Celebrating 10 Years in the Valley
January 30, 2024
Allentown, PA – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (17-16-7) continue their longest homestand of the season with three games this week right in the middle of a stretch of six straight at PPL Center.
The Hershey Bears come to town for a pair of rivalry matchups on Wednesday and Friday followed by a Saturday tilt against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
This weekend the team will celebrate its 10th season in the Valley.
Wednesday is pregame $2 beer specials.
Friday is Phantoms Premier Member Appreciation Night and Berks $1 Hot Dogs.
Saturday includes an Alumni Reunion with the return of popular players like Colin McDonald, Sam Morin and more!
WEEKLY RECAP
Friday, January 26, 2024
Penguins 4 – Phantoms 3
The Phantoms roared back from a 3-0 deficit to ignite the crowd at PPL Center. Garrett Wilson (7th), Bobby Brink (1st) and Adam Brooks (2nd) all lit the lamp for Lehigh Valley and it appeared the Phantoms were on the verge of the tremendous comeback. But Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s Sam Poulin built on his Gordie Howe Hat Trick with his second goal of the game to break the 3-3 tie with just 1:31 left as the visiting Penguins survived. Lehigh Valley outshot the Pens 40-25 in the game as well as 17-4 in the third period. Brink excelled in his first game back with the Phantoms scoring a goal on a rifle shot to the upper-left corner and almost scoring an additional goal on two or three occasions.
Saturday, January 27, 2024
Marlies 4 – Phantoms 3 (SO)
The resilient Phantoms showed their Comeback Mojo again as they overcame a 3-1 deficit in the third period to equalize. But the visiting Toronto Marlies eventually prevailed in the third round of the shootout as Lehigh Valley secured one standings point in the game but was unable to snag the second point. Bobby Brink (2nd, 3rd) kept up his solid efforts in his return to the team with a pair of goals and Wade Allison (8th) blasted home the equalizer from the left circle in transition on the power play. It was Allison’s first game back after missing five straight due to injury.. Lehigh Valley got a 5-on-3 chance early in the third period while trailing 3-1 and took full advantage of the opportunity with Brink and Allison scoring back-to-back power-play markers.
KILE JOINS
Forward Alex Kile has joined the Lehigh Valley Phantoms for the first time since the preseason. The 29-year-old forward from the University of Michigan is leading the ECHL with 23 goals and is second in points with 48 in just 39 games. Kile has played in 46 career games with the Phantoms over the last two seasons scoring 6-5-11. One of his most recent games with the Phantoms was February 18, 2023 when he earned first Star of the Game honors with two go-ahead goals in the third period in a see-saw 4-3 victory over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
BOBBY’S BACK!
Bobby Brink certainly is making the most of his opportunity with the Phantoms to log big minutes. Brink racked up three goals on nine total shots in his first two games last week. Playing on a line with fellow young prospect Samu Tuomaala and experienced center Rhett Gardner, the 22-year-old out of the University of Denver was developing chances all around the offensive zone.
Brink has scored seven goals with 11 assists for 18 points in 38 games played with Philadelphia before coming back to the Phantoms. Last year with Lehigh Valley, Brink joined the team in January following his recovery from hip surgery and played in 41 games scoring 12-16-28.
PHANTASTIC!
- Samu Tuomaala (12-22-34) rates second among AHL rookies in points and third in assists.
- Tuomaala is on a four-game point streak (1-4-5) and also has points in six of the last seven games (2-5-7)
- The Phantoms went 4-for-7 on the power play last weekend to move up to sixth in the league at 21.8%. The power play is even stronger at home at 22.6%
- The Phantoms are tied for second in the league with 12 overtime games trailing only Rochester who has played in 13 overtime contests. The Phantoms have gone to overtime in 4 out of 9 games played in January.
- The Phantoms record when:
– Score 4 or more goals: 12-0-2
– Allow 3 or fewer goals: 13-3-3
– Lead After 1st period: 7-1-2
– Lead After 2nd period: 11-1-1
– One-Goal Games: 11-3-7
– Overtime: 4-5 / Shootout: 1-2
UPCOMING
Wednesday, January 31, 2024 (7:05 p.m.)
