Streaking Phantoms Speed Into December
November 28, 2023
Lehigh Valley, PA – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (9-6-3) raced out of November with a six-game point streak as the team zoomed up to third place in the Atlantic Division standings. Next up is a three-game weekend sojourn to New England beginning with a pair of games at the second-place Hartford Wolf Pack on Friday and Saturday followed by a Sunday matinee at the Providence Bruins.
WEEKLY RECAP
Friday, November 24, 2023
Bruins 2 – Phantoms 1 (OT)
The Phantoms largely outplayed visiting Providence but Bruins’ goaltender Brandon Bussi was outstanding in a 41-save performance and the visitors came away with a power-play goal in overtime to snag the extra standings point. If Lehigh Valley was frustrated by their bad luck trying to break through against Bussi, they didn’t show it. Olle Lycksell finally made it happen with 5:48 remaining on the team’s 33rd shot of the game with his team-leading 12th goal of the season. But Bruins first-rounder Fabian Lysell scored the winner in overtime for Providence.
Saturday, November 25, 2023
Phantoms 5 – Americans 4
This wild contest might have been the most entertaining game of the year. Alexis Gendron and Tanner Laczynski each scored a pair of goals while Samu Tuomaala had one goal and two assists as the Phantoms rallied from behind to defeat visiting Rocheter 5-4 in a topsy-turvey and see-saw game. AHL veteran goalie Dustin Tokarski kept his team alive for as long as he could with several incredible and acrobatic stops to limit the Phantoms. Lehigh Valley out-shot Rochester 49-15 to establish a new season-high for shots as well as a new season standard for shots against. But despite controlling the play for long stretches, this one would go down to the wire.
POWER UP!
Lehigh Valley’s power play is crushing! The team’s six-game point streak coincides with a six-game streak of scoring at least one power play goal. The Phantoms have gone 9-for-18 on the power play during that stretch including a 3-for-5 performance on Saturday against Rochester. The Phantoms’ power play on the season is clicking at 25.8% (17/66) which is good for second-best in the AHL and is also tops in the conference.
Lehigh Valley’s 17 power-play goals is good for most in the AHL (tied with Hartford) and Olle Lycksell is tied for the league-lead at six power-play markers (with Adam Gaudette of Springfield).
Tanner Laczynski (3-5-8), Cooper Marody (2-7-9) and Samu Tuomaala (2-5-7) also have multiple power-play goals.
STREAKING
The Phantoms have gone 5-0-1 in their last six games, representing the longest point streak since the team-record nine-game point streak in the 2021-22 season. Lehigh Valley compiled a 7-0-2 record from December 11, 2021 through January 14, 2022 during Ian Laperriere’s first season as head coach.
TRANSACTIONS
Defenseman Mason Millman has been reassigned to Lehigh Valley from the Reading Royals.
Goaltender Parker Gahagen has been loaned to the Reading Royals by Lehigh Valley.
SUSPENDED
Garrett Wilson has been suspended for one game by the American Hockey League as the result of a roughing incident during the Saturday game against Rochester. The Phantoms captain will be required to miss the team’s upcoming Friday game at Hartford.
PHANTASTIC!
- Olle Lycksell (12-6-18) is tied for second in the AHL with 12 goals and is tied for first in power-play goals at 6 (with Adam Gaudette of Springfield). Lycksell leads the AHL with 69 shots on goal. Lycksell is also on a six-game point streak (4-5-9)
- Samu Tuomaala (4-13-17) has racked up three points in a gamer three times this season including scoring one goal and two assists on Saturday vs. Rochester. The 20-year-old rookie is tied for the AHL for most assists by a rookie with 13 (also Logan Stankoven of Texas) is tied for fourth in AHL Rookie Points.
- Tanner Laczynski is on a five-game point streak (5-4-9) with a pair of multi-goal games in the streak.
- The Phantoms are 8-0-1 when scoring three or more goals
- Lehigh Valley’s power play is second in the AHL at 25.8% (Texas is 26.2%) which is also good for first in the conference. The Phantoms have gone 9-for-18 in their current streak of six straight games with a power-play goal.
- The Phantoms are the highest-scoring team in the second period in the AHL with 24 goals (tied with Texas) and are second in total shots in the second period with 204 (Springfield has 207).
- The Phantoms are also the most penalized team in the AHL at 19.8 average PIM per game which includes a league-leading 106 minor penalties. 88 times on the penalty kill this season is also most in he AHL.
UPCOMING
Friday, December 1, 2023 (7:00 p.m.)
Saturday, December 2, 2023 (7:00 p.m.)
XL Center, Hartford, CT
Phantoms at Hartford Wolf Pack
Hartford (12-4-2) is on a four-game win streak to take a sold hold of second place in the Atlantic Division with a five-point lead over third-place Lehigh Valley. The New York Rangers affiliate beat Belleville in overtime on Saturday 4-3 following a 4-2 win at Springfield on Friday. The Wolf Pack are 2-0-1 against the Phantoms this season but Lehigh Valley knocked them off in their last meeting on November 3 via Samu Tuomaala’s overtime winner. Veteran captain Jonny Brodzinski (11-14-25) leads the AHL in scoring but was recalled to the Rangers on Tuesday. First-rounder Brennan Othmann (5-8-13) has shaken out of a slump with three goals in the last three games after not scoring any since his two-goal performance on Opening Night. 34-year-old Riley Nash (7-10-17) has 627 games of NHL experience and also had a two-goal game against the Phantoms on October 29. Louis Domingue (6-1-0, 1.72, .937) is now third in the AHL in goals-against average while prospect Dylan Garand (6-2-2, 2.80, .906) has been solid as well.
Hartford’s defense allows just 2.4 goals per game which is second-best in the AHL behind only Hershey.
Sunday, December 3, 2023 (3:05 p.m.)
Amica Mutual Pavilion, Providence, RI
Phantoms at Providence Bruins
Providence (8-8-3) shook off a four-game losing streak with a difficult 2-1 overtime win at the Phantoms on Friday and then followed that up with a 2-1 win at Bridgeport. The seventh-place Bruins are led by rookie John Farinacci (6-9-15) out of Harvard and first-rounder Fabian Lysell (6-8-14) who scored the overtime winner against the Phantoms last Friday. Brandon Bussi (5-4-2, 2.63, .918) was sensational in net against Lehigh Valley on Friday with 41 saves. The lefty-style netminder is finding his form again following a terrific All-Rookie Team season in which he went 22-5-4, 2.40, .924. The P-Bruins won the Atlantic Division last year going 44-18-10 but were bounced by Hartford 3 games to 1 in their second-round playoff series.
Phantoms Scoring Leaders
Olle Lycksell 12-6-18
Tanner Laczynski 6-11-17
Samu Tuomaala 4-13-17
Cooper Marody 5-10-15
Garrett Wilson 4-7-11
Phantoms Tickets are available HERE
UPCOMING
Friday, December 1 (7:00 p.m.) – Lehigh Valley Phantoms at Hartford Wolf Pack
Saturday, December 2 (7:00 p.m.) – Lehigh Valley Phantoms at Hartford Wolf Pack
Sunday, December 3 (3:05 p.m.) – Lehigh Valley Phantoms at Providence Bruins
Friday, December 8 (7:05 p.m.) – Providence Bruins at Lehigh Valley Phantoms
Saturday, December 9 (7:05 p.m.) – Charlotte Checkers at Lehigh Valley Phantoms – Teddy Bear Toss presented by Big Woody’s!
