GAMEDAY! Phantoms at Hershey Bears, Jan. 5 2022

January 5, 2022

TONIGHT: It’s a Phantoms Gameday presented by MassMutual as the Lehigh Valley Phantoms travel to Hershey to play the first of four straight on the road. Tonight’s game in Chocolatetown is a make-up date of a previously postponed game from November 29. The Phantoms are 2-1-0 against the Bears this season and carry a seven-game point streak (6-0-1) into tonight’s game.

LAST TIME: The Phantoms opened 2022 with their second straight overtime win when Adam Clendening struck for the decisive goal against the Bridgeport Islanders in a 2-1 triumph on New Year’s Day at PPL Center. Garrett Wilson scored his eighth of the season for the Phantoms and newcomer Garrett Metcalf was terrific in his AHL debut with 25 saves on 26 shots.

OVERTIME DRAMA: Lehigh Valley won overtime games on consecutive days for only the second time since the Phantoms arrived in Allentown in 2014. Cal O’Reilly scored the winning goal on December 31, 2021 at the Utica Comets and then Adam Clendening finished off the Bridgeport Islanders on January 1, 2022.
The only other time it happened was November 29 and November 30, 2019. T.J. Brennan scored the winner against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to open the weekend and then Andy Welinski blasted home the overtime goal against the Hartford Wolf Pack one night later

MOVING UP: Five Phantoms have been recalled to the Flyers and the Flyers’ Taxi Squad this week. Felix Sandstrom made his NHL debut on Thursday night San Jose and Gerry Mayhew played his first game as a Flyer on Wednesday night in an overtime win at Seattle. Jackson Cates, Cam York and Kirill Ustimenko also received the call for Philadelphia’s western road swing.

RED HOT: The Phantoms have gone 6-0-1 in their seven-game point streak to rise up the Atlantic Division standings to sixth place at 9-11-6. The top six teams will qualify for the Calder Cup Playoffs. The Phantoms have passed Bridgeport and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton so far on their rapid rise. Pat Nagle has been the goalie of record for six out of seven in the point streak going 5-0-1. The Phantoms have not lost in regulation since December 3.

STREAKING: The Phantoms have a pair of three-game win streaks within their seven-game point streak. Lehigh Valley has also played four of the seven games to an overtime or shootout during the streak and five out of the seven games have been decided by one goal.

December 11: Phantoms 4 – Cleveland 2
December 12: Phantoms 4 – Hartford 3 (SO)
December 18: Phantoms 3 – Hartford 1
December 18: Phantoms 3 – Rochester 4 (SO Loss)
December 21: Phantoms 2 – Hershey 1
December 31: Phantoms 6 – Utica 5 (OT) (Phantoms rally from deficits of 4-0 and 5-1)
January 1: Phantoms 2 – Bridgeport 1 (OT)

HERSHEY: Popular Phantoms alum Mike Vecchione has returned to action from injury. Hershey just added some reinforcements from the Capitals and the Washington Taxi Squad including forweard Mike Sgarbossa, defensemen Lucas Johanssen and Alex Alexyev, and goalie Pheonix Copley. It was announced that veteran captain Matt Moulson is out indefinitely following back surgery on December 30. Joe Snively leads the Bears with 8-17-25. The Phantoms won the last matchup 2-1 on December 21 with Pat Nagle making 29 saves and coming barely more than three minutes from his first-ever AHL shutout.

NOTEABLES:
– Pat Nagle has served as goalie in for 6 of the 7 games in the seven-game point streak for the Phantoms including four starts and two relief appearances. Nagle is 5-0-2 with the Phantoms.
– Hayden Hodson became the first Phantom to score two goals in a game this season when he sniped to the upper-corner with 35.1 seconds left for a 6-on-5 goal at Utica.
– Garrett Wilson has a two-game goal streak and is second on the team with eight goals (Gerry Mayhew has nine) which is also first among active Phantoms players.
– Lehigh Valley’s record for longest point streak was eight. That last happened February 7, 2018 through February 21, 2018. The Phantoms also had an eight-game win streak (and point streak) November 2, 206 through November 18, 2016.

UP NEXT: Lehigh Valley’s road-trip continues Friday night and Sunday afternoon in a two-game series at the Providence Bruins.

 

Upcoming Schedule:
Wed, Jan 5 at Hershey Bears (7:00)
Fri, Jan 7 at Providence Bruins (7:05)
Sun, Jan 9 at Providence Bruins (3:05)
Fri, Jan 14 at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (7:05)
Sat, Jan 15 vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (7:05) (PPL Center)
Sun, Jan 16 vs. Toronto Marlies (3:05) (PPL Center)

Tickets for upcoming Phantoms game available HERE

Upcoming Home Games:
Saturday, January 1 vs. Bridgeport Islanders (6:05) –
Saturday Night Hockey Live with Jeiris Cook Trio
Saturday, January 15 vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (7:05) –
United Way Night. BRING PASTA
Sunday, January 16 vs. Toronto Marlies (3:05) – 
Youth Jersey Night Presented by Service Electric
Sunday, January 30 vs. Hershey Bears (5:05) –
Kids Activity Book Night

The Phantoms return to PPL Center for a weekend homestand on Saturday, January 15 against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Sunday, January 16 against the Toronto Marlies.
January 15 is United Way Night presented by Air Products. Fans are encouraged to bring boxed pasta donations for a chance to win big prizes such as a game worn Phantoms jersey.
January 16 is Youth Jersey Day for the first 1,000 kids age 14 and younger presented by Service Electric and Velaspan.

 

Broadcast coverage of all Phantoms games, home and away, is available on the Phantoms 365 app and on 1470-WSAN. Fans can watch on AHLTV.com and can listen on their Smart Speakers at: “Play Phantoms Radio 24/7.” Join Voice of the Phantoms, Bob Rotruck, for all the action!

Service Electric Network again provides exclusive television coverage of all Phantoms home games with veteran announcer Steve Degler and Phantoms’ alum Steven Swavely on the call from the booth. Kristi Fulkerson reports from ice level and also from the Chickie’s and Pete’s studio with Dan Fremuth for pregame, intermission and postgame show analysis.