PPL Center, Allentown, PA
Phantoms vs. Hershey Bears
Hershey (34-7-2) is rolling again on a five-game win streak and eight-game point streak (6-0-2). The Phantoms got the better of the Bears in their last encounter on January 13 via J.R. Avon’s winning goal in the fourth round of the shootout after Ronnie Attard tied the game with 10:28 remaining. But the first-place Bears have gone 5-1-1 overall against the Phantoms this season and Lehigh Valley is 2-3-2 against Hershey. Since November 15, the Bears have gone an incredible 25-3-2. Hershey is on pace to break the AHL record for most wins in a 72-game season (51 by Calgary Wranglers) and their .814 points percentage has the team ahead of the AHL record .775 season of the Binghamton Rangers in 1992-93.
Last Sunday against Toronto, Jimmy Huntington scored the tying goal with just 20 seconds remaining and then Joe Snively struck for the overtime winner with only 1.2 seconds left in the extra period for a dramatic 4-3 comeback win.
Friday, February 2, 2024 (7:05)
PPL Center, Allentown, PA
Phantoms vs. Hershey Bears
It’s like Groundhog’s Day..on Groundhog’s Day as the Phantoms and Hershey Bears repeat with another rivalry rematch at PPL Center.
Clay Stevenson (15-5-1, 1.67, .939) is the runaway favorite for Baz Bastien Memorial Award honors for the AHL’s top goaltender as the first-year AHL’er easily paces the circuit in GAA and save percentage along with his league-leading six shutouts. The Bears give up less than 2.1 goals per game and 26.5 shots per game to lead the AHL in both defensive categories. Veteran Mike Sgarbossa (7-34-41) leads the AHL in assists and also has the most points in the Eastern Conference. Pierrck Dube (22-7-29) leads active AHL players in goals scored following the recall of Springfield’s Adam Gaudette to St. Louis who has 24 goals. Ethen Frank (20-14-34) is going to his second straight AHL All-Star Classic coming up to join Stevenson and captain Dylan McIlrath.
Saturday, February 3, 2024 (7:05 p.m.)
PPL Center, Allentown, PA
Phantoms vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
The last game before the AHL All-Star Break includes the rival Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (23-15-5) coming to town for Round 3 of the 12-game season series. The Penguins have gone 7-3-2 in January to sprint up to third place in the Atlantic Division. 2019 first-rounder Sam Poulin (11-5-16) is coming off a Gordie-Plus-One against the Phantoms last Friday that included two goals, an assist and a fight in the same game. Former New Jersey Devils defenseman Ty Smith (6-22-28) leads the Pens in scoring. Goaltender Joel Blomqvist (13-6-3, 2.13, .922) will join fellow Finland rookie talent Samu Tuomaala at the AHL All-Star Classic and is second in AHL GAA only to Hershey’s Clay Stevenson. The Phantoms are 1-0-1 against the Penguins this season. The two teams will meet again next week in our first game back from the AHL All-Star Break on February 9.
Phantoms Scoring Leaders
Cooper Marody 9-26-35
Samu Tuomaala 12-22-34
x – Olle Lycksell 16-12-28
Tanner Laczynski 8-18-26
Emil Andrae 4-18-22
Phantoms Tickets are available HERE
UPCOMING
Wednesday, January 31 (7:05) – Hershey at Lehigh Valley
Friday, February 2 (7:05) – Hershey at Lehigh Valley – 10th Anniversary Celebration Weekend
Saturday, February 3 (7:05) – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at Lehigh Valley – 10th Anniversary Celebration Weekend – Alumni Reunion with Colin McDonald, Sam Morin and More!
Sunday, February 4 and Monday, February 5 – AHL All-Star Classic in San Jose, Cal. Samu Tuomaala will represent the Phantoms on the Atlantic Division All-Stars.
Friday, February 9 (7:05) – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at Lehigh Valley
