PREVIEW: Phantoms at Providence, Game 17
Three-Game Road Trip Begins Against Bruins
TODAY – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (10-4-2) are opening a stretch of three consecutive away games as they travel to New England for a Friday night clash against the Providence Bruins (12-2-0), AHL affiliate of the Boston Bruins. This is the first of four games between the Phantoms and Bruins.
With an .857 points percentage, the Bruins rate first in the conference. But with only 14 games played still trail Wilkes-Barre/Scranton by one point for the top spot in the Atlantic Division. Providence began the season at 7-0-0.
Lehigh Valley has points in seven of its last eight games (6-1-1) and is right on the heels of the Bruins in third place in the division and only two points back of tonight’s opponent.
Fans can browse rosters and Media Materials for tonight’s game at www.phantomshockey.com/media/media-materials/
LAST TIME – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms once again found a way to pick up a midweek 4-2 win over the Rochester Americans at PPL Center on Wednesday. Christian Kyrou (2nd) had a goal and an assist for his fourth multi-point game with the team. Jacob Gaucher (2nd) also scored and assed a helper. But it was a goal by Denver Barkey (6th) in the third period on a nifty setup by Kyrou that broke the Amerks’ backs restoring a two-goal lead just 61 seconds after Rochester had cut it to one. Zayde Wisdom’s long empty-netter sealed the victory while Aleksei Kolosov (6-2-1) was solid in a 21-save performance.
TRANSACTIONS
11/14/25 Add Ethan Samson (D) – Loaned to LV by PHI (activated IR)
11/15/25 Del Artem Guryev (D) – Reassigned to Reading from LV
11/17/25 Del Dennis Gilbert (D) – Traded by PHI to OTT
11/18/25 Add Adam Ginning (D) – Conditioning Loan to LV by PHI
11/19/25 Add Max Guenette (D) – Assigned by PHI after Gilbert trade
GINNING IS BACK – The Philadelphia Flyers have assigned defenseman Adam Ginning to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on a conditioning loan. Ginning, 25, has played in five games with the Flyers this year and also has 15 games of NHL experience in his career. After making his Lehigh Valley season debut on Wednesday, he has now played in 196 games with the Phantoms over the last three seasons scoring 7-44-51. Last year, the left-handed shooting defenseman from Linkoping, Sweden scored 2-15-17 in 69 games with Lehigh Valley.
THE 900 CLUB – It’s another milestone for the Captain. Just one week after Garrett Wilson became the first in Lehigh Valley history to play in 300 games for the team, the rugged 34-year-old winger will play in his 900th pro game tonight. The Barrie, Ontario product has played in 714 games in the AHL plus 84 career NHL games with Florida and Pittsburgh. And he began his career in the ECHL where he played in 101 games. He has scored 192 career goals with 227 assists for 419 points while also pulverizing several opponents along the way to rack up 1459 penalty minutes.
WHO’S HOT –
Denver Barkey – 5-3-8 in Last 6 games. 4 goals in last 4 games
Alex Bump – 2-6-8 in Last 6 games
Alexis Gendron – 3-2-4 on 5 game point streak
Carl Grundstrom – 3-7-10 in Last 7 games
Christian Kyrou – 2-9-11, +11 rating in 8 games since joining Phantoms on Oct 30
Lane Pederson – 5-6-11 in Last 6 games
Anthony Richard – 2-6-8 last 7 games
LEAGUE LEADERS – Alex Bump (4-9-13) is tied for fifth in scoring among AHL rookies. Bump is tied for first in rookie assists and also leads all rookies in shots (47).
Ty Murchison has a +11 rating to place second in the AHL and tied for first among rookies as well as tied for first among all defensemen.
Christian Kyrou is sixth among defensemen in assists (8) and is tied for third in plus-minus with a +10 rating.
BATTLING THE BRUINS – Providence (12-2-0) is among the best in the AHL and started the season winning seven straight but recently dropped a 2-0 decision to Jacob Fowler and the Laval Rocket last Sunday for just their second loss of the season. The Bruins have also lost several top players to Boston including some of the league’s top scoring acquisitions from last year in Matej Blumel from Texas (2-11-13) and Alex Steeves from Toronto. This year’s leading scorer, Riley Tufte (8-8-16) is also gone to the big club. Still, the P-Bruins are surrendering a league-best 2.0 goals per game with goaltenders Michael DiPietro (7-1, 1.99, .932) and rookie Simon Zajicek (1.65, .943) posting gawdy numbers. Zajicek is a 24-year-old free agent signee out of the Czech Republic who now rates second in the AHL in GAA and save percentage while DiPietro is tied for the tops in wins. Former Philadelphia Flyer Patrick Brown (6-10-16) is just two points off the league-lead in scoring. 21-year-old Dans Locmelis (4-6-10) posted a two-goal game last Saturday against Utica including the OT winner. First-rounder Fabian Lysell (6-6-12) and Georgii Merkulov (5-6-11) both had overtime winners against the Phantoms on almost this exact date. Lysell scored an overtime winner against the Phantoms two seasons ago on November 24, 2023 and Merkulov did the same thing last year on November 23, 2024.
SCORING LEADERS
Phantoms Scoring Leaders
Alex Bump 4-9-13
Anthony Richard 4-8-12
Lane Pederson 6-6-12
Denver Barkey 6-5-11
Christian Kyrou 2-9-11
Providence Scoring Leaders
x – Riley Tufte 8-8-16
Patrick Brown 6-10-16
x – Matej Blumel 2-11-13
Fabian Lysell 6-6-12
Georgii Merkulov 5-6-11
Dans Locmelis 5-3-8
Special Teams
LV PP 20.0%, 15th / 76.8%, 28th
PRO PP 21.4%, 12th / 82.9%, 12th
LOOKING AHEAD – The Phantoms are back it tomorrow night at 6:00 p.m. at the Hartford Wolf Pack, AHL affiliate of the New York Rangers. The Phantoms return to PPL Center on Saturday, November 29 against the Laval Rocket featuring the return of Gritty!
Providence Bruins
Hartford Wolf Pack
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
