Jett Takes Flight

Luchanko’s First Fuels Victory

October 16, 2026

Springfield, MA – Jett Luchanko scored his first professional goal and recorded his first career three-point game as the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (2-2-1) rolled to a 6-3 victory at the Springfield Thunderbirds on Friday night.

Luchanko (1st) scored the biggest goal of the night midway through the third period to halt Springfield’s comeback bid and restore a three-goal cushion. The 20-year-old Flyers prospect also contributed two assists as the Phantoms won their second consecutive game following Wednesday’s 4-1 triumph at Hartford.

BOX SCORE

Alex Bump (4th, 5th) scored twice and added an assist for his own three-point performance, extending his goal-scoring streak to four games since joining Lehigh Valley. Hunter McDonald (1st), Jacob Gaucher (4th) and Cole Knuble (1st) also scored as the Phantoms erupted for six goals against a Springfield team that had allowed just nine goals through its first four games.

Carson Bjarnason earned his second consecutive victory with 31 saves as the Phantoms were outshot 34-28.

Lehigh Valley’s special teams made an immediate impact with a shorthanded goal and two power-play tallies in building a commanding 4-0 advantage. But the Thunderbirds (2-2-1) wouldn’t go quietly, scoring three of the next four goals while capitalizing on a parade of Phantoms penalties.

Springfield had trimmed the deficit to 4-2 on Justin Carbonneau’s five-on-three power-play blast at 6:02 of the third period when Luchanko delivered the biggest moment of his young professional career.

Cole Knuble worked the puck out of the corner and connected with Luchanko in the right face-off circle, where the rookie snapped a quick release past Georgii Romanov at 9:01 for a 5-2 lead.

The Thunderbirds answered again when veteran Oskar Sundqvist scored at 12:59 to pull Springfield within two. But Bump put the finishing touches on the victory with his second goal of the night into an empty net from center ice.

The Phantoms wasted little time making an impression in the opening period, even while shorthanded.

Just 19 seconds after Jackson Edward was called for slashing, Jonathan Gruden forced a turnover that sent Lehigh Valley racing up ice on an odd-man rush. Luchanko delivered a pass to McDonald, who buried the puck into an open net from the low slot at 1:29.

It was the fifth consecutive game in which Lehigh Valley scored first.

The Phantoms doubled their advantage on their first power play when Gaucher pounced on the rebound of a long-range Bump shot at 10:45 for a 2-0 lead.

Bjarnason preserved the advantage with a spectacular diving save to his right against Aleksanteri Kaskimäki on a rebound chance later in the opening frame.

Lehigh Valley continued its special-teams surge early in the second period when Knuble slipped into the low slot and buried a feed from Riley Thompson beneath the goal line at 3:29. Gaucher helped create the opportunity with a diving effort along the boards to keep the play alive.

Bump made it 4-0 at 8:06 during four-on-four action. Ty Murchison fired a shot on an odd-man rush and Luchanko slid the rebound across to Bump, who finished the opportunity for his first goal of the night.

The second period featured eight combined minor penalties, and Springfield finally broke through late in the frame when T.J. Tynan squeezed a shot through Bjarnason’s pads just eight seconds into a power play at 18:11.

The Thunderbirds continued their push in the third period when David Goyette was called for interference and an additional bench minor for unsportsmanlike conduct gave Springfield a full two-minute five-on-three advantage. Carbonneau blasted home a shot from the left circle just 21 seconds later to make it 4-2.

But Luchanko’s milestone goal less than three minutes later gave the Phantoms the breathing room they needed to finish off their second straight road victory.

The Phantoms and Thunderbirds conclude their weekend series Saturday at 6:05 p.m. in Springfield.

Lehigh Valley returns to PPL Center on Saturday, October 24 against the Syracuse Crunch and Sunday, October 25 against the Belleville Senators for PhanCon, featuring a Postgame Skate with the players presented by NJM Insurance.

Final AWAY