PREVIEW: Phantoms at Penguins, Game 66
Stretch Run!
TODAY – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (28-31-6) return to NEPA for another rivalry duel with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (41-16-8). With just seven games remaining in the regular season, Lehigh Valley is neck-and-neck with the Springfield Thunderbirds in a heated race for the last playoff spot in the Atlantic Division. The Phantoms’ Magic Number to clinch a fourth consecutive berth in the Calder Cup Playoffs is at 17 points. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton is all alone in second place in the division and looking to secure a first-round playoff bye that comes with a Top 2 finish. The Penguins lead the season series 8-2. Fans can browse rosters and Media Materials for tonight’s game at www.phantomshockey.com/media/media-materials/
LAST TIME – Zayde Wisdom (12th) broke a shutout bid for Joel Blomqvist to get the Phantoms on the board late but that would be all for the Orange and Black in a 5-1 setback at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the closing game of the weekend. 20-year-old rookie talent Tanner Howe (6th) paced the Baby Pens’ attack with a four-point performance on a goal and three assists while Blomqvist was tested early and often en route to a 30-save win. A three-goal outburst in just an eight-minute stretch of the first period turned a 0-0 contest into a 3-0 score at the first intermission. Joona Koppanen (8th), Chase Pietila (2nd) and Tanner Howe all scored for the Baby Pens in the early surge.
DANDY DEBUTS – The future looks bright with the arrivals of forwards Cole Knuble and Riley Thompson who both made thier pro debuts last weekend. Both recorded their first pro point on assits in their first period of AHL action. Knuble zoomed up the right boards to connect on a give-and-go with Anthony Richard on Friday. And Riley Thompson nudged a faceoff win forward to Boris Katchouk who buried the first of his three goals on Saturday. Knuble is a Round 4 selection of the Flyers in 2023 out of Notrre Dame who is the son of 14-year NHL veteran Mike Knuble who played five season for the Flyers. Thompson is a big, 6’4″ left-handed center out of Ohio State who signed with the Flyers organization as an undrafted free agent.
BJARNASON TO READING – The Flyers have reassigned goaltender Carson Bjarnason to the Reading Royals of the ECHL while the Phantoms have recalled goaltender Yaniv Perets from Reading.
Bjarnason, 20, is in his professional rookie season and is the youngest goaltender in the AHL. In 30 games this season, Bjarnason has gone 13-11-4, 3.45, .877. The 6’4″ left-catching goaltender out of the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL was a second-round selection of the Flyers in the 2023 Draft. He made his ECHL debut on Thursday night at the Worcester Railers in a 5-3 setback. Former Phantoms’ goaltender Parker Gahagen was the winner for Worcester.
Perets, 26, is a Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec product who is a 6’1″ left-catching goaltender. He has played in three games this season with the Phantoms going 1-2-0, 3.21, .873. Perets has also played in 25 games with Reading going 13-8-3, 2.92, .906. Perets was just named ECHL Goaltender of the Week with a pair of shutouts against the Norfolk Admirals on March 25 and March 28 racking up 52 total saves. Three seasons ago, Perets won a Frozen Four NCAA Championship with the Quinnipiac Bobcats while leading the country in goals-against average for a second consecutive season.
JIRICEK SIGNS EXTENSION – The Philadelphia Flyers have signed defenseman David Jiricek to a two-year contract extension, according to General Manager Daniel Briere.
Jiricek, 22, was acquired by the Flyers from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for forward Bobby Brink at the trade deadline and has since appeared in 10 games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms recording 2-8-0 including three multi-point performances. His assist on Sunday at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton was his 100th career professional point This season he has also played in 24 games with the Iowa Wild where has also scordc 2-8-10 as well as 25 NHL games with the Minnesota Wild. The 6-foot-4, 204-pound defenseman was originally selected by Columbus in the first round (6th overall) of the 2022 NHL Draft. He has appeared in 84 NHL games with the Blue Jackets (2022–25) and Wild (2024–26), recording 2-11-13. Jiricek has played parts of four seasons in the AHL suiting up with the Cleveland Monsters, Iowa Wild, and Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Across 149 AHL games, he has registered 19-68-87.
