March 15, 2016
This Week
Wednesday, March 16 (7:05 p.m.) – Lehigh Valley Phantoms @ Rochester Americans
Friday, March 18 (7:00 p.m.) – Lehigh Valley Phantoms @ Toronto Marlies
Sunday, March 20 (5:05 p.m.) – Portland Pirates @ Lehigh Valley Phantoms
(Post-Game Autographs with Phantoms Players.)
Upcoming
The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (27-29-6, 60 pts., 7th Atlantic Division) wrap up their five-game road swing with tilts in Rochester and Toronto this week before kicking off a four-game home stand at PPL Center on Sunday.
The Phantoms return to action this Wednesday, March 16 when they head to Blue Cross Arena in Rochester for the first and only time this season for a 7:05 p.m. showdown with the Americans. Rochester (30-27-3, 63 pts., 4th North Division) won two of three games last week capturing a 3-1 triumph over the Utica Comets on Friday before earning a 7-4 victory at the Syracuse Crunch on Saturday. The Americans, the AHL affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres, ended their three-game week on Sunday with a 6-1 setback at home to the Binghamton Senators. Sunday’s setback snapped a four-game winning streak for Rochester. Still, the Americans enter the week having won seven of their last 10 games overall.
Wednesday’s contest will mark the second and final meeting of the 2015-2016 regular season between Lehigh Valley and Rochester after the Phantoms earned a convincing 7-1 win over the Americans at PPL Center back on November 13. Current Flyers forward Nick Cousins led the offensive charge with a goal and three assists that evening while Danick Martel (2 goals, assist), Chris Conner (goal, assist) and Petr Straka (goal, assist) each chipped in multi-point efforts in the triumph.
Lehigh Valley then caps its five-game road trip on Friday, March 18 when the Phantoms invade Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto for a 7:00 p.m. clash with the Marlies. Toronto (44-14-5, 93 pts., 1st North Division) dropped two of three games over the weekend falling in a 3-2 overtime decision at the Providence Bruins on Saturday before suffering a 3-2 setback at the Albany Devils on Sunday. The Marlies began their weekend with a convincing 9-2 victory at the Portland Pirates on Friday. With a pair of defeats this weekend, Toronto enters the week having dropped five of its last six games overall following a stretch in which the Marlies won 19 of 24 games from December 31 to March 1.
Friday’s collision is the second and final regular season meeting this year between the Phantoms and Marlies after Toronto claimed a 3-1 decision at PPL Center on October 25.
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.
The Phantoms then return to PPL Center on Sunday, March 20 when they kick off a four-game home stand with a 5:05 p.m. clash against the Portland Pirates. Portland (31-24-5, 67 pts., 5th Atlantic Division) dropped all three games last week as the Pirates now enter the week in the midst of a six-game winless skid (0-4-2). In fact, Portland has won just two of its last 12 games overall posting a 2-6-4 mark since February 17. Last week, the Pirates were handed a 9-2 defeat at home by Toronto on Friday before suffering a 3-2 shootout setback at the Springfield Falcons on Saturday followed by a 4-3 loss at home to the Hartford Wolf Pack on Sunday.
Sunday’s clash will mark the fourth and final meeting of the 2015-2016 regular season between Lehigh Valley and Portland with the Phantoms having posted a 1-1-1 mark through the first three collisions. After a 4-3 overtime setback in Portland on January 2, Lehigh Valley exacted a little revenge just 24 hours later with a 2-1 triumph at Cross Insurance Arena. In the most recent meeting, the Pirates hung on for a 3-1 win at PPL Center on February 12.
Sunday’s game features a Post-Game Autograph Session with Phantoms Players as fans will have the opportunity to meet the Phantoms up close and personal. A limited number of tickets remain for Sunday’s game and can be secured now at pplcenter.com, by calling 610-347-TIXX [8499] or in-person at the Mealey’s Furniture Box Office at PPL Center [701 Hamilton Street].
- Phantoms By The Numbers
Forward Danick Martel enters the week first among all Phantoms and tied for second among all AHL rookies with 21 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.- Winger Chris Conner enters the week first among all active Phantoms with 30 assists and 43 total points. With points in both games last week, the 32-year-old forward has produced at least one point in 19 of his last 23 outings having managed eight goals, 19 assists and 27 points during that stretch.
- First-year defenseman Samuel Morin enters the week as the only Phantoms player to have appeared in each of Lehigh Valley’s 62 games to date. The 6’7″, 227-pound blueliner has produced three goals, 12 assists, 15 points and 86 penalty minutes this season.
- The Phantoms enter the week having enjoyed standing room-only sellouts in each of the team’s last seven straight games at PPL Center. With 18 capacity crowds this season, Lehigh Valley has now enjoyed 40 regular season sellouts since PPL Center opened its doors in the Fall of 2014.
Last Week
Wednesday, March 9: Lehigh Valley Phantoms 5 – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 6 (OT)
Cole Bardreau, Danick Martel and Adam Comrie each registered a goal and an assist while Aaron Palushaj and Taylor Leier both chipped in a pair of assists but the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins were able to erase a three-goal, third-period deficit en route to a 6-5 overtime win at Mohegan Sun Arena. Phil DeSimone and Kevin Goumas also found the back of the net for Lehigh Valley as the Phantoms moved to 4-5-1 this year against their in-state rivals.
Lehigh Valley’s power play went a perfect 2-for-2 in the decision while All-Star netminder Anthony Stolarz (35 saves) made his 11th consecutive start in goal for the Phantoms.
Saturday, March 12: Lehigh Valley Phantoms 2 – Hartford Wolf Pack 4
Chris Conner and Colin McDonald netted first-period goals and goaltender Jason LaBarbera registered a personal season-high 43 saves but the Hartford Wolf Pack were able to hang on for a 4-2 win inside XL Center. After missing 19 games due to injury, veteran center Tim Brent returned to the lineup and recorded an assist in his first game since January 17.
Cole Bardreau and Taylor Leier also produced assists while Reading, Pennsylvania native Steven Swavely made his professional debut after signing an ATO (amateur try-out) with the Phantoms earlier in the week following the conclusion of his senior season at the University of Maine.
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).
