PREVIEW: Phantoms vs. Providence, Game 50
Homestand Opener vs. First-Place Bruins
TONIGHT – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (23-22-4) return to PPL Center for the first of a three-game homestand as they tangle with the first-place Providence Bruins (38-10-1). The Phantoms are in fifth place in the Atlantic Division following a weekend sweep at the Hershey Bears. Lehigh Valley has also moved to within two points of fourth-place Hershey. The Bruins recently had a franchise-record 13-game win streak but more recently have dropped two straight to division bottom-dwellers Springfield and Hartford. This is Game 3 out of 4 in the season series and is also the first PPL Center visit for the P-Bruins,
Tonight is Game 50 of the 2025-26 season. There are 23 games to go in the final two months of the regular season before the Calder Cup Playoffs.
The Phantoms are playing the next three straight at home as well as five of the next six.
Fans can browse rosters and Media Materials for tonight’s game at www.phantomshockey.com/media/media-materials/
LAST TIME – Alex Bump (9th, 10th) capped off a big three-goal weekend while opening the scoring in a chaotic, see-saw rivalry battle at the Hershey Bears with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms eventually hanging on for a hard-fought 6-4 win. Oliver Bonk (3rd) also scored in the three-goal opening frame and Christian Kyrou (8th) tacked on to the advantage in the second period. Lehigh Valley was looking mighty comfortable with a 4-1 lead early in the second period but the Bears rallied for three straight to equalize at 4-4 before Alexis Gendron’s (9th) deflection of a Hunter McDonald blast put the Phantoms back ahead for good. Zayde Wisdom (9th) sealed the win with an empty-netter to finish the milestone 400th win in Lehigh Valley history. The Phantoms had to kill back-to-back Hershey power plays late in the third while Carson Bjarnason was tested in tight inducing several athletic and desperation saves. Kyrou swept one away that was rolling practically on the goal line. And Hunter McDonald made a save of his own on the right-wing side of the crease to deny Henrik Rybinski (8th, 9th) who had already scored twice for the Bears and came perilously close to a hat trick on multiple occasions.
BUMP IT UP – Alex Bump’s second weekend back in the lineup saw the young forward find his top form again with a three-goal outburst in Lehigh Valley’s two-game series sweep at the Hershey Bears. Bump opened the team’s scoring in both contests and scored a pair of goals in the first period on Saturday for his first career multi-goal game although he did have a two-goal performance in Game 1 of the playoffs last year against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Bump has scored 10-13-23 in 32 games in his first full rookie season. The Prior Lake, Minnesota product also played for the Phantoms at the end of last season when he joined the club shortly after a Frozen Four appearance and NCAA Championship with Western Michigan.
HISTORIC SWEEP – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms swept a weekend set of games from Hershey for just the second time ever. The last time it happened was January 13-14, 2018 when the Orange and Black took both ends of a home-and-home set.
This was also the first time ever for Lehigh Valley to play back-to-back games at Hershey on the same weekend. And it was also only the third time the Phantoms franchise had played consecutive games in Hershey also including two occasions when the Adirondack Phantoms played there on consecutive days in 2014 and 2010.
This was the seventh time for the Phantoms to sweep a weekend series from Hershey with the six previous occasions all taking place in home-and-home sets. The Lehigh Valley Phantoms have done it twice and the Philadelphia Phantoms did it five times in November 2008, November 2004, February 2004, November 2000, and January 1998.
BEAT THE BEARS – The Phantoms have now won the last four straight meetings with the Hershey Bears and are 5-2-2 against their Chocolatetown rivals this season. The dominance really began on December 31 at PPL Center with Aleksei Kolosov’s 30-save shutout of the Bears. Tucker Robertson starred in the January 24 win with a third-period goal followed by the overtime winner. Then Alex Bump racked up three goals February 20-21 in a first-ever weekend sweep at Hershey.
Tucker Robertson, Alex Bump and Zayde Wisdom all have four goals against the Chocolate and White this season. Aleksei Kolosov has excelled in the season series going 3-1-1, 2.00, .936 against Hershey.
There is one game remaining in the regular-season series on March 28 at PPL Center. But it is entirely possible the I-78 foes could meet in the Calder Cup Playoffs for a third consecutive season. Lehigh Valley currently holds the fifth-place position while Hershey is hanging on to fourth place potentially setting up a potential 4 vs. 5 series in April.
MILESTONES –
– Anthony Richard, 199 pro assists
– Phil Tomasino, 200th pro point (Feb 20, 2026 at Hershey)
– Max Guenette 100th pro assist (Feb 21, 2026 at Hershey)
– Lehigh Valley, 400th win all-time (Feb 21, 2026 at Hershey)
TRANSACTIONS –
2/21/26 Del Aleksei Kolosov (G) – Recalled to PHI
2/21/26 Del Adam Ginning (D) – Recalled to PHI
2/21/26 Add Aleksei Kolosov (G) – Loaned to LV by PHI
2/21/26 Del Carson Golder (F) – Loaned to Reading
2/21/26 Del Yaniv Perets (G) – Loaned to Reading
2/22/26 Del Massimo Rizzo (F) – Reassigned to Reading from LV
2/25/26 Add Adam Ginning (D) – Loaned to LV by PHI
BRUINS BREAKDOWN – Providence (38-10-1) was dominating and racked up a franchise-record 13 consecutive wins to blow past the rest of the pack in the Atlantic. But the weekend ended on a sour note as their win streak was snapped at seventh-place Springfield on Saturday and then they stumbled again in an uninspired 5-2 loss at last-place Hartford on Sunday. Patrick Brown (15-30-45) is the veteran captain of the Bruins who also served as the captain for the Eastern Conference at the AHL All-Star Classic. The 33-year-old veteran leader also played two seasons for the Philadelphia Flyers from 2021-23 and has a pair of goals against the Phantoms in the season series. Rookie Dans Locmelis (13-15-28) represented Latvia at the Olympics. Michael DiPietro (22-6-0, 1.76, .938) is the top goaltender in the league and is the front-runner to win the Baz Bastien award for a second consecutive season. Providence is second in the AHL in team defense at 2.04 goals per game and is also second best on the penalty kill at 85.4%. Providence won the first two rounds of the series in Rhode Island. This is the first PPL Center visit for the Bruins.
SCORING LEADERS
Phantoms Scoring Leaders
Lane Pederson 16-17-33
Anthony Richard 13-15-28
Christian Kyrou 8-20-28
Alex Bump 10-13-23
Tucker Robertson 11-11-22
Providence Scoring Leaders
Patrick Brown 15-30-45
Georgii Merkulov 16-24-40
Riley Tufte 22-16-38
Fabian Lysell 15-21-36
Matěj Blümel 10-21-31
Special Teams PP / PK
LV 18.6%, 17th / 75.0%, 30th
PRO 22.1, 6th / 85.4%, 2nd
SEASON SERIES vs. PROVIDENCE: (0-2-0)
11/21/25 Away L 2-3
1/11/26 Away L 2-4
2/25/26 Home
3/18/26 Home
LOOKING AHEAD – The Phantoms close out the month with consecutive home tilts against the Hartford Wolf Pack on Saturday. February 28 and Sunday, March 1 at 3:05 p.m. on meLVin’s birthday! The Phantoms then travel to the Utica Comets for a Tuesday night tilt.
Utica Comets
