March 8, 2016
This Week
Wednesday, March 9 (7:05 p.m.) – Lehigh Valley Phantoms @ WB/Scranton Penguins
Saturday, March 12 (3:00 p.m.) – Lehigh Valley Phantoms @ Hartford Wolf Pack
Upcoming
The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (27-28-5, 59 pts., 7th Atlantic Division) continue their five-game road swing this week with a pair of Atlantic Division contests.
The Phantoms return to action this Wednesday, March 9 when they invade the Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for a 7:05 p.m. showdown with the Penguins. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (35-19-5, 75 pts., 2nd Atlantic Division) won two of three games last week and enters the week just three points back of the Hershey Bears for the top spot in the Atlantic Division. After a 3-0 victory over the Phantoms on Friday, the Penguins split a home-and-home series with the Bears suffering a 6-2 defeat in Hershey on Saturday before responding with a 5-4 triumph at home on Sunday.
Wednesday’s contest will mark the 10th of 12 total meetings during the 2015-2016 regular season between Lehigh Valley and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton with the Phantoms holding a 4-5 record overall against the Penguins. Lehigh Valley is 3-1 this year in games played at Mohegan Sun Arena and has claimed three of the past five head-to-head collisions between the Pennsylvania rivals.
The Phantoms then conclude this week’s action on Saturday, March 12 when the team heads to the XL Center in Hartford for a 3:00 p.m. tilt with the Wolf Pack. Hartford (29-27-2, 60 pts., 6th Atlantic Division) split a home-and-home series with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers last week earning a 4-3 shootout victory in Bridgeport on Wednesday before being handed a 3-2 setback at home by the Sound Tigers on Sunday.
Saturday’s game will be the fifth of sixth total meetings this year between Lehigh Valley and Hartford. The Phantoms are 1-2-1 this season against the Wolf Pack and claimed the most recent get-together with a 2-1 triumph in Hartford back on February 28.
Both road contests will be available on FOX 1470-AM, online at www.fox1470.com or via the iHeartRadio app beginning with “Countdown to Faceoff” 45 minutes before puck drop.
- Phantoms By The Numbers
Forward Danick Martel enters the week first among all Phantoms and tied for third among all AHL rookies with 20 goals this season. A 5’8″, 166-pound winger, Martel also leads all Lehigh Valley skaters and is tied for second among all first-year AHLers with four game-winning goals this year.- Wingers Taylor Leier and Petr Straka enter the week tied for second among all Phantoms with 18 goals this season. A second-year forward, Leier leads all Lehigh Valley skaters with 10 power play conversions and is currently second among all Phantoms in total scoring with 39 points. Meanwhile, a third-year forward, Straka enters the week third among all active Lehigh Valley skaters in scoring with 34 total points.
- All-Star goaltender Anthony Stolarz enters the week having started 10 consecutive games in goal for the Phantoms. He has started each of Lehigh Valley’s games since February 13 and has backstopped 19 of the Phantoms’ 27 total victories this season.
- Lehigh Valley’s penalty kill enters the week having allowed just one power play goal over the team’s last five games. The Phantoms’ penalty kill is an impressive 12-for-13 (92.3 percent) during that stretch.
Last Week
Wednesday, March 2: Lehigh Valley Phantoms 3 – Syracuse Crunch 2 (SO)
All-Star goaltender Anthony Stolarz established a new Phantoms franchise record with 51 saves as Lehigh Valley outlasted the Syracuse Crunch 3-2 in a shootout. Danick Martel recorded his team-leading 20th goal of the season and Cole Bardreau chipped in his 10th tally of the year before Taylor Leier converted in the shootout sealing the victory for the Phantoms. Colin McDonald, Aaron Palushaj, Maxim Lamarche and Petr Straka all collected assists as Lehigh Valley improved to 5-3 in games decided via shootouts this season.
Friday, March 4: WB/Scranton Penguins 3 – Lehigh Valley Phantoms 0
The Lehigh Valley Phantoms pumped 36 shots onto the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton net but the Penguins were able to escape downtown Allentown with a 3-0 victory in front of 8,715 fans at PPL Center. Dominik Simon scored twice for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton while Tristan Jarry backstopped the shutout effort in goal. Meanwhile, Anthony Stolarz turned in another impressive performance in goal for the Phantoms with 29 saves on 32 total shots.
The capacity crowd marked the seventh straight standing room-only sellout at PPL Center and 18th such crowd produced by Lehigh Valley this season.
Saturday, March 5: Lehigh Valley Phantoms 1 – Binghamton Senators 3
Petr Straka netted his 18th goal of the season and Anthony Stolarz denied 24 of Binghamton’s 27 shots but it wasn’t enough as the Senators were able to hang on for a 3-1 win inside Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena. Phantoms alum Jason Akeson scored the game winner for Binghamton while Mark Fraser and Max McCormick also converted for the Senators. Meanwhile, Binghamton goaltender Matt O’Connor earned the victory between the pipes with 34 saves on 35 Lehigh Valley shots.
Broadcast Coverage
Service Electric’s TV2 Sports will be broadcasting live all of the Phantoms’ seven remaining regular season home games. If you can’t make it out to the rink, be sure to catch all the exciting action live in HD quality with Steve Degler, Peter Zingoni, Doug Heater and Kristi Fulkerson! Pre-game coverage begins with “Phantoms Front and Center” 30 minutes before puck drop. And don’t miss “Phantoms – Breaking the Ice” every Monday from 7:00 – 7:30 p.m. throughout the season live at Chickie’s & Pete’s at PPL Center!
Be sure to also catch each and every Phantoms game this season live on Fox Sports 1470 AM, online at Fox1470.com or via the iHeartRadio app! Join Voice of the Phantoms, Bob Rotruck, for all of the heart-pumping action of Lehigh Valley Phantoms hockey whether the team is at home or on the road. “Countdown to Faceoff” begins 45 minutes prior to puck drop.
Ticket Information
Tickets for all of the Phantoms’ seven remaining regular season home games are available now online at pplcenter.com, by calling 610-347-TIXX [8499] or in-person at the Mealey’s Furniture Box Office at PPL Center (7th & Hamilton).
RISE UP! Don’t miss the action and fun of Lehigh Valley Phantoms hockey at PPL Center in downtown Allentown! Contact the Phantoms Front Office for information on season tickets and groups for the 2015-2016 season of Phantoms hockey by calling 610-224-GOAL [4625].
In the midst of their 20th season of operation, the Phantoms are coming off their Inaugural Season as the Lehigh Valley Phantoms playing at the state-of-the-art PPL Center. Established in 1996, the Philadelphia Phantoms spent their first 13 seasons at the Spectrum before re-locating to Glens Falls, New York in 2009 where the team spent the next five seasons as the Adirondack Phantoms. A new era of Phantoms hockey began in the fall of 2014 when the Lehigh Valley Phantoms began play at the state-of-the-art PPL Center. Through 18 incredibly successful campaigns, the Phantoms have captured two Calder Cup Championships (1998, 2005), two Conference Championships (1998, 2005), two Regular Season Titles (1996-97, 1997-98) and four Division Championships (1996-97, 1997-98, 1998-99, 2003-04).
