Last Haunted on Hamilton Game
October 25, 2023
Lehigh Valley, PA – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (3-2-0) won two out of three games last weekend with Olle Lycksell’s five-goal surge leading the way. The Phantoms next travel to Hershey on Saturday for their first tussle against the rival Bears and then return to PPL Center for a Sunday game at 5:05 against the first-place Hartford Wolf Pack in our last “Haunted on Hamilton” game. The spooky fun will include trick-or-treating and pumpkin painting on the concourse for the kids. Fans can bring their skates to participate in a postgame skate with the Phantoms players.
WEEKLY RECAP
Friday, October 20, 2023
Phantoms 5 – Thunderbirds 2
Olle Lycksell recorded his first career hat trick, and the 18th all-time in Lehigh Valley history, for the Phantoms to rally for a 5-2 win at Springfield to open the weekend. Garrett Wilson and Alexis Gendron also scored goals which included Lycksell and Gendron scoring just 10 seconds apart. Elliot Desnoyers, Tanner Laczynski and Samu Tuomaala all contributed two assists apiece.
Saturday, October 21, 2023
Wolf Pack 5 – Phantoms 1
Lehigh Valley didn’t have enough comeback juice left in the tank for this one as Hartford pulled away late with three goals in the third period in a 5-1 decision. Lycksell scored for the Phantoms on the power play to pull Lehigh Valley to within a goal late in the second period. But several strong chances in the third were denied by Dylan Garand in the Wolf Pack cage before Hartford eventually put it away.
Sunday, October 22, 2023
Phantoms 3 – Thunderbirds 2
Yet another goal for Olle Lycksell, this time on PPL Center ice, helped the Phantoms to a second victory against Springfield to put the finishing touches on a strong 2-for-3 weekend. Elliot Desnoyers and Ronnie Attard also struck for Lehigh Valley with each notching his first goal of the season. Leading scorer Tanner Laczynski (1-6-7) increased his point-streak to four with an assist. Parker Gahagen improved to 2-0-0 with Lehigh Valley in his first AHL wins since the 2020-21 season.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Olle Lycksell’s big weekend also brought home AHL Howie’s Hockey Tape/Player of the Week honors as announced on Monday. Lycksell scored five goals on the weekend including three on Friday and one each on Saturday and Sunday. Lycksell is now tied with three other players for the league lead with five goals. And his three power-play goals are also tied for the league lead with Ethen Frank of Hershey. Lycksell is also one of several players with two game-winning goals this season.
The second-year pro becomes the sixth Lehigh Valley player all-time to win AHL Player of the Week honors and is the 21st Phantoms player in franchise history to receive the award going back to the beginning of the Philadelphia Phantoms in 1996.
Lehigh Valley Phantoms to win AHL Player of the Week
Olle Lycksell – Oct 23, 2023
Cooper Marody – Mar 13, 2023
Max Willman – Feb 28, 2021
Colin McDonald – Jan 31, 2016
Nick Cousins – Mar 15, 2015
Scott Laughton – Oct 19, 2014 (Scored First Goal at PPL Center)
LEHIGH VALLEY HAT TRICKS
Olle Lycksell at Springfield Thunderbirds – Oct 20, 2023
Garrett Wilson vs. Hershey Bears – Mar 15, 2023
Cooper Marody vs. Belleville Senators – Mar 11, 2023
Garrett Wilson vs. Hartford Wolf Pack – Feb 20, 2023
Brennan Saulnier vs. WBS Penguins – May 9, 2021
Tanner Laczynski at Binghamton Devils – Mar 26, 2021
Pascal Laberge at Rochester Americans – Mar 27, 2019
Phil Varone at Utica Comets – Feb 21, 2018
Danick Martel vs. Hershey Bears – Oct 7, 2017
Chris Conner at Hershey Bears – Apr 2, 2017
T.J. Brennan at Utica Comets – Feb 19, 2017
Danick Martel vs. Binghamton Senators – Jan 25, 2017
Adam Comrie at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins – Apr 8, 2016
Taylor Leier vs. Binghamton Senators – Feb 10, 2016
Danick Martel at Bridgeport Sound Tigers – Feb 5, 2017
Colin McDonald vs. Binghamton Senators – Jan 27, 2017
Nick Cousins at Toronto Marlies – Mar 11, 2015
Nick Cousins vs. Binghamton Senators – Jan 17, 2015
PHANTASTIC!
