March 20, 2017
This Week
Tuesday, March 21 (6:00 p.m. EST) – Lehigh Valley Phantoms @ St. John’s IceCaps
Wednesday, March 22 (6:00 p.m. EST) – Lehigh Valley Phantoms @ St. John’s IceCaps
Saturday, March 25 (7:05 p.m.) – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins @ Lehigh Valley Phantoms
(meLVin Garden Gnome Giveaway Free to First 2,500 Kids 14 and Under. Presented by Capital BlueCross and Service Electric Cable TV & Communications)
Sunday, March 26 (5:05 p.m.) – Bridgeport Sound Tigers @ Lehigh Valley Phantoms
(Guns N Hoses Night. Silver Phantoms Night Presented by Phoebe Ministries.)
Upcoming
Winners of four of their last six games and six of nine overall, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (40-19-4, 84 pts., 2nd Atlantic Division) hit the frozen surface four times this week, including a pair of weekend tilts at PPL Center. With a win last Saturday, the Phantoms became just the third team in the AHL this season to reach the 40-win plateau and enter the week boasting the Eastern Conference’s second-highest standings point total (84).
Lehigh Valley returns to action this Tuesday, March 21 and Wednesday, March 22 when it invades Mile One Centre in St. John’s for a two-game series with the IceCaps. St. John’s (31-25-8, 70 pts., 4th North Division) swept a weekend series against the Rochester Americans last week and enters the week in the midst of a four-game winning streak. What’s more, the IceCaps have claimed seven of their last nine games overall (7-2-0).
This week’s collisions will be the final two meetings of the 2016-17 regular season between Lehigh Valley and St. John’s after the two sides split a weekend set at PPL Center back in early February. The Phantoms opened the season series with a 4-2 win on February 10 before the IceCaps responded with a 4-3 win in downtown Allentown the following night.
Lehigh Valley then returns to PPL Center for a pair of games this weekend. First, on Saturday, March 25, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are back at PPL Center for another Pennsylvania rivalry showdown. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (42-18-3, 87 pts., 1st Atlantic Division) is coming off a split in a weekend series with the Phantoms and enters the week having claimed four of its last six games overall.
Saturday’s game marks the ninth of 12 total meetings this season between Lehigh Valley and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton with the Phantoms having posted a 4-3-1 mark in eight prior meetings with the Penguins. Lehigh Valley has claimed two of the three head-to-head showdowns in March, including a 3-2 triumph in the most recent get-together on March 18.
Saturday’s game features a meLVin Garden Gnome Giveaway free to the first 2,500 kids 14 and under presented by Capital BlueCross and Service Electric Cable TV & Communications. A limited number of tickets remain for Saturday’s game and can be purchased online HERE.
The Phantoms then conclude this week’s action on Sunday, March 26 when they welcome the Bridgeport Sound Tigers to PPL Center for a 5:05 p.m. tilt. Bridgeport (38-23-3, 79 pts., 5th Atlantic Division) earned just one win in three tries last weekend and enters the week having dropped four of its last six outings. After a 3-0 loss at the Providence Bruins on Friday, the Sound Tigers rebounded with a 4-1 win over the Utica Comets on Saturday before falling in a 3-1 decision against the Hershey Bears on Sunday.
Sunday’s contest will be the seventh of eight total meetings this season between Lehigh Valley and Bridgeport with the Phantoms having posted a 2-4 mark in six prior collisions with the Sound Tigers. This Sunday’s game actually features two games for the price of one as the Phantoms and Sound Tigers will be followed by the annual Guns N Hoses game where Lehigh Valley Police takes the ice against Lehigh Valley Firefighters.
A limited number of tickets remain for Sunday’s game and can be purchased online HERE.
- Phantoms By The Numbers
- Defenseman T.J. Brennan enters the week leading all Phantoms and tied for second among all AHL blueliners in total scoring with 51 points (18 goals, 33 assists). The four-time All-Star also leads all AHL defenders in goals (18) and shots on goal (186) and is tied for the league lead among defensemen in power play conversions (10).
Forward Greg Carey enters the week leading all Phantoms and tied for second among all AHL skaters with 26 goals this season. Carey continues to be the AHL’s leader with 17 power play conversions this year.- Forward Andy Miele (right) has been one of Lehigh Valley’s most productive offensive contributors in recent weeks. He’s tallied 16 points (4 goals, 12 assists) over his last 20 games and enters the week tied for third among all active Phantoms in scoring with 45 total points (8 goals, 37 assists).
- With 227 goals this season, the Phantoms are second among all 30 AHL clubs in goals scored this year. What’s more, Lehigh Valley continues to lead the AHL averaging 3.59 goals per game.
- The Phantoms’ special teams have been on fire in recent weeks. Lehigh Valley’s power play has connected in 10 of its last 13 games overall producing an impressive 15 man-advantage markers during that stretch (15-for-61, 24.6 percent) while the team’s penalty kill has allowed just five power play goals during that same time frame. Over the last 13 games,
- Lehigh Valley’s penalty kill is 40-for-45 (88.9 percent).
The Phantoms are 20-8-3 at home this season and have outscored their opposition 123-94 in games played at PPL Center. Meanwhile, Lehigh Valley is 20-11-1 on the road this year and has outscored its opposition 103-90 in 32 prior tilts away from PPL Center. In fact, the Phantoms enter the week as the only team in the AHL to have converted 100 goals both at home and on the road.
Last Week
Wednesday, March 15: Syracuse Crunch 5 – Lehigh Valley Phantoms 4 (OT)
Danick Martel scored twice (17th, 18th) and Andy Miele added a goal and an assist as the Lehigh Valley Phantoms earned a critical standings point as a result of their 5-4 overtime decision against the Syracuse Crunch at PPL Center. Radel Fazleev (6th) also scored for Lehigh Valley in front of goaltender Alex Lyon who turned aside 27 of Syracuse’s 32 total shots.
The Phantoms power play was impressive once again as it converted a pair of man-advantage markers in four opportunities en route to the club’s 22nd multi-power play goal outing this season. Wednesday’s contest also extended Lehigh Valley’s point streak to four consecutive games (3-0-1).
Friday, March 17: WB/Scranton Penguins 4 – Lehigh Valley Phantoms 1
Maxim Lamarche opened the scoring with his third goal of the year and goaltender Alex Lyon turned in an impressive 28-save performance but the visiting Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins were able to claim the front end of a home-and-home weekend series between the Pennsylvania rivals with a 4-1 win inside PPL Center.
Tom Kostopoulos (22nd), Josh Archibald (15th) Dominik Simon (12th) and Ryan Haggerty (8th) provided the offense for the Penguins in front of Tristan Jarry who backstopped the victory with 29 saves on 30 Phantoms shots.
Saturday, March 18: Lehigh Valley Phantoms 3 – WB/Scranton Penguins 2
Goaltender Anthony Stolarz turned in a sensational 37-save performance as the Phantoms earned a split in their home-and-home weekend series with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins thanks to a 3-2 triumph inside Mohegan Sun Arena. With Saturday’s win, Lehigh Valley claimed its 40th win of the season and pulled to within three points of first place in the tightly-contested Atlantic Division.
Danick Martel (19th), Reece Willcox (3rd) and Tyrell Goulbourne (1st) provided the offense for the Phantoms on Saturday in support of Stolarz who earned his 15th win of the season.
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, Todd Fedoruk, 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 1470-AM WSAN, 790-AM WAEB 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 each 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 PPL Center Box Office [7th & Hamilton].
