Game Preview – Phantoms at Bears – Game #25

Lehigh Valley Phantoms (15-5-4) vs. Hershey Bears (19-6-2)
Sunday, May 2, 2021 at 3:05 p.m. – Giant Center, Hershey, PA

Today’s Game – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms travel to Giant Center to take on the Hershey Bears in a 3:05 p.m. contest. The Phantoms are 5-3-0 against Hershey this season but the Bears took the last meeting on March 24 in a 6-1 win at PPL Center. Hershey has won 8 of its last 9 to move into the top spot in the North Division. The Phantoms have points in four of their last five and also nine of their last 11 (7-2-2).

Last Time Out – The 10th try was the charm for the Binghamton Devils who finally beat the Phantoms in regulation this season 4-2. Mason Jobst scored a pair of goals to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead. And A.J. Greer added an empty-netter to seal the win making it a pair of recent Bridgeport Sound Tigers who victimized the Phantoms and ended Binghamton’s seven-game winless slide. Fabian Zetterlund chipped in three very impressive assists. Isaac Ratcliffe (2nd) and Max Willman (8th) scored the lone markers for the Phantoms who had their four-game point streak snapped.

Sandin Sizzles – 24-year-old forward Linus Sanin is finding his stride even more and scored three consecutive goals for the Phantoms including Monday night’s fifth and sixth goals in a 6-5 win at the Devils which was followed by the lone goal for Lehigh Valley in a 2-1 overtime loss at the Penguins. The Uppsala, Sweden product signed with the Flyers organization as a free agent last year and is in his first season of pro hockey in North America. Linus is the older brother of Rasmus Sandin of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Cal Reaches 500! – Veteran center Cal O’Reilly racked up three assists on Monday night at the Binghamton Devils to become just the 10th in AHL history to record 500 helpers. The 15th year pro has appeared in the AHL All-Star Classic five times and is a captain with his fourth different team (also Iowa, Utica, Rochester). O’Reilly’s 628 career points rates 35th all-time in AHL history. O’Reilly is on a four-game point streak with 6 assists in the stretch.

AHL All-Time Assists Leaders:
1. Willie Marshall (1952-72) 852
2. Fred Glover (1948-68) 814
3. Mik Nykoluk (1956-72) 686
4. Tim Tookey (1980-95) 621
5. Keith Aucoin (2001-14) 613
6. Art Stratton (1955-75) 555
7. Jody Gage (1979-96) 544
8. Peter White (1992-2005) 533
9. Bill Sweeney (1957-69) 510
10. Cal O’Reilly (2005-21) 500

Lightning Fast Laberge – Pascal Laberge scored just 10 seconds into the game on Monday at the Binghamton Devils marking the fastest goal in Lehigh Valley history and the second-fastest in franchise history. Petr Straka had the previous Lehigh Valley record when he scored 15 seconds into the game on December 14, 2014 when the Phantoms quickly and famously raced out to a 3-0 lead just 21 seconds later against the Binghamton Senators.
Tye McGinn has the franchise record with a goal just nine seconds into the game for the Adirondack Phantoms vs. Portland Pirates on March 24, 2013 in Glens Falls, NY.

Fastest goal to start a game in Phantoms franchise history:
:09 Tye McGinn – ADK vs. Portland Pirates, Mar. 24, 2013
:10 Pascal Laberge – LV at Binghamton Devils, Apr. 26, 2021
:13 Todd Fedoruk – PHI at WBS Penguins, Dec. 26, 2004
:13 Niko Dimitrakos – PHI at Norfolk Admirals, Nov 25, 2006
:15 Petr Straka – LV vs. Binghamton Senators, Dec 14, 2014

High Five! – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms racked up five goals in the first period on Monday night marking just the second time in Lehigh Valley history that the team has put up a quintet of markers in a single frame (also November 9, 2018 vs. Springfield). The franchise record in six goals which has happened twice. This was the 15th time for the Phantoms’ franchise to score five goals in a period and just the third time it has happened in the FIRST period of a game.
It is only the second time in the last ten years for the Phantoms franchise to score five goals in a period and just the fifth time in the last 19 years. It happened nine times in the first five years of the franchise for the Philadelphia Phantoms from 1996-2001.

Phantoms Franchise Most Goals in a Period:
6 – Philadelphia at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, 2nd, Jan 8 2000
6 – Adirondack vs. Albany Devils, 2nd, Apr 1, 2011

Lehigh Valley Record Most Goals in a Period:
5 – Lehigh Valley vs. Springfield Thunderbirds, 2nd, Nov 9, 2018
5 – Lehigh Valley at Binghamton Devils (Newark), 1st, Apr 26, 2021

Yowza York! – Flyers 2019 first-rounder Cam York had a big night in just his fourth pro game on Monday at the Binghamton Devils with his first pro goal on a big slapshot from the top of the left circle. He followed that up with a pair of assists for a three-point game while also receiving the first penalty of his pro career as well. The Big Ten Defenseman of the Year with the University of Michigan and captain of the Gold Medal winning USA team at the World Juniors missed the Phantoms’ most recent game on Wednesday with an injury.

Zamula Gets the Call – Defenseman Egor Zamula has steadily improved through his rookie campaign. The 21-year-old Russian made his NHL debut with the Flyers on Tuesday night at the New Jersey Devils becoming the fourth Lehigh Valley Phantom to make his NHL debut this season and the 30th all-time to receive a recall from Lehigh Valley for an NHL debut with the Flyers. He returned to the Phantoms and played for Lehigh Valley on Saturday night against Binghamton.

Phantoms to Make NHL Debuts in 2021 Season:
Maksim Sushko Feb 18, 2021 (PHI vs. NYR)
Tanner Laczynski Apr 3, 2021 (PHI at NYI)
Wade Allison Apr 15, 2021 (PHI at PIT)
Egor Zamula Apr 27, 2021 (PHI at NJ)

Recent Transactions:
4/28/21 Andy Andreoff Recalled to Flyers (Taxi)
4/29/21 Derrick Pouliot Recalled to Flyers (Taxi)
4/29/21 Felix Sandstrom Recalled to Flyers (Taxi)
5/1/21 Wyatte Wylie Recalled to Flyers (Taxi)
5/1/21 Derrick Pouliot Loaned to Phantoms
5/1/21 Egor Zamula Loaned to Phantoms
The Series – The Phantoms are 5-3-0 against Hershey this season.
Sat Feb 6 @ HER W 2-1 (OT) Wyatte Wylie tying goal 47 seconds left 1-1. Ryan Fitzgerald OT goal
Sun Feb 14 @ HER W 5-4 Zayde Wisdom 2-1-3. David Kase OT Goal
Wed Mar 3 @ LV W 4-3 O’Reilly tying goal 7:30 left. Pouliot winning goal 5:59 left. 2 SHG for HER.
Sat Mar 6 @ HER L 1-4 Mueller lone goal breaks shutout with 1:00 left
Sun Mar 14 @ HER W 4-1 Allison and Foerster both First Pro Goal. McIntyre 32 saves
Wed Mar 24 @ LV L 2-6 LV Goals: Fitzgerald and Wisdom. HER Philippe Maillet 5 assists
Wed Mar 31 @ HER W 4-1 Foerster 2 goals
Wed Apr 21 @ LV L 1-6 First Game Back from Protocol Layoff

Upcoming –
Sunday, May 2, 3:00 – Phantoms at Bears
Wednesday, May 5, 7:05 – Bears at Phantoms (PPL Center)
Saturday, May 8, 4:00 – Phantoms at Hershey
Sunday, May 9, 3:05 – Penguins at Phantoms (PPL Center)

Paint The Ice! – Come down to PPL Center this Sunday, May 2 to “Paint the Ice!” Here is your chance to be down on the ice to paint a picture or message, as well as get a picture with our very own meLVin! Plus enjoy the Phantoms game at Hershey LIVE on the video-board.
Our sales staff will be on hand to discuss getting season tickets for next season as well. This event is free and open to the public from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Provident Bank Pennsylvania Cup
Bears 10-5-2 = .647
Phantoms 8-4-2 = .643
Penguins 5-6-4 = .467

Penn Cup Upcoming:
May 1: Bears 4 – Penguins 3 (OT)
May 2: Phantoms at Bears
May 5: Bears at Phantoms
May 8: Phantoms at Bears