Phantoms Take Win Streak to New England
November 15, 2022
Lehigh Valley, PA – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms carry a three-game win streak to their upcoming stretch of four straight away games. Lehigh Valley (5-5-1) won back-to-back one-goal thrillers at PPL Center last weekend over Springfield and Laval. Coming up next is a big test with a pair of games at the first-place Providence Bruins.
WEEKLY RECAP
Friday, November 11, 2022
Phantoms 2 – Thunderbirds 1
Cooper Marody scored on his first-ever shift at PPL Center and later set up Louie Belpedio’s game-winning goal in a Veterans Day win at PPL Center over Springfield. Sam Ersson made 21 saves wile Max Willman and Zayde Wisdom had key blocked shots in the last seconds to help kill a 6-on-5.
We also received over 1,100 donated coats in our annual WFMZ-69 Phantoms Coat Drive. The coats will go to benefit the Victory House of the Lehigh Valley helping homeless veterans and also Salvation Army programs.
Saturday, November 12, 2022
Phantoms 3 – Rocket 2
Cam York scored the winner against the Laval Rocket for the second time in barely more than a week as the Phantoms won their third straight. Ronnie Attard and Elliot Desnoyers scored in the first two periods for a 2-0 lead but Laval rallied to even the score in the third. Just 90 seconds later came York’s blast with 11:22 remaining. York had scored in overtime at Laval the previous Saturday. Sam Ersson had 31 saves in the win. A sold-out crowd at PPL Center brought the 90’s Night style and excitement. Boy Scout Night also contributed to the big energy and fantastic atmosphere. Thank You, Fans!
TRANSACTIONS –
Nov 13 – Add Pat Nagle (G) – Recalled by Lehigh Valley from Reading (ECHL)
Nov 13 – Delete Nolan Maier (G) – Loaned to Reading (ECHL)
Nov 14 – Delete Max Willman (F) – Recalled to Philadelphia (NHL)
Nov 14 – Add Tanner Laczynski (F) – Loaned from Philadelphia
Nov 15 – Add Artem Anisimov (C) – Signed to PTO
ARTEM ARRIVES – NHL veteran Artem Anisimov has joined the Phantoms on a PTO (professional tryout). The 34-year-old center signed with the Philadelphia Flyers in the preseason on a PTO but was injured on a blocked shot on September 24. Anisimov has played in 771 career NHL games with the New York Rangers, Columbus, Chicago and Ottawa scoring 180 goals with 196 assists for 376 points. The left-handed shooter has four seasons in the NHL scoring 20 or more goals. He has not played in the AHL since 2008-09 with the Hartford Wolf Pack when he ranked fourth in the AHL with 37 goals and fifth in points with 81.
EVERYDAY ERSSON – Sam Ersson has thrived as the team’s everyday goalie and carries a three-game win streak into the upcoming road-trip. The Flyers’ fifth-round selection in 2018 has allowed five goals on 92 shots in the last three games to post a 1.64 GAA and .946 save percentage. Ersson was limited to just five games last season due to injury but has come in to his second season in North America re-energized while benefitting from his regular schedule between the pipes.
COOPER’S CHANCE – Cooper Marody scored in his first-ever shift at PPL Center and then added an assist on the game-winning goal in the third period on Friday. He contributed an additional assist on Saturday to complete a three-point weekend. The Phantoms newcomer isn’t entirely new to the Philadelphia Flyers organization. Marody was drafted by Philadelphia in 2015 in the sixth round and had been to Voorhees to participate in Flyers Development Camps in the summers that followed. But his rights were traded to Edmonton on March 21, 2018 while he was still playing at the University of Michigan. After four strong seasons with Bakersfield, including back-to-back 21-goal campaigns, Marody has returned to the organization that had originally drafted him. Cooper had an injury in the preseason and had only played in Lehigh Valley’s season opener on October 15 before his tremendous Allentown debut.
UPCOMING
Friday, November 18 and Saturday, November 19
Amica Mutual Pavilion, Providence, RI
Phantoms at Providence Bruins
The Phantoms play a pair of games at the first-place Providence Bruins (10-1-2) who are the top team in the AHL. Providence is on a five-game winning streak and an eight-game point streak (7-0-1) and boasts the second-best defense in the league averaging just 2.23 goals-allowed per game with goaltending tandem Brandon Bussi and Kyle Keyser both holding down sub-two goals-against averages. Three young prospects rate among the league’s top 10 in Rookie Scoring with first-rounder Fabian Lysell (4-7-11) and undrafted talents Georgii Merkulov (4-8-12) and Luke Toporowski (5-5-10) all off to strong starts.
Sunday, November 20 at 3:05 p.m.
MassMutual Center, Springfield, MA
Phantoms at Springfield Thunderbirds
Lehigh Valley beat Springfield 3-2 on Veterans Day at PPL Center. The defending Eastern Conference champions ended a three-game winless slide with a 3-2 win at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Saturday. Springfield (6-5-2) is in action Wednesday morning against Syracuse. Former NHL’er with Vancouver and Chicago, Matthew Highmore, leads the team with 13 points including 10 assists. Hard-shooting Martin Frk has 11 points. Former Iowa Wild Will Bitten leads the league with three shorthanded goals. First-rounder Jake Neighbors joined from St. Louis last week and has played in two games with Springfield. The T-Birds eliminated Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Charlotte and then Laval in a seven-game series before bowing to the Chicago Wolves in the 2022 Calder Cup Finals.
PHANTASTIC!
– Cam York has five points in the last three games (2-3-5) including two-game winning goals, both against Laval.
– Max Willman was recalled to the Flyers for the first time this season. He has scored 2-2-4 in 11 games with Lehigh Valley this year. He played in 41 games with Philadelphia last season scoring 4-2-6.
– Tanner Laczynski returns to the Phantoms as a new Dad after the birth of his son in October. He scored 7-10-17 in 28 games with the Phantoms last season and has played in 12 games with Philadelphia this year.
– Eight out of 11 games this season have been decided by one goal including the last four games in a row.
– Lehigh Valley’s power play on the road is clicking at 27.8% which is third-best in the conference.
– The Phantoms have outshot their opponents in four of the last six games.
– The Phantoms are 2-1 in overtime games.
Team Scoring Leaders
Cam York 3-6-9
Tyson Foerster 2-5-7
Cal O’Reilly 2-5-7
Elliot Desnoyers 4-2-6
Ronnie Attard 3-3-6
Olle Lycksell 2-4-6
Garrett Wilson 2-4-6
Phantoms individual game tickets are on sale now. Secure your seats for your favorite promotional nights and big rivalry matchups! PHANTOMS GAME TICKETS
UPCOMING SCHEDULE –
Friday, November 18 (7:05 ) at Providence Bruins
Saturday, November 19 (7:05) at Providence Bruins
Sunday, November 20 (3:05) at Springfield Thunderbirds
Friday, November 25 (7:05) at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
UPCOMING PROMOTIONS –
Saturday, November 26 (7:05) vs. Rochester Americans – Postgame Skate with Phantoms Players
Wednesday, November 30 (7:05) vs. Hershey Bears – Military Appreciation Night Presented by Netizen
Friday, December 9 (7:05) vs. Charlotte Checkers – Berks $1 Hot Dogs!
Saturday, December 10 (7:05) vs. Charlotte Checkers – Phantoms Hat Giveaway Presented by Service Electric
Saturday, December 17 (7:05) vs. Providence Bruins – Teddy Bear Toss Presented by Big Woody’s
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.