- Olle Lycksell recorded the 18th hat trick in Lehigh Valley history last Friday at Springfield. It was the first away hattie since Tanner Laczynski against the Binghamton Devils in Newark on March 26, 2021
- Lehigh Valley has a power-play goal in each of its five games this season
- Lehigh Valley leads the AHL with three shorthanded goals. All three came on October 16 vs. Belleville
- The Phantoms have 31 or more shots on goal in all five games this season
- The Phantoms are outscoring their opponents in the 2nd period 7-3. That is the largest second-period margin in the Eastern Conference and trails only the Calgary Wranglers (8-2) in the AHL.
- The Phantoms are also out-shooting their opponents in the 2nd period by a combined 71-46 which is the most second-period shots on goal for any AHL team
- Alexis Gendron became the second Lehigh Valley player to score a goal in each of his first two pro games joining Elliot Desnoyers who scored in three straight games to open the 2022-23 season
- Olle Lycksell (5-0-5) has a three-game goal streak
- Tanner Laczynski (1-6-7) has a four-game point streak and leads the team in scoring
- The Phantoms are 2-0-0 on Sundays
- Lycksell and Gendron scored 10 seconds apart at Springfield. The Lehigh Valley record was just six seconds apart by Mark Zengerle and Danick Martel scored just six seconds apart on Feb 8, 2017.
Lycksell and Gendron’s consecutive goals were the fastest for Lehigh Valley since Dec 1, 2018 when Taylor Leier and Chris Conner scored nine seconds apart at Belleville.
UPCOMING
Saturday, October 28, 2023 (7:00)
Giant Center, Hershey, PA
Phantoms at Hershey Bears
The Phantoms travel to Chocolatetown to renew acquaintances with the rival Bears on Saturday night. Hershey (4-1-0) has won four straight since an Opening Night shutout loss. Mike Sgarbossa (3-3-6) scored the overtime winner in a Sunday 3-2 triumph over Bridgeport. Ethen Frank (3-3-6) is picking up where he left following his sensational 30-goal rookie campaign. The Western Michigan product scored nine goals against the Phantoms last season including a hat trick the last time the two teams met in the 2022-23 season finale. Former Phantom Mike Vecchione (2-3-5) scored the Calder Cup-clinching goal in overtime of Game 7 against Coachella Valley last June. This is the first of four matchups between Lehigh Valley and Hershey over a two-week stretch from October 30 through November 12.
Hershey takes on the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Wednesday night.
Sunday, October 29, 2023 (7:05)
PPL Center, Allentown, PA
Phantoms vs. Hartford W0lf Pack
Hartford (4-0-0) picked up the 1,000th win in the history of the franchise on Saturday against Lehigh Valley.
The New York Rangers’ affiliate is the last remaining team with a perfect record in the AHL. Only the Calgary Wranglers (3-0-1) have stayed unbeaten in regulation. The Wolf Pack defense and goaltending is tops in the AHL allowing a stingy 1.00 goals per game on average. Hartford is also fifth in the league in offense at 4.00 goals scored per contest.
Goaltenders Louis Domingue (2-0-0, 0.96, .967) and Dylan Garand (2-0-0, 1.01, .965) are first and second in the AHL in save percentage among goaltenders with two or more games played.
30-year-0ld captain Jonny Brodzinski (4-2-6) paces the offense and had a goal on Saturday against Lehigh Valley.
This is the second of six matchups between the Atlantic Division foes who will rematch at PPL Center in Lehigh Valley’s next home game on Friday, November 3.
Phantoms Scoring Leaders
Tanner Laczynski 1-6-7
Olle Lycksell 5-0-5
Cooper Marody 2-3-5
Samu Tuomaala 1-3-4
Ronnie Attard 1-2-3
Elliot Desnoyers 1-2-3
Adam Ginning 1-2-3
Garrett Wilson 1-2-3
Phantoms Tickets are available HERE
UPCOMING –
Saturday, October 28 (7:00) – Lehigh Valley PHantoms at Hershey Bears
Sunday, October 29 (5:05) – Hartford Wolf Pack at Lehigh Valley Phantoms – Postgame Skate with Players
Wednesday, November 1 (7:00) – Lehigh Valley Phantoms at Hershey Bears
Friday, November 3 (7:05) – Hartford Wolf Pack at Lehigh Valley Phantoms – SWIFTIE Takeover Night!
Saturday, November 4 (7:05) – Lehigh Valley Phantoms at Springfield Thunderbirds
