PREVIEW: Phantoms at W-B/Scranton, Game 16
First of the Rivalry Series
TONIGHT – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (6-8-1) wrap up their busy weekend as they head up the northeast extension to open their rivalry series against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (7-5-3). Tonight’s 6:05 p.m. contest is the first of 12 btween the bitter rivals and is also the opener of a two-game home-and-home series including a rematch at PPL Center on Friday.
The Phantoms are 1-1-0 on the weekend including a 6-3 win vs. the Hamilton Hammers and a 3-1 loss on Saturday against the Charlotte Checkers.
The Penguins are undoubtedly motivated after the team was stunned on back-to-back nights blowing two-goal leads at Hershey and vs. Hamilton in a pair of heartbreaking overtime losses.
Fans can browse rosters and Media Materials for tonight’s game at www.phantomshockey.com/media/media-materials/
LAST TIME – Garrett Wilson (1st) opened the scoring for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, but the Charlotte Checkers responded with three unanswered goals in the second period to take a 3-1 decision on Saturday night at PPL Center on Hockey is for Everyone Night. Nate Smith (8th) and Donovan Sebrango (5th) scored back-to-back less than three minutes apart to begin the second period as the Checkers turned the tables on the Orange and Black. Sam Lafferty’s bar-down power-play snipe late in the second capped the Checkers’ three-goal outburst in the frame. Wilson provided a physical presence throughout the opening period, delivering several big hits and creating scoring opportunities for his teammates before the captain found the back of the net himself. Ty Murchison assisted on the first-period tally getting off a shot from the point that Wilson was able to deflect. Carson Bjarnason was especially outstanding early, stopping all 10 shots he faced in the opening frame, including a spectacular backdoor save with his right pad to rob Robert Mastrisimone on Charlotte’s first power play.
Lehigh Valley Record Book
Career Shutouts
Alex Lyon 6
Dustin Tokarski 5
Aleksei Kolosov 4
Lehigh Valley Record Book
Fewest Shots Allowed
15 – November 13, 2026 vs. Hamilton Kolosov Shutout)
15 – April 5, 2024 vs. Providence
15 – November 25, 2023 vs. Rochester
15 – February 11, 2023 vs. Bridgeport (Ersson Shutout)
15 – November 26, 2022 vs. Rochester
TRANSACTIONS –
Nov 13, 2026 – Del Own McLaughlin (F) – Loaned to Reading Royals (ECHL)
UPCOMING MILESTONES
Jacob Gaucher – 100 Points with Phantoms! (Nov 6, 2026 at Belleville)
Zack Aston-Reese – 199 Pro Points
Zayde Wisdom – 99 Pro Points
John Snowden – 99 Pro Coaching Wins
Lehigh Valley Records Book – Career Assists
1. Chris Conner 128
2. T.J. Brennan 112
3. Greg Carey 92
4. Cal O’Reilly 87
4. GARRETT WILSON 87
Lehigh Valley – Career Goals
1. Greg Carey 103
2. Chris Conner 71
3. Danick Martel 68
4. Garrett Wilson 63
THOMPSON STRIKES – Riley Thompson earned it. The big, rookie center out of Ohio State has shown consistently improved play and was rewarded in Friday’s game with his first career pro goal deflecting a Hunter McDonald shot. The 6’4″ pivot out of Ohio State signed as a free agent with the Flyers late last season and played in nine games with the Phantoms to conclude the season. In his 22nd career pro game, Thompson landed his big moment and puck memento when his tip from the left circle made it 3-0 in a win over the Hamilton Hammers. The former alternate captain with the Buckeyes racked up 13 goals and 14 assists last year to earn the attention of the Flyers who signed the 24-year-old native of Orleans, ONT on March 26, 2026
PERROTT DEBUTS – It’s been a long road back for defenseman Andrew Perrott who missed the first six weeks of the 2026-27 campaign due to an upper-body injury sustained in a preseason game. The fifth-year pro made his Phantoms debut on Friday and received an assist in his first game on a right-point shot off Hamilton goaltender Josh Kotai that was buried by Zach Aston-Reese. Perrott has played the majority of his career with the Rockford IceHogs but also played 19 games with the Hershey Bears two seasons ago. Known for his toughness, Perrott racked up a career-high 117 penalty minutes with Rockford last season and has 416 career penalty minutes in 208 games played in the AHL and ECHL combined. The native of Columbia Station, Ohio near Cleveland is a bit of a chip of the old block. His Dad, Nathan Perrott, had 985 penalty minutes in 266 games played in the AHL mostly with the St. John’s Maple Leafs and Milwaukee Admirals. Nathan Perrott had 251 penalty minutes in the NHL in 89 games. with Dallas, Toronto and Nashville.
RIVALRY RENEWED – Kirk McDonald’s contingent had been getting it going after a two-game weekend sweep at Charlotte last weekend but the Penguins lost 4-0 at Utica on Tuesday and then back-to-back overtime heartbreaks this weekend against Hershey and Hamilton. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (7-5-3) had won three straight before the current three-game winless streak. Last year, the Penguins went 46-17-7 for 101 points while advancing to the Eastern Conference finals before falling to Toronto. They also won 10 out of 12 against the Phantoms and never lost in regulation.
The Penguins have an influx of young talent helping boost the team’s offense to third-best in the AHL at 3.5 goals per game.
Winnipeg first-rounder Rutger McGroaty (6-6-12) has been recalled again by Pittsburgh. University of North Dakota standout Jake Livanavage (3-8-11) is having a strong rookie season and scored the overtime winner at Charlotte in the Penguins’ come-from-behind rally. First-rounder Bill Zonnon (6-2-8) immediately impressed when he joined Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s playoff run last year arriving from Blainville-Boisbriand where he was teammates with Lehigh Valley’s Spencer Gill. First-rounder Owen Pickering (2-2-4) is in his third pro season on the blueline while second-rounder from South Africa, Harrison Brunicke (2-3-5), is another 20-year-old just getting started in his pro career. Tristan Broz (3-5-8) is in his third pro season and scored 19 goals and 16 goals in his first two seasons, including 12 total goals against the Phantoms in the regular season and postseason. Taylor Gauthier (5-1-1, 2.41, .930) has been sensational in net while former AHL All-Star Joel Blomqvist (2-4-2, 3.00, .885) is seeking better consistency.
SCORING LEADERS
Lehigh Valley
20 Alex Bump 9-1-10
56 Jacob Gaucher 5-5-10
23 Jack Studnicka 3-5-8
42 Spencer Gill 1-6-7
44 Cam Dineen 2-4-6
77 Jett Luchanko 1-5-6
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
85 Avery Hayes 8-5-13
24 Hugh McGing 3-10-13
x 2 Rutger McGroarty 6-6-12
84 Atley Calvert 3-8-11
4 Jake Livanavage 3-8-11
SPECIAL TEAMS
LV PP 16.3% (24th) / 80.0% (23rd0
WBS PP 20.8% (7th) / 78.7% (24th)
SEASON SERIES
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins:
11/15/26 Away 6:05
11/20/26 Home 7:05
11/29/26 Away 3:05
12/13/26 Away 5:05
1/1/27 Away 7:05
1/27/27 Home 7:05
2/6/27 Home 7:05
2/17/27 Home 7:05
3/6/27 Away 6:05
3/24/27 Home 7:05
4/3/27 Away 6:05
4/4/27 Home 3:05
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 –
Sunday at 6:05 is a trek up the northeast extension to face the rival Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for the first time this year.
Friday, November 20 through Saturday, November 28 is an action-packed stretch at PPL Center with four big home games against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Hershey Bears and Providence Bruins.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
