Streaking Into Charlotte
February 13, 2023
Lehigh Valley, PA – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms carry a three-game win streak and also an eight-game road point streak into their midweek series with the third-place Charlotte Checkers this Tuesday and Wednesday. Lehigh Valley (24-17-5) is just three points back of Charlotte in the Atlantic Division entering the important two-game set. The Phantoms return home this weekend with Saturday and Sunday contests against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Hartford Wolf Pack.
Saturday night at PPL Center is United Way Housing Heroes Night presented by PPL also featuring our Sock Donation Drive. Saturday is also another Whiteout Night at PPL Center including the team’s snazzy, new Whiteout uniforms.
Sunday at 5:05 it is meLVin’s Big Birthday Bash with all his mascot friends plus a Postgame Skate with the Phantoms players.
WEEKLY RECAP
Friday, February 10, 2023
Phantoms 5 – Wolf Pack 2
Max Willman recorded his third career multi-goal game and his first in two years as the Phantoms pushed past Hartford 5-2 at XL Center. Zayde Wisdom added his second off the season and Bobby Brink tacked on two more assists. Elliot Desnoyers thwarted Hartford’s late comeback efforts with his 15th goal of the season on a power-play strike with under four minutes to go and Olle Lycksell sealed the win with an empty-netter. Sam Ersson was outstanding between the pipes with 33 saves.
Saturday, February 11, 2023
Phantoms 3 – Islanders 0
Sam Ersson recorded his first career AHL shutout ut only needed 15 saves to do it in a Saturday night win over Bridgeport at PPL Center. Elliot Desnoyers scored a pair of goals to move into a tie for the team lead with Tyson Foerster at 17 apiece and Artem Anisimov knocked in his 13th on a strong helper from Bobby Brink.
Bridgeport had 10 shots on goal in the first period but didn’t have much more the rest of the way with only two shots in the second and three in the third.
ROAD WARRIORS
The Phantoms are 7-0-1 on the road in 2023 beginning with a January 6 win at Rochester. The only blemish on the team’s away record in the calendar year was a shootout loss at Toronto on January 7. Since then, the Phantoms have won five straight away contests including their most recent wins last Friday at Hartford and also February 4 at Hershey with a pair of 5-2 triumphs. Lehigh Valley’s eight-game road point streak is the longest such active streak in the AHL. The Charlotte Checkers are the only other unbeaten team on the road in 2023 with a seven-game point streak.
The Phantoms have an overall road mark of 14-8-2 in the 2022-23 season.
POWER SURGE
The Phantoms have moved all the way up to second in the AHL on the power play at 24.7% after going 6-for-13 in the last five games 8-for-19 in the last seven. Only Toronto (26.8%) has a more successful power-play conversion rate. Tyson Foerster (6-7-13) and Olle Lycksell (4-8-12) pace the team’s power-play attack.
Amazingly, 11 players have scored two or more power-play goals for the Phantoms:
Foerster (6), Anisimov (5), Lycksell (4), Desnoyers (4), Attard (2), Brink (2), Brooks (2), Marody (2), O’Reilly (2), Wilson (2), York (2)
14 total players have scored at least one power-play goal for the Phantoms including Bellows, Cates and MacEwen who have one each.
DESTROYING A RECORD
Elliott “The Destroyer” Desnoyers is on pace to establish a new Lehigh Valley record for most goals by a rookie. He only needs three more to equal the record of 20 goals held by Danick Martel in 2015-16.
Kyle Greentree holds the Phantoms franchise record for goals by a rookie with 24.
LEHIGH VALLEY RECORD BOOK – GOALS BY ROOKIE
20 – Danick Martel (2015-16)
19 – Connor Bunnaman (2018-19)
17 – Elliot Desnoyers (2022-23)
TRANSACTIONS
The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled goaltender Sam Ersson and forward Kieffer Bellows from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
PHANTASTIC!
– Bobby Brink is on a five-game point streak scoring 2-6-8 February 1. His current streak is tied with Tyson Foerster and Kieffer Bellows for the longest on the Phantoms this season.
– The Phantoms are….
