Last Games Before Holiday Break
December 20, 2022
Lehigh Valley, PA – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms have two more games before the holiday break including a Wednesday night matchup with the Hershey Bears at PPL Center followed by a Friday night away game at the Springfield Thunderbirds. Lehigh Valley (12-10-3) had a four-game point streak snapped on Sunday and has points in 12 of the last 17 games with a 10-5-2 mark.
Wednesday’s home game includes a Pregame Happy Hour with $2 Miller Lites and Yuenglings available until the game begins.
WEEKLY RECAP
Friday, December 16, 2022
Phantoms 5 – Bruins 4 (OT)
Lehigh Valley opened the weekend with a bang in the form of a come-from-behind overtime win at the Providence Bruins. The Phantoms trailed 4-2 after two periods but Artem Anisimov and Adam Ginning scored in the final frame and then Anisimov knocked in the rebound of a Kieffer Bellows shot for Lehigh Valley’s third overtime win of the season. The Phantoms went 3-0-0 at Providence this season. It was Lehigh Valley’s first comeback win when trailing at the second intermission.
Saturday, December 17, 2022
Bruins 2 – Phantoms 1 (OT)
Cooper Marody’s goal in the second period brought the flying teddy bears at PPL Center. 8,480 of them actually. But the visiting Providence Bruins tied the game with 10 minutes left in the third on a goal by Joey Abate and then Vinni Lettieri picked up the winning marker in overtime. The Phantoms outplayed the P-Bruins for significant stretches in the game and held a 35-19 shots advantage on the night while extending their point-streak to four games.
Sunday, December 18, 2022
Bears 5 – Phantoms 3
Jordy Bellerive scored twice and Artem Anisimov registered his eighth goal of the season. Lehigh Valley took a 3-2 lead with 10 minutes remaining but Hershey bounced back with three goals in a span of 1:50 to turn the tables on the Phantoms at GIANT Center. Mike Sgarbossa, Connor McMichael and former Phantom Mike Vecchione scored the consecutive tallies for the Bears in their come-from-behind rivalry win.
TRANSACTIONS
Dec 15 – Delete Olle Lycksell (F) – Recalled to Philadelphia (NHL)
Dec 17 – Delete Kieffer Bellows (F) – Recalled to Philadelphia (NHL)
Dec 18 – Add Olle Lycksell (F) – Loaned to LV from Philadelphia
Dec 18 – Add Kieffer Bellows (F) – Loaned to LV from Philadelphia
Dec 19 – Add Pat Nagle (G) – Recalled from Reading (ECHL)
Dec 19 – Delete Nolan Maier (G) – Loaned to Reading (ECHL)
PHANTASTIC!
– Olle Lycksell and Kieffer Bellows have both returned from quick recalls to the Flyers. Lycksell played in two games with Philadelphia on Thursday and Saturday while Bellows played in one game on Saturday.
– Bellerive’s two-goal game on Sunday was his fourth as a pro and his first since his rookie season two years ago.
– The Phantoms’ power play is 13/33, 39.3% over the last 10 games and is 26.1% overall for 5th in the AHL.
– Artem Anisimov has 5 goals in 4 games since signing a standard player contract with the Phantoms for the remainder of the season. The 13-year NHL veteran already has 8 goals with the Phantoms in just 10 games.
– Elliot Desnoyers is tied for third among AHL rookies with 10 goals and also leads the Phantoms in lamplighters
– Olle Lycksell is producing when Artem Anisimov is also in the lineup. He has 3-7-10 in 6 games.
– Kieffer Bellows had a three-game goal streak snapped on Sunday
– The Phantoms are 9-3-3 in one-goal games. Lehigh Valley is 8-0-3 when leading after two periods.
– The Phantoms are 3-2 in decisions after regulation having gone 2-1 in overtime and 1-1 in shootouts.
UPCOMING
Wednesday, December 21
PPL Center, Allentown, PA
Phantoms vs. Hershey Bears
The rivalry is back for Round 5 out of 14 between the Keystone State competitors. Hershey (19-6-3) rallied from behind on Sunday to snag a 5-3 win over Lehigh Valley. The Bears are tops in the AHL by one percentage point over Providence.
Former Phantom Mike Vecchione (11-13-24) paces the Bears in scoring closely followed by linemate Mike Sgarbossa (10-11-21). Sgarbossa has scored 4-3-7 against Lehigh Valley and Vechione has 3-2-5 in the season series. First-rounder Hendrix Lapierre has scored three of his seven goals against Lehigh Valley. Goaltenders Zach Fucale and Hunter Shepard as well as defenseman Lucas Johansen have all returned from Washington.
Friday, December 23 (7:05)
MassMutual Center, Springfield, MA
Phantoms at Springfield Thunderbirds
The Phantoms travel to Western Mass for their final game before the Holiday Break. Springfield (10-12-5) is scuffling on the other side of an Eastern Conference title last year. The T-Birds got embarrassed on their New York road trip with 4-2 and 7-3 losses at Syracuse and Utica. Lehigh Valley is 1-1-0 against Springfield including a 2-1 win at PPL Center on November 11 on a game-winning goal by Louie Belpedio and a 6-4 loss in a November 20 rematch that featured several skirmishes and dust-ups. Springfield’s 2.67 goals-per-game is second-worst in the Eastern Conference. Hard-shooting Martin Frk (5-15-20) is trying to find the scoring touch again after a monster 40-goal campaign with the Ontario Reign. Second-rounder Nikita Alexandrov (9-6-15) has returned from a nine-game stint with the parent St. Louis Blues.
Phantoms Scoring Leaders
Tyson Foerster 8-11-19
Olle Lycksell 5-11-16
Elliot Desnoyers 10-5-15
Garrett Wilson 5-8-13
x Cam York 3-10-13
Phantoms Tickets are available HERE
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Wednesday, December 21 (7:05) vs. HERSHEY BEARS
Friday, December 23 (7:05) at Springfield Thunderbirds
Wednesday, December 28 (7:05) vs. Bridgeport Islanders
Friday, December 30 (7:05) at Utica Comets
Saturday, December 31 (7:05) vs. WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON PENGUINS
UPCOMING PROMOTIONS
Wednesday, December 21 (7:05) vs. Hershey Bears – Pregame Happy Hour, $2 Miller Lites and Yuenglings
Wednesday, December 28 (7:05) vs. Bridgeport Islanders – Pregame Happy Hour, $2 Miller Lites and Yuenglings
Saturday, December 31 (7:05) vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins – New Year’s Eve Celebration presented by Penn Community Bank. Including festivities and great fun on Hamilton Street right after the game right with the World’s Largest Puck-Drop to ring in 2023!
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.