YOUNG PROSPECTS REPORTING FOR DUTY! – Six players from the Flyers 2023 NHL Draft Class have inked entry-level deals: Carson Bjaranason, Alex Ciernik, Denver Barkey, Oliver Bonk, Cole Knuble, and Matvei Michkov. Alex Ciernik recently signed an entry-level contract and is expected to join the Phantoms next season. He is one of five prospects to sign with the Flyers in the last month joining Noah Powell, Cole Knuble, Riley Thompson and Porter Martone who went directly to Philadelphia.
MILESTONES –
Helge Grans – 298 pro games
Anthony Richard – 396 pro points
David Jiricek – Recorded 100th pro point on March 29 at W-B/Scranton
PREPOSTEROUS PENGUINS! – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (41-16-8) has clinched a playoff spot but would love to lock up a first-round bye to avoid any possible first-round exits to the Phantoms yet again! The second-place Penguins hold a diminishing five-point margin over third-place Charlotte. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton has won four straight including a pair of home wins last week over Laval, 3-1, and Lehigh Valley, 5-1. And now the Penguins have received reinforcements from Pittsburgh in the form of first-rounder Rutger McGroaty (7-29-26 in 25 games), Avery Hayes (22-13-35 in 39 games), and Ville Koivunen (11-22-33 in 29 games) who were all loaned from the big club this week. Aidan McDonough (20-18-38) paces the offense and has four goals in the season series. Tristan Broz (14-20-34) hasn’t played since February due to injury. Rafaël Harvey-Pinard (18-15-30) has seven goals against the Phantoms this season. Rookie addition Tanner Howe (6-8-14 in 20 games) notched a four-point performance against the Phantoms on Sunday in a 5-1 win. Sergei Murashov (22-8-3, 2.16, .921) is the top rookie goaltender in the AHL and second-best overall only to Michael DiPietro of Providence. Murashov is 4-0-0, 1.25, .955 against Lehigh Valley
The Phantoms have had some tough times against the Baby Pens going 2-8-0 in the season series. Lane Pederson had an overtime winner at Wilkes-Barre on March 14 in a tremendous comeback and Tucker Robertson staarred with a goal and a shootout winner on December 28 at PPL Center. Boris Katchouk scored 21-28-49 for W-B/Scranton last year and Phil Tomasino played for the Penguins earlier this season scoring 5-10-15 in 14 games before he arrived to the Phantoms via a trade on New Year’s Eve in exchange for Egor Zamula. This weekend marks the final games of the rivalry series.
SCORING LEADERS
Phantoms Scoring Leaders
Lane Pederson 22-24-46
Anthony Richard 18-26-44
Christian Kyrou 9-24-33
Jacob Gaucher 16-16-32
Tucker Robertson 13-15-28
W-B/Scranton Scoring Leaders
Aidan McDonough 20-18-38
Avery Hayes 22-13-35
Tristan Broz 14-20-34
Ville Koivunen 11-22-33
Rafael Harvey-Pinard 18-15-33
Special Teams PP / PK
LV 19.2%, 13th / 77.4%, 29th / PP vs. WBS 8-44, 18.2%
WBS 16.2%, 24th / 80.7%, 22nd / PP vs. LV 11-39, 28.2%
Series Leaders
Lehigh Valley
Lane Pederson 5-2-7
Anthony Richard 3-4-7
Karsen Dorwart 0-5-5
Tucker Robertson 3-0-3
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
Rafaël Harvey-Pinard 7-5-12
Ville Koivunen 2-7-9
Aidan McDonough 5-4-9
Tristan Broz 3-5-8
Sergei Murashov 4-0-0, 1.25, .955
Season Series vs Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins: (2-8-0)
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 L 2-6
2/6/26 Home L 5-6
3/14/26 Away W 4-3 (OT)
3/15/26 Home L 1-3
3/29/26 Away L 1-5
4/3/26 Away
4/4/26 Home
LOOKING AHEAD – The Phantoms have three home games left in the regular season including Saturday, April 4 against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Star Wars Night! Next weekend is the home conclusion for the schedule including Wrestling Night on Saturday, April 11 against the Bridgeport Islanders and Kids Take Over Day on Sunday, April 12 against the Cleveland Monsters in the last home game of the regular season.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Springfield Thunderbirds
