Phantoms Weekly – Phantoms Welcome Rochester, Albany to PPL Center This Weekend

November 10, 2015

This Week

Wednesday, November 11 (7:05 p.m.) – Lehigh Valley Phantoms @ Binghamton Senators

Friday, November 13 (7:05 p.m.) – Rochester Americans @ Lehigh Valley Phantoms
(T-Shirt Giveaway. Free Go & Grow Shirt to First 8,500 Fans in Attendance.)

Saturday, November 14 (7:05 p.m.) – Albany Devils @ Lehigh Valley Phantoms
(Boy Scout Night.)

Upcoming

Fresh off a three-game weekend, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (4-8-0-0, 8 pts., 7th Atlantic Division) are preparing for another three-game week, which includes the only visits to PPL Center this season by a pair of Eastern Conference foes.

P1108_1043The busy stretch begins this Wednesday, November 11 when the Phantoms head to Binghamton for a rivalry rematch with the Senators. Binghamton (4-7-0-0, 8 pts., 7th North Division) snapped a five-game losing skid with a 4-1 victory in Allentown on Sunday. Wednesday’s showdown marks the second of eight total meetings during the 2015-2016 regular season between Lehigh Valley and the Senators. Be sure to catch all of the action on Fox 1470-AM, online at fox1470.com or via the iHeartRadio app beginning with “Countdown to Faceoff” at 6:20 p.m.

The Phantoms then return to PPL Center on Friday, November 13 when they welcome the Rochester Americans, the AHL affiliate to the Buffalo Sabres, to the Lehigh Valley for the first time ever. A member of the Western Conference’s North Division a year, Rochester didn’t visit downtown Allentown during the Inaugural Season of Lehigh Valley Phantoms hockey. Following offseason realignment, the Americans now find themselves in the Eastern Conference and as such, will face the Phantoms twice this year including Friday’s lone showdown at PPL Center.

JustSports PhotographyRochester (6-5-0-0, 12 pts., 6th North Division) enters the week in the midst of a three-game winning streak, which the Americans extended in their one and only game last week – a 3-1 victory at home over Binghamton. Even though this will be Rochester’s first-ever visit to PPL Center, there’s one Americans skater who is very familiar with downtown Allentown, as Friday’s contest marks the return of four-year Phantoms veteran, Jason Akeson. A 25-year-old forward from Orleans, Ontario, Akeson spent the first four years of his professional career with the Phantoms where he compiled 81 goals, 144 assists and 225 points across 265 games. He currently ranks fourth on the franchise’s all-time list for both assists and points and is tied for fifth in goals scored.

Go and grow Shirt croppedFriday’s game is the first of four t-shirt giveaways throughout the 2015-16 season. The first 8,500 fans in attendance this Friday will receive a free Go & Grow Phantoms shirt.

The Phantoms wrap up this week’s action on Saturday, November 14 when they welcome the Albany Devils to town for the first and only time this season. Albany (6-3-2-0, 14 pts., 2nd North Division) is coming off a successful two-game road weekend in which the Devils earned a 4-3 victory at the Syracuse Crunch on Friday before capturing a 4-0 shutout win over the Hartford Wolf Pack on Saturday. Albany has now won three of its last four games and five of seven overall.

Saturday’s contest is the highly-anticipated Boy Scout Night, which featured a standing room-only sellout crowd of 8,541 fans a year ago.

Tickets for both Friday and Saturday’s games, along with each of the Phantoms’ 31 remaining games at PPL Center, are available now at pplcenter.com, by calling 610-347-TIXX or in person at the Mealey’s Furniture Box Office at PPL Center (701 Hamilton).

Phantoms By The Numbers

  • JustSports PhotographyForwards Chris Conner (4 goals, 5 assists) and Nick Cousins (3 goals, 6 assists) enter the week tied for the team lead in scoring with nine points each. Meanwhile, winger Petr Straka currently leads all Phantoms with six goals.
  • Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere enters the week first among all Lehigh Valley skaters and first among all AHL blueliners with 36 shots on goal.
  • Goaltender Anthony Stolarz (3-3 overall this season) currently ranks fourth among all AHL netminders with a 1.86 goals-against average. He’s surrendered two or fewer goals in four of six starts this season and registered a season-high 31 saves in Saturday’s 2-1 setback at the Syracuse Crunch.
  • Lehigh Valley enters the week averaging the sixth-fewest shots against (26.7) in the AHL. The Phantoms are 4-2 when outshooting their opposition this year.

Last Week

Friday, November 6: Hershey Bears 4 – Lehigh Valley Phantoms 2

P1106_0042Aaron Palushaj and Tyrell Goulbourne both scored as the Lehigh Valley got its first dose of the 2015-16 edition of the in-state rivalry between the Phantoms and Hershey Bears. It was Hershey though that claimed the first round at PPL Center with a 4-2 victory in front of 8,265 raucous fans. Carter Camper (goal, assist) and Sean Collins (2 assists) led the offensive attack for the Bears while Mark Alt, Kevin Sundher, Shayne Gostisbehere and Tim Brent all collected assists for the Phantoms.

Lehigh Valley’s penalty kill was a perfect 6-for-6 on the evening while Jason LaBarbera successfully answered 24 of Hershey’s 27 total offerings.

Saturday, November 7: Lehigh Valley Phantoms 1 – Syracuse Crunch 2

Anthony Stolarz registered a season-high 31 saves as a valiant third-period surge by the Phantoms fell just short in a 2-1 setback to the Syracuse Crunch. Jonathan Marchessault netted both of Syracuse’s conversions for the evening while Andrew MacDonald tallied his first goal of the year for Lehigh Valley.

Gostisbehere and Brent assisted on MacDonald’s man-advantage marker while the Phantoms’ penalty kill shut down each of Syracuse’s four power play opportunities in the game.

Sunday, November 1: Binghamton Senators 4 – Lehigh Valley Phantoms 1

P1108_0622Phantoms alumni Zack Stortini scored 2 goals in his return to PPL Center as the Binghamton Senators grabbed a 4-1 win in front of 8,065 fans in downtown Allentown. Eric O’Dell and David Dziurzynski also scored for the Senators who were able to snap a five-game losing skid with the road victory.

Tim Brent extended his scoring streak to four consecutive games with Lehigh Valley’s only goal. Chris Conner and Andrew MacDonald assisted on Brent’s power play marker while Jason LaBarbera turned in a 23-save performance between the pipes.

Broadcast Coverage

Service Electric’s TV2 Sports will be broadcasting live all of the Phantoms’ 31 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’ 31 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).