PREVIEW: Phantoms at Penguins, Game 21
Return Visit to Wilkes as Rivalry Continues
TONIGHT – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (11-6-3) are trekking to northeast Pennsylvania for a second consecutive Friday as they take on the rival Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (15-5-1) in search of their first win in the rivalry series. The Phantoms lost a 4-1 decision in Wilkes-Barre last week on Black Friday.
The Phantoms are in third place in the Atlantic Division but Hershey and Charlotte are hot on their heels. The Penguins are just above the Phantoms in second place with an opportunity to leap-frog past idle Providence for the top spot.
This is Game 4 out of 12 in the rivalry series and is also Game #21 of the 2025-26 regular season.
Fans can browse rosters and Media Materials for tonight’s game at www.phantomshockey.com/media/media-materials/
LAST TIME – It was another massively entertaining game at PPL Center last Saturday that saw the Phantoms rally from a 3-1 deficit to take a 4-3 lead only to see the first-place Laval Rocket equalize late on their way to taking the 5-4 shootout victory. Alex Bump came inches away from winning it with just one second left in overtime. After the early deficit, Christian Kyrou (4th) scored with just 0.1 seconds left in the second period to ignite the comeback. Anthony Richard (7th) and Lane Pederson (7th) put the Phantoms in the driver’s seat with their goals in the third period. But Sammy Blais tied it with his second goal of the night in his first game back in the AHL and then Blais went on to score the shootout winner beating Carson Bjarnason. Laval’s Jacob Fowler picked up the W in this battle of highly touted rookie goaltenders who were both drafted early in the 2023 NHL Draft.
TRANSACTIONS –
12/1/25 Del Carter Berger (D) – Loaned Reading
12/1/25 Add Adam Ginning (D) – Assigned to LV by PHI
12/1/25 Add Oliver Bonk (D) – Loaned to LV by PHI (activated IR)
12/2/25 Add Sawyer Boulton (F) – Recalled by LV from Reading
12/2/25 Del Carl Grundstrom (F) – Recalled to PHI
BONK ARRIVES – The Philadelphia Flyers have activated defenseman Oliver Bonk from injured reserve and have assigned him to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Bonk, 20, has been unavailable due to injury since Flyers’ Training Camp in September. The 6’2″ righty shot from Ottawa was selected in the first round, #22 overall, in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. With the London Knights of the OHL last season, he scored 11-29-40 in 52 games and eventually went on to win the Memorial Cup along with teammate Denver Barkey. Bonk also twice represented Canada at the World Juniors Championships where he was teammates with Carson Bjarnason, Jett Luchanko and 2025 round 1 selection Porter Martone. Oliver Bonk is the son of Radek Bonk, former first-round selection of Ottawa (#3 overall) from Czechia, who played in 969 NHL games scoring 194-303-497 with Ottawa, Montreal and Nashville.
CALLING ON CARL – Carl Grundström has been recalled to the Philadelphia Flyers for a second time this season. Grundström, 28, has been one of Lehigh Valley’s most consistent players and has scored 6-9-15 in 19 games with Lehigh Valley this year to rate third on the team in points. He also played in one game with the Flyers this season on November 8 vs. Ottawa. The veteran of 293 NHL games with Los Angeles, San Jose and Philadelphia has scored 43-33-76 in his career. The 6’0″ lefty shot was acquired from the San Jose Sharks on October 5 along with Artem Guryev in exchange for Ryan Ellis. This season has represented his first extended stay in the AHL following six years in the NHL.
NOVEMBER WRAP UP – The Phantoms went 6-3-2 in November and scored 38 goals for an average of 3.45 per game. The Phantoms began the month with four straight wins as part of a five-game win streak but Lehigh Valley has gone 2-3-2 since November 15.
Phantoms Scoring Leaders – November
Carl Grundstrom 4-9-13
Christian Kyrou 4-9-13
Anthony Richard 5-7-12
Lane Pederson 5-7-12
Denver Barkey 6-5-11
Alex Bump 2-9-11
PHANTASTIC –
– Alex Bump is third in the AHL with 70 shots and is first among all rookies.
– Bump has 6 or more shots in 3 of the last 4 games
– Bump (4-12-16) is third in AHL rookie assists
– Christian Kyrou (4-10-14) is 7th in AHL defensemen scoring and is second in the Eastern Conference.
– Kyrou has 3 goals in the last 5 games
– The Phantoms are 7-0-1 when scoring 4 or more goals
– The Phantoms are 8-0-2 when scoring the first goal of the game
– The Phantoms are 10-2-1 when allowing 3 goals or fewer
– Adam Ginning played in his 200th game with the Phantoms on Saturday. Ginning’s conditioning loan has expired but he has since been assigned to remain with the Phantoms.
IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE – Lehigh Valley is 11-1-2 when playing any team that is NOT in the Top 3 in the conference. But the Phantoms are a combined 0-5-1 against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Providence and Laval.
PLUCKY, PREPOSTEROUS PENGUINS –
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (15-5-1) has had the Phantoms’ number so far this season. The Baby Pens have dispatched Lehigh Valley on three occasions by identical 4-1 scores each time. Last Friday, it was Rutger McGroaty (4th) and Rafael Harvey-Pinard (4th, 5th) leading the way while Anthony Richard broke up Sergei Murashov’s shutout bid. The Penguins lost 6-2 at Hershey on Saturday to slip behind Providence for first place in the Atlantic. Sergei Murashov (6-2-0, 1.70, .934) is second-best in the AHL in GAA and save percentage trailing only Sebastian Cossa of Grand Rapids. Murashov is 2-0, 1.00, .966 against the Phantoms this season. Phantoms-killer Tristan Broz (8-5-13) is back from Pittsburgh. Broz has scored 11 goals in 15 career games against the Phantoms (regular season and playoffs). Also back is NHL veteran Danton Heinen (5-9-14) who has 575 games of NHL experience with Boston, Pittsburgh, Vancouver and Anaheim. Rutger McGroaty (4-1-5) has been recalled to Pittsburgh after dominating in the AHL following a preseason injury. WBS is first in the conference (5th in AHL) in offense at 3.42 goals per game while allowing just 2.43 per contest to rate sixth in the AHL.
This is Game 4 out of 12 in the season series. The Phantoms have just one win in their last 10 regular-season visits to Wilkes but have swept the Penguins in the playoffs in back-to-back seasons.
SCORING LEADERS
Phantoms Scoring Leaders
Anthony Richard 7-10-17
Alex Bump 4-12-16
x – Carl Grundstrom 6-9-15
Denver Barkey 7-7-14
Lane Pederson 7-7-14
Christian Kyrou 4-10-14
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Scoring Leaders
Sam Poulin 8-9-17
Danton Heinen 5-9-14
Tristan Broz 8-5-13
Valtteri Puustinen 2-10-12
Aidan McDonough 3-8-11
Special Teams PP / PK
LV 21.9%, 13th / 75.9%, 28th
WBS 15.9%, 24th / 85.1%, 4th
SEASON SERIES
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins: (0-3-0)
10/12/25 Home L 1-4
10/22/25 Away L 1-4
11/28/25 Away L 1-4
12/5/25 Away
12/28/25 Home
2/1/26 Home
2/6/26 Home
3/14/26 Away
3/15/26 Home
3/29/26 Away
4/3/26 Away
4/4/26 Home
LOOKING AHEAD – The Phantoms are home on Saturday, December 6 against the Utica Comets on meLVin’s Holiday Party featuring Winter Youth Knit Caps from Reilly Children’s Hospital at LVHN and Jefferson Health.
The Phantoms have a big six-game homestand coming up from December 17 through December 31 including the annual Teddy Bear Toss presented by Big Woody’s on Saturday, December 20 against the Hartford Wolf Pack. Saturday with meLVin’s Holiday Party including Winter Youth Knit Caps for the first 2,500 kids from Reilly Children’s Hospital plus all kinds of great festive fun!
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Hershey Bears
Syracuse Crunch
Rochester Americans