18-5-4 when scoring 3 or more goals
20-1-1 when allowing 2 goals or fewer
13-3-5 in one-goal games
13-1-5 when scoring the first goal
17-0-4 when leading after two periods
4-3 in overtime and 2-2 in shootouts
UPCOMING
Tuesday, February 14 and Wednesday, February 15
Bojangles’ Coliseum, Charlotte, NC
Phantoms at Charlotte Checkers
Charlotte (26-16-4) stands just three points directly ahead of the Phantoms entering this critical midweek showdown series. Former Phantoms netminder Alex Lyon (10-8-1, 2.57, .909) has returned to the Checkers following a successful NHL stretch with the Florida Panthers with three wins in six starts. 33-year-old NHL veteran of 627 games Riley Nash (16-21-37) paces the offense. Former Phantoms Gerry Mayhew (11-12-23) and Connor Bunnaman (10-4-14) have also come on strong. The Checkers just had their six-game win streak come to a halt in a 4-3 loss to Toronto on Saturday. Head coach Georgdie Kinner’s team has points in 9 of its last 11 games going 8-2-1 in the stretch.
The Phantoms are 3-1-0 against Charlotte including wins by scores of 2-1 and 6-1 the last time the two teams met in a pair of games at PPL Center December 9-10
Saturday, February 18, 2023 (7:05)
PPL Center, Allentown, PA
Phantoms vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (20-20-6) has dropped five straight to tumble into the cellar of the Atlantic Division with the Bridgeport Islanders. The Baby Pens began the season with a stellar 6-1-1 mark but have struggled since then partly due to injuries and recalls. The Phantoms are 3-2-1 against their Northeast Pennsylvania rivals entering Game 7 out of 12 in the season series. Former Buffalo first-rounder Alex Nylander (19-20-39) leads the offense and seventh-rounder Valtteri Puustinen (18-18-36) always seems to do well against Lehigh Valley including three goals vs. the Phantoms this season and five last year. Goaltender Dustin Tokarski remains up with Pittsburgh leaving netminding duties to Filip Lindberg and Taylor Gauthier. Tyson Foerster has scored five of his 17 goals against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Sunday, February 19, 2023 (5:05)
PPL Center, Allentown, PA
Phantoms vs. Hartford Wolf Pack
It’s the first Allentown visitation for the AHL affiliate of the New York Rangers when Hartford (19-19-9) arrives for a Sunday evening clash. The Wolf Pack are barely hanging on to the last postseason spot in the Atlantic with just a one-point margin ahead of Bridgeport and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The Phantoms took a 5-2 win in Hartford last Friday on a pair of goals by Max Willman. Turner Elson (11-15-26) arrived from Grand Rapids to lead the Pack offense. 2020 second-rounder Will Cuylle (15-7-22) scored a highlight-reel caliber goal against the Phantoms in December and is having a strong rookie campaign after he was teammates with Tyson Foerster and Elliot Desnoyers on the Canadian World Juniors Gold Medal team in August. Southpaw-style veteran netminder Louie Domingue receives the bulk of the starts (11-9-6, 2.53, .907).
Phantoms Scoring Leaders
x Olle Lycksell 9-25-34
Tyson Foerster 17-15-32
Elliot Desnoyers 17-12-29
Artem Anisimov 13-9-22
Jackson Cates 10-10-20
Ronnie Attard 7-12-19
Phantoms Tickets are available HERE
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Tuesday, February 14 (7:00) at Charlotte Checkers
Wednesday, February 15 (7:00) at Charlotte Checkers
Saturday, February 18 (7:05) vs. WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON PENGUINS
Sunday, February 19 (5:05) vs. HARTFORD WOLF PACK
UPCOMING PROMOTIONS
Saturday, February 18 (7:05) vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins – United Way Housing Heroes presented by PPL with sock donation drive
Sunday, February 19 (5:05) vs. Hartford Wolf Pack – meLVin’s Birthday with his Mascot Friends! Postgame Skate with the Phantoms Players
Saturday, March 4 (7:05) vs. Toronto Marlies – Slap Shot Night with Dave Hanson!
Broadcast coverage of all Phantoms games, home and away, is available on the Phantoms 365 app and on Real Oldies 1470-AM in Allentown. Fans can watch on AHLTV.com and can listen on their Smart Speakers at: “Play Phantoms Radio 24/7.” Join the Voice of the Phantoms, Bob Rotruck, for all the action!
Service Electric Network again provides exclusive television coverage of all Phantoms home games with veteran announcer Steve Degler and Phantoms’ alum Steven Swavely on the call from the booth. Kristi Fulkerson reports from ice level and also from the Chickie’s and Pete’s studio with Dan Fremuth for pregame, intermission and postgame show analysis.
