bears at Penguins
May 2: Phantoms at Bears
