Magic Number at 4 Points
April 2, 2025
Bridgeport, CT – For a second consecutive game, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms took early control and never looked back. Anthony Richard (16th) and Alexis Gendron (19th) scored in the first period of the unusual morning game at the Bridgeport Islanders en route to a 4-1 win on Wednesday.
Parker Gahagen (11-3-2) had another solid performance with 25 saves while J.R. Avon (7th) and Ethan Samson (11th) completed the scoring. Adam Ginning contributed a pair of assists for a second consecutive game.
The victory for Lehigh Valley (33-26-7) moves the team’s Magic Number down to just four points in its efforts to clinch a third consecutive berth in the Calder Cup Playoffs. With six games to go in the regular season, the Phantoms jumped ahead of Springfield for fifth place in the division but the Thunderbirds have a game scheduled for later on Wednesday as the two teams seemingly jockey for the 5 and 6 seeds.
While the School Field Trip Day game with the morning start certainly felt unusual, the game counted the same in the standings and the Phantoms quickly showed they were dialed in and ready to take on the Islanders as well as the thousands of screaming school kids supporting the home team.
At 10:35 a.m., Richard was up and at ’em and ready to give the Phantoms a truly “early lead.” He scooped up a lead from Ginning at center and zoomed past the Islanders’ defense creating his own breakaway to bury his 16th of the season past Hunter Miska at just 2:43 into the contest.
Gendron boosted the lead with 4:13 left in the third period on a nifty goal through traffic from inside the right dot. With barely any room to shoot, the 21-year-old rookie was still to flick the puck on net from between his skates and through a Bridgeport defenseman to convert to the upper-left corner past Miska for a 2-0 lead. Jett Luchanko and Garrett Wilson worked the puck to Gendron for the goal. It was Luchanko’s second pro point in three games since the 18-year-old first-rounder joined the Phantoms last week.
Gahagen made another show-stopper in the first period to preserve the margin when he pulled the splits on a Liam Foudy breakaway and dangle. Somehow, Gahagen was able to recover with his left pad to deny Foudy’s effort to curl it around the Phantoms’ netminder.
Since December 28, Gahagen has been one of the best goaltenders in the AHL going 10-2-1, 1.91, .930. In his last two games since his return to the Phantoms from Reading, Gahagen has gone 2-0-0, 1.00, .961 with 49 saves on 51 shots.
The Phantoms boosted their lead with an early second-period strike by Avon cutting to the net-front to receive a perfect pass on the tape from Rhett Gardner on the left boards. Adam Ginning held the puck at the point to begin the sequence for his second assist of the game.
Samson showed some impressive skills and smooth moves as he weaved through the Bridgeport defense before moving to his right to launch a top-shelf blast past the right shoulder of Miska to make it 4-1 still before noon and just past the midway mark of the contest.
Calle Odelius got the Islanders on the board with his first career goal as the 20-year-old rookie converted on a power-play drive from center point.
Gahagen held off the Islanders the rest of the way and through the third period to preserve the win and bring the Phantoms almost on the precipice of the official playoff clinch. With a Magic Number down to just four points, the earlier the Phantoms can clinch is Saturday at home against Springfield.
The Phantoms return to PPL Center this weekend taking on the Hershey Bears on Friday and the Springfield Thunderbirds on Saturday including Hispani Heritage Night with the return of “Los Fantasmas” on Saturday.
SCORING SUMMARY
1st 2:43 – LV, A. Richard (16) (A. Ginning) (1-0)
1st 15:47 – LV, A. Gendron (19) (G. Wilson, J. Luchanko) (2-0)
2nd 6:32 – LV, J. Avon (7) (R. Gardner, A. Ginning) (3-0)
2nd 10:11 – LV, E. Samson (11) (X. Bernard) (4-0)
2nd 17:51 – BRI, C. Odelius (1) (A. Jeffries, M. Maggio) (PP) (4-1)
Shots:
LV 29 – BRI 26
PP:
LV 0/2, BRI 1/5
Goaltenders:
LV – P. Gahagen (W) (11-3-2) (25/26)
BRI – H. Miska (L) (2-7-0) (25/29)
Records:
Lehigh Valley (33-26-7)
Bridgeport (15-44-7)
UPCOMING
Friday, April 4 (7:05 pm) – Phantoms vs. Hershey Bears. Berks $1 Hot Dogs
Saturday, April 5 (7:05 pm) – Phantoms vs. Springfield Thunderbirds. Los Fantasmas!
Friday, April 11 (7:00 pm) – Phantoms at Syracuse Crunch
Saturday, April 12 (7:05 pm) – Hershey Bears at Phantoms. Star Wars Night!
Friday, April 18 (7:05 pm) – Cleveland Monsters at Phantoms. Regular Season Home Finale
Saturday, April 19 (7:00 pm) – Lehigh Valley Phantoms at Hershey Bears. End of Regular Season
