Six-Game Homestand Begins
February 8, 2022
Weekly Recap
Wednesday, February 2, 2022
Bridgeport Islanders 4 – Phantoms 1
Nick Lappin scored for Lehigh Valley but the Islanders pushed through for the W in their annual morning game. Phantoms’ alum Andy Andreoff scored for Bridgeport. Lehigh Valley is now 2-2-0 all-time in morning starts.
Friday, February 4, 2022
Phantoms 5 – Providence Bruins 1
The Phantoms made it look easy in their rout of the P-Bruins to conclude the official first-half of the season. Hayden Hodgson scored a pair of goals and defenseman Wyatte Wylie had his second three-point game in less than a month with one goal and two assists. Felix Sandstrom was strong in net with 25 saves. Morgan Frost and Cam York made their returns to the Phantoms for their first AHL games in several weeks. Frost had a goal and an assist.
Saturday, February 5, 2022
Hartford Wolf Pack 6 – Phantoms 4
Lehigh Valley raced out to a 2-0 lead in the first on goals for Hayden Hodgson and Charlie Gerard. But the first-place Wolf Pack stormed back with five goals in the second period and never looked back. Wyatte Wylie scored his second goal of the weekend. The Phantoms allowed two shorthanded goals in the setback.
Upcoming
Tuesday, February 8, 2022 (7:05) – Phantoms at Belleville Senators (PPL CENTER)
Lehigh Valley (15-16-8) opens a six-game homestand taking on Troy Mann’s Belleville Senators on Tuesday night. This is a makeup date from a previously postponed game on December 15. Belleville (17-18-0) is led by former Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguin Jake Luccini (11-14-25). Former Flyer Michael Del Zotto (5-10-15) scored a late game-winner last week against Syracuse. Del Zotto played for Philadelphia for three seasons from 2014-17 scoring 20-43-63 in his 167 total games in the Orange and Black. Prospect Mads Sogard from Denmark was a second-round pick in 2019 and is the Sens’ top goalie (10-9-0, 2.61, .909)
Friday, February 11 (7:05) – Phantoms vs. Hershey Bears (PPL CENTER)
The Hershey Bears (23-13-6) are knocking on the door for first place in the Atlantic and trail Hartford by only a few percentage points. Lehigh Valley rallied in the last meeting for a 3-2 win on January 30 on Cal O’Reilly’s pair of shorthanded goals and Linus Sandin’s late game-winner. The Phantoms are 3-1-1 against Hershey entering Game 6 out of 14 in the rivalry series.
Saturday, February 12 (7:05) – Phantoms vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (PPL CENTER)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (18-17-5) is red-hot and on a five-game point streak (4-0-1) and with points in 8 of the last 9 (7-1-1). It’s been quite a turnaround for the Penguins who had dropped 8 straight through mid-January but have gone 9-2-1 since then. Goalie Alex D’Orio has been a rock going 6-2-1, 1.99, .926 in the hot streak. Valtteri Puustinen leads the team with 27 points but has since headed up to Pittsburgh. Former Buffalo first-rounder Alexander Nylander has thrived since arriving a little over a month ago in a trade with Chicago scoring 7-6-13 in 16 games with his new team in Wilkes-Barre. The Phantoms are 3-3-1 against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Sunday, February 13 (2:05) – Phantoms vs. Hershey Bears (PPL CENTER)
Lehigh Valley and Hershey rematch at PPL Center for an early matinee contest on Super Bowl Sunday. This is Game 7 out of 14 between the two rivals. Hershey had a pair of 4-1 wins at Cleveland last weekend. Axel Jonsson-Fjallby leads active Hershey skaters with 13-16-29. Popular Phantoms’ alum Mike Vecchione has 10 goals including 7 in the last 12 games. Vecchione initially had been credited with a two-goal game at PPL Center on January 30 but a late scoring decision determined he did not tip on of the shots and thus he actually only had one goal in that contest.
News and Notes:
– Lehigh Valley has gone 12-5-3 in its last 20 games after a beginning that saw just three wins in the first 19 games at 3-11-5.
-Adam Clendening is projected to play his 500th pro game on Saturday.
– Hayden Hodgson scored three goals last weekend to take the team lead with 12. He has scored two goals in a game three times this season.
– The Phantoms have points in 8 of their last 9 home games (6-1-2)
– Lehigh Valley’s six-game homestand is their longest stretch of consecutive home games this season.
Recent Transactions
Feb 2 – Delete Mason Millman (F), Reassigned to Reading by PHI
Feb 2 – Add Jackson Cates (F), Returned from Philadelphia
Feb 2 – Add Morgan Frost (F), Returned from Philadelphia
Feb 2 – Add Isaac Ratcliffe (F), Returned from Philadelphia
Feb 2 – Add Cam York (D), Returned from Philadelphia
Team Scoring Leaders
Cal O’Reilly 9-19-28
Adam Clendening 5-19-24
Hayden Hodgson 12-8-20
Garrett Wilson 10-10-20
Morgan Frost 4-13-17
x – Gerry Mayhew 9-7-16
x – Morgan Frost 3-12-1
Egor Zamula 3-12-15
Linus Sandin 6–7-13
Goaltending Leaders
Pat Nagle 7-0-3, 2.37, .911
Felix Sandstrom 6-11-3, 3.07, .894
Garrett Metcalf 2-1-1, 3.48, .882
Upcoming Schedule
Tues, Feb 8 vs. Belleville Senators (OTT) (7:05) (PPL Center)
Fri, Feb 11 vs. Hershey Bears (WSH) (7:05) (PPL Center)
Sat, Feb 12 vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (7:05) (PPL Center)
Sun, FEb 13 vs. Hershey Bears (2:05) (PPL Center)
Upcoming Home Games:
Tuesday, February 8 vs. Belleville Senators (7:05) – (Makeup Date from Dec. 15 postponement)
Friday, February 11 vs. Hershey Bears (7:05) – GO FOR GOLD Weekend
Saturday, Feburary 12 vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins – GO FOR GOLD Weekend, Saturday Night Hockey Live
Sunday, February 13 vs. Hershey Bears (2:05) – GO FOR GOLD Weekend
Saturday, February 19 vs. Utica Comets (7:05) – HOCKEY IS FOR EVERYONE, Saturday Night Hockey Live
Sunday, February 20 vs. Springfield Thunderbirds (3:05) – meLVin’s BIRTHDAY!!!
Tickets for upcoming Phantoms games available HERE
Broadcast coverage of all Phantoms games, home and away, is available on the Phantoms 365 app and on 1470-WSAN. Fans can watch on AHLTV.com and can listen on their Smart Speakers at: “Play Phantoms Radio 24/7.” Join 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.
