PREVIEW: Phantoms vs. Penguins, Game 43
Goals by Period
Shots by Period
Goaltenders
Rivalry Matinee in Weekend Finale
TODAY – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (21-17-4) host the rival Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (28-12-4) at PPL Center. Today is Game 43 of the 2025-26 regular season and is also Game 6 out of 12 in the season series. Kids receive meLVin Youth Jerseys courtesy of LVHN Reilly Children’s Hospital, Service Electric and Velaspan.
Fans can browse rosters and Media Materials for tonight’s game at www.phantomshockey.com/media/media-materials/
LAST TIME – Zayde Wisdom and Christian Kyrou delivered statement, three-point performances on Saturday night at PPL Center as the Lehigh Valley Phantoms built, protected, and ultimately finished off a 5–3 victory over the Bridgeport Islanders in a lively home finale for January. The Phantoms answered early adversity, dictated long stretches of play, and showed composure under late pressure to secure two important points in front of the home crowd. Wisdom (7th, 8th) racked up two goals for the second time this season, including the empty-netter to seal it, as well as a strong assist. Kyrou (7th) racked up three points with a goal and two helpers. Jacob Gaucher (9th) opened the scoring and Anthony Richard (12th) tallied as well while Tucker Robertson had a pair of helpers. And rookie netminder Carson Bjarnason picked up his 11th win of the season with an impressive 28-save performance.
BACK AND FORTH – Goaltender Aleksei Kolosov has become familiar with the northeastern extension trek from Allentown to Philadelphia in recent days. Kolosov has been loaned back to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Sunday morning and is eligible for today’s game against the Penguins.
He was loaned by Philadelphia to Lehigh Valley on Wednesday and played for the Phantoms on Friday at Springfield. Then, Kolosov was recalled to the Flyers on Saturday in time to serve as the backup goaltender for their afternoon game against Los Angeles. The journey continues today with Kolosov’s return to Lehigh Valley.
Kolosov, 24, has gone 9-10-1 with the Phantoms this season with a 2.52 GAA, and .908 SV%. He has also appeared in four games with the Flyers going 0-2-0, 4.00, .830. Last year, Kolosov split his season between the Phantoms and Flyers going 5-6-1, 3.11, .884 in 12 games with Lehigh Valley while going 5-9-1, 3.59, .867 in 17 NHL games with Philadelphia.
KYROU KRUSHING – Defensemen Christian Kyrou produced an impressive three-point performance in Saturday’s win to extend his point streak to four games. Kyrou has scored two goals with four assists in the hot run and has scored 7-15-22 this season to place third on the team in scoring and 14th among AHL defensemen. The slick, puck-moving blueliner was acquired on October 30 from the Dallas Stars organization in a trade for Samu Tuomaala.
PEDERSON RETURNS – Leading scorer Lane Pederson is back with the Phantoms after a recall to the Flyers.
Pederson, 28, has 13 goals and 15 assists for 28 points in 38 games played. The 6’0″ right-handed shooting center from Saskatoon, SK played in five games with the Philadelphia Flyers making his debut on January 19 at Vegas. It was his first NHL game in almost three years since March 30, 2023 with Columbus. Pederson scored the team’s Teddy Bear Toss goal on December 20 and has a pair of two-goal games, most recently on December 31.
WELCOME BACK – The Philadelphia Flyers have returned defenseman Hunter McDonald to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
McDonald, 23, is in his second full season of professional hockey. He received his first career NHL recall on January 17 but did not appear in any games with the Flyers. McDonald has played in 35 games with the Phantoms this season recording five assists and he has played in 115 career games with the Phantoms scoring 4-22-26. A 6’4″ product of Fairport, NY, McDonald was a Round 6 selection of the Philadelphia Flyers in 2022 out of Northeastern University.
TRANSACTIONS –
1/28/26 Add Aleksei Kolosov (G) – Loaned to LV by PHI
1/29/26 Add Lane Pederson (F) – Loaned to LV by PHI
1/30/26 Del Aleksei Kolosov (G) – Recalled to PHI
1/30/26 Add Yaniv Perets (G) – Recalled by LV from Reading
2/1/26 Add Aleksei Kolosov (G) – Loaned to LV by PHI
WORKING OVERTIME – The Phantoms are tied for second in the AHL with eight victories after regulation trailing only Tucson who have nine.
Tucker Robertson’s overtime strike against Hershey on Saturday pushed the Phantoms to 4-2 in OT this season. Lehigh Valley is also 4-2 in shootouts for a combined record of 8-4 in decisions after regulation. Goaltender Carson Bjarnason is tied for the AHL lead with three shootout wins in five shootout games having turned away 17 of 20 shootout attempts faced.
EARLY STRIKE – The Phantoms are 12-0-2 when scoring the first goal of the game. Lehigh Valley and Grand Rapids are the only teams in the AHL still undefeated in regulation when striking first. The Phantoms are also 9-0-0 when leading at the first intermission and are one of three teams still perfect (Chicago and Grand Rapids the others) when holding the advantage at the first break.
SATURDAY SUPERSTARS – The Phantoms boast an impressive mark on Saturdays this season going 12-2-2. Seven of the 16 Saturday games have gone to overtime or shootout and the Phantoms are 6-0-1 in those Saturday extra-time contests.
PENGUINS PARTICULARS – The Penguins keep plugging along despite more roster movement than usual. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (28-12-4) is holding steady at second place in the division and picked up a 4-1 win over Syracuse last night. The Penguins also boast a 4-1 lead in the season series with the Phantoms but Lehigh Valley snagged the last encounter in a 4-3 shootout win on December 28 at PPL Center. Sam Poulin, Danton Heinen and Valterri Puustinen are all gone via trade or waiver claims. And they also lost Phil Tomasino to the Phantoms in the Egor Zamula trade on December 31. Second-year pro Tristan Broz (14-14-28) has shaken out of a little slump to post 4-4-8 in the last five games and will represent the Penguins at the AHL All-Star Classic. Rafaël Harvey-Pinard (11-8-19) had a two-goal game against the Phantoms in November. Second-year pro Sergei Murashov (16-5-0, 2.12, 924) still has impressive numbers but is no longer the top goaltender in the league after allowing 21 goals in a six game stretch. Murashov is 3-0-0, 1.38, .958 against the Phantoms this season. University of Michigan product Rutger McGroaty (4-8-12) was briefly back with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton but has since been recalled to Pittsburgh again. Ville Koivunen (5-12-17) has spent most of the season with PIttsburgh but has recently returned to Wilkes. Koivunen led the Baby Pens last year with 21-35-56 and was a member of the AHL All-Rookie Team. The Penguins are dead last in the AHL on the power play at 12.7% but overall are scoring 3.2 goals per contest to rate 11th.
SCORING LEADERS
Phantoms Scoring Leaders
x – Lane Pederson 13-15-28
Anthony Richard 11-11-22
Christian Kyrou 7-15-22
Alex Bump 7-13-20
Alexis Gendron 8-10-18
Penguins Scoring Leaders
Tristan Broz 14-14-28
Atley Calvert 7-19-26
Avery Hayes 11-10-21
Aiden McDonough 8-13-21
Rafael Harvey-Pinard 11-8-19
Special Teams PP / PK
LV 18.3%, 17th / 75.8%, 31st (PP vs. WBS, 4/17, 23.5%)
WBS 12.7%, 32nd / 82.1%, 13th (PP vs. LV 7/20, 35.0%)
Season Serires vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins: (1-4-0)
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 L 2-6
12/28/25 Home W 4-3 (SO)
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 and Penguins rematch at PPL Center next Friday, Feburary 6.
Bridgeport Islanders
