PREVIEW: Phantoms at Springfield, Game 5
Road Trip Continues with Weekend Set vs. Thunderbirds
TONIGHT – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (1-2-1) look to build on a strong Wednesday win over the Hartford Wolf Pack as they continue their three-game road trip with the opening contest of their weekend series at the Springfield Thunderbirds, AHL affiliate of the St. Louis Blues.
Tonight is Game 5 of the 2026-27 season and is the second away game of the year. The two teams will rematch tomorrow at 6:05 p.m. in Springfield. The Thunderbirds (2-1-1) raced out to a 2-0 start but lost back-to-back home decisions after that. This is the first of six matchups between the divisional foes.
Fans can browse rosters and Media Materials for tonight’s game at www.phantomshockey.com/media/media-materials/
LAST TIME – Carson Bjarnason was magnificent throughout a 24-save performance in lifting the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (1-2-1) to their first victory of the season in a 4-1 triumph at the Hartford Wolf Pack on Wednesday night. Noah Powell (1st) broke a 1-1 tie in the third period for the winning goal.Carl Grundstrom (1st) scored in his first game back with the Phantoms. Alex Bump (3rd) and Cam Dineen (2nd) added long empty-netters at the end to seal the victory. Bump has scored in three straight games since his arrival to the Phantoms last week and Grundstrom scored in his first game with Lehigh Valley. But it was the 21-year-old netminder, Bjarnason, who stole the show. Some of his best saves came in the first period when Hartford developed a bevy of strong chances including on consecutive power plays.
BARNEY BARRICADE – Carson Bjarnason played one of the best games of his career on Wednesday night at the Hartford Wolf Pack with a 24-save gem in a 4-1 win. The 21-year-old netminder from Carberry, Manitoba was tested early with a 12-shot barrage but held down the fort while the Phantoms skaters were finding their legs. It is the fourth start for Bjarnason in which he has allowed just one goal and his first since January 3, 2026 at the Belleville Senators. The Round 2 selection from the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL had some successes and some inconsistencies in his debut campaign when he was the youngest goaltender in the AHL which included a strong first half of the season while tapering off somewhat in the second half, ultimately finishing 14-11-4, 3.43, .877. Bjarnason cites his mental approach and composure and poise among his strengths as he enters his second professional campaign and is still among the youngest goaltenders in the league.
BUMP IT UP – Alex Bump is off to a hot start in his return to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms with goals in three consecutive games. Bump played in three games with the Flyers to begin the season and also played in 17 games with Philadelphia last year scoring 5-4-9 while also registering two goals in six postseason games during Philly’s magical Stanley Cup Playoff run.
He made his NHL debut on March 7, 2026 and scored his first goal in that same game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Bump thrived in his rookie season with Lehigh Valley scoring 11-15-26 in 36 games. He had joined the Phantoms at the end of the 2024-25 season immediately after winning the National Championship at the Frozen Four with Western Michigan. The Prior Lake, Minnesota native was a fifth-round selection of the Flyers in 2022.
SWEDISH SWAGGER – Veteran forward Carl Grundstrom was a top performer in his first game back with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. He returned from the Philadelphia Flyers and scored a goal at Hartford in his first game back while developing several other strong scoring chances that easily could have resulted in a two-goal or three-goal performance.
Grundstrom, 28, is a lefty-shooting winger from Umea, Sweden who played in five games with the Flyers this season and 47 games with Philadelphia last year scoring 9-4-13. He played in 19 games with the Phantoms at the beginning of last season scoring 6-9-15. He technically has a two-game goal streak in the AHL including his goal on November 29, 2025 against the Laval Rocket in his last game with the Phantoms last season. Grundstrom has played in 344 NHL games with Los Angeles, San Jose and Philadelphia, scoring 52-37-89 and 118 games in the AHL with Toronto, Ontario and Lehigh Valley scoring 36-51-87.
DANDY DINEEN – Veteran defenseman arrival Cam Dineen has had an immediate impact with the Phantoms and has two goals in the last three games. Wednesday’s empty-netter from the opposite endboards was sweet justice for Dineen who had a second–period power-play goal taken off the board when the officials belatedly determined interference with the goaltender shortly before his shot. The 28-year-old sharp-shooter racked up his 200th pro point while enjoying his homecoming of sorts to the east coast. Dineen is a Tom’s River, NJ native who said it was a “no brainer” to sign when the Flyers reached out with an offer. Now in his ninth season of profesional hockey, Dineen had spent his entire career out west with the Tucson Roadrunners and Bakersfield Condors while also receiving recalls to the Arizona Coyotes and Edmonton Oilers among his 38 total NHL games.
Dineen quarterbacks the power play for Lehigh Valley and has sent opposing defenses scrambling with his big blasts from the point. Dineen has scored 39 goals with 154 assists for 193 points in 383 career AHL games.
TRANSACTIONS –
Oct 7, 2026 – Add Alex Bump (F) – Loaned to Phantoms by PHI
Oct 11, 2026 – Del Oliver Bonk (D) – Recalled to PHI
Oct 11, 2026 – Add Cooper Wylie (D) – Recalled by LV from Reading
Oct12, 2026 – Del Jack Studnicka (F) – Recalled to PHI
Oct 12, 2026 – Add Carl Grundstrom (F) – Loaned to Phantoms by PHI
Oct 12, 2026 – Add Carson Bantle (F) – Signed to PTO
Oct 16, 2026 – Luke Reid (D) – Signed to AHL contract with Phantoms. Staying with Reading Royals
THUNDERSTRUCK – Springfield (2-1-1) made a strong run out of the cellar and all the way into the playoffs under new head coach Steve Ott who took over midseason. Then the T-Birds pulled off the biggest upset in Calder Cup Playoffs history as 41-point underdogs to the Kilpatrick Trophy Champion Providence Bruins. Young prospects Otto Stenberg and Aleksanteri Kaskimaki have Blues’ fans drooling. The two have already teamed up for a pair of short-handed goals. Rookie goaltender Will Cranley (1-0-1, 0.48, .982) has been outstanding with one goal allowed in 125 minutes to lead the league. Georgii Romanov has fared decently as well including 43 saves in an opening night 3-2 overtime win at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
35-year-old veteran captain Chris Wagner helped lead the comeback charge for the Birds last year and has played 498 career AHL games and also 401 NHL games mostly with Boston, Anaheim and Colorado. T.J. Tynan won back-to-back MVP honors in the AHL with Ontario and Colorado in 2021 and 2022 and is one of only two players to lead the league in assists four times. His 696 career points rated 28th in AHL history and his 582 assists ranks seventh all-time (trailing former Phantoms captain Cal O’Reilly who is sixth at 606 career assists).
Head coach Ott took over midseason last year after serving as an assistant coach with St. Louis for nine years. Ott’s long NHL career, mostly with Dallas, Buffalo and St. Louis, including 109 goals in 848 career games as well as 1,555 penalty minutes.
SCORING LEADERS
Lehigh Valley
Jacob Gaucher 3-2-5
Alex Bump 3-1-4
x – Jack Studnicka 1-2-3
Jett Luchanko 0-3-3
x – Oliver Bonk 0-2-2
Spencer Gill 0-2-2
Cole Knuble 0-2-2
Springfield
41 Aleksentari Kaskimaki 2-3-5
17 T.J. Tynan 1-3-4
8 Justin Carbonneau 2-1-3
28 Otto Stenberg 1-2-3
9 Michael Buchinger 1-0-1
SPECIAL TEAMS
LV PP 2-13, 15.4% (18th) / 3-16, 81.3% (19th)
SPR PP 1-14, 7.1% (28th) / 1-19, 94.7% (4th)
SEASON SERIES
Springfield Thunderbirds: (0-0-0)
10/16/26 Away
10/17/26 Away
1/23/27 Away
2/5/27 Home
3/20/27 Home
3/21/27 Home
ON THE AIR – Catch the Phantoms, home and away, on the Phantoms 365 app and on Real Oldies 1470-AM, WSAN and also on FloHockey.TV.
Also available via the Listen Live link at the Phantoms website and on your Smart Speaker system at “Play Phantoms Radio 24-7.”
Bob Rotruck has the play-by-play action all season long.
Service Electric Network is the exclusive home of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, providing extensive coverage of all home games. Steve Degler and Steven Swavely call the action from the booth, while Kristi Fulkerson and Dan Fremuth host pregame, intermissions, and postgame coverage, beginning with “Front and Center” live from Chickie’s and Pete’s at PPL Center.
NEXT UP –
The Phantoms and Thunderbirds rematch on Saturday at 6:05 p.m. in Lehigh Valley’s final game of the three-game road trip.
The Phantoms will be back at PPL Center on Saturday, October 24 against the Syracuse Crunch and Sunday, October 25 against the Belleville Senators on PhanCon also featuring a Postgame Skate with the players presented by NJM Insurance.
Springfield Thunderbirds
Springfield Thunderbirds
Rochester Americans
