Los Fantasmas Weekend!
March 30, 2022
Lehigh Valley, PA – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms return to PPL Center for the first time in three weeks on Hockey Fiesta weekend featuring the debut of “Los Fantasmas” with the team celebrating the region’s Hispanic Heritage. Los Fantasmas host Los Pingüinos de Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Friday and then will play Los Cometas de Utica on Saturday.
Weekly Recap
Wednesday, March 23, 2022
Hershey Bears 5 – Phantoms 1
Wade Allison scored just 20 seconds into the game but the Hershey Bears surged back for a 5-1 decision at Giant Center. Beck Malenstyn scored two goals for the Bears.
Friday, March 25, 2022
Laval Rocket 5 – Phantoms 1
Garrett Wilson tied the game with a power-play goal in the first period and the Phantoms very nearly took the lead but NHL veteran Cedric Paquette led the Rocket with a pair of goals in a 5-1 verdict in Laval, Quebec. The Rocket avenged a 4-3 Phantoms’ win at PPL Center from two weeks earlier
Saturday, March 26, 2022
Belleville Senators 3 – Phantoms 2 (SO)
Cole Reinhardt scored in the fifth round to break the deadlock at CAA Arena in Belleville. Lehigh Valley raced out to a 2-0 lead on goals for Garrett Wilson and Nick Lappin. The Phantoms equaled a season-high with 20 shots in the first period. Pat Nagle thrived in his first game back with the Phantoms turning aside 34 of 36 B-Sens’ shots.
Upcoming
Friday, April 1, 2022 (7:05)
Phantoms vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (PPL Center)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (28-26-8) arrives to PPL Center for the Phantoms’ first home game in three weeks. Seventh-rounder fron Finland, Valtteri Puustinen, leads the Pens with 18-17-35 with five goals against the Phantoms including an overtime winner at PPL Center in October. First-rounder Sam Poulin has scored 12-18-30. Lehigh Valley defenseman Adam Clendening has scored 2-9-11 against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The Phantoms are 4-4-1 against the Penguins. This is the 10th game out of 12 in the season series.
Saturday, April 2, 2022 (7:05)
Phantoms vs. Utica Comets (PPL Center)
The Utica Comets (38-14-7) are the top team in the Eastern Conference. The Comets are in their first season as an affiliate of the New Jersey Devils after seven years with the Vancouver Canucks. Utica is the top scoring team in the conference at 3.53 goals per game and its 21.9% conversaion rate on the power play is second-best in the conference (behind Rochester). The Comets are also second-best in defense in the Eastern Conference allowing a palty 2.69 goals per game. Hard-shooting first-rounder Alexander Holtz is second among AHL rookies with 22 goals. Former Binghamton Devils forward Fabian Zetterlund leads the team in scoring with 24-26-50. The Phantoms are 1-1-1 against Utica including a New Year’s Eve rally in central NY when Lehigh Valley posted a 6-5 overtime win after trailing 4-0 and 5-1.
Former Flyers captain Kevin Dineen is the head coach of the Comets.
Sunday, April 3 (3:00)
Phantoms at Bridgeport Islanders
Red-hot Bridgeport (27-25-10) has ridden a seven-game point streak (6-0-1) up to the Atlantic’s last playoff spot. AHL veteran Chris Terry leads the B-Isles with 22-26-48. Phantoms’ alum Andy Andreoff is third on the team with 16-23-39 and popular former Phantom Cole Bardreau has scored 13-11-24 including three shorthanded goals. NHL veteran goalie Cory Schneider has been recalled to the New York Islanders. The Phantoms are 1-2-0 against Bridgeport. Head coach Brent Thompson is the father of Buffalo Sabres’ first-rounder Tage Thompson and New Jersey Devils’ prospect Tyce Thompson.
Transactions
– Hayden Hodgson (F) was was recalled to the Flyers
– Brennan Menell (D) made his Phantoms debut last weekend after arrivig from the Toronto Marlies in a trade between the Flyers and Maple Leafs
– Will Riedell (D) from Ohio State signed a PTO with the Phantoms
– Darion Hanson (G) from UConn signed a PTO with the Phantoms
PHANTASTIC!
– Hayden Hodgson was recalled to the Flyers and made his NHL debut a memorable one with a goal and assist in a win at the St. Louis Blues. It’s been an incredible season for the power-forward who went from AHL tryout and ECHL contract all the way to NHL contract in the same season.
– Cal O’Reilly played in his 1,000th pro game last Friday at Laval. The Phantoms have special plans to acknowledge the captain’s milestone at the team’s next home game on Friday.
– Cal O’Reilly has 18 goals this season to equal a personal high. The 35-year-old captain of the Phantoms also had 18 goals in a season 15 years ago in the 2006-07 season when he was a 20-year-old rookie with the Milwaukee Admirals. Cal has five goals in his last five games including a pair of two-goal games.
– The Phantoms have played 60 games and have 16 remaining in the 2021-22 regular season.
Team Scoring Leaders
Cal O’Reilly 18-24-42
Adam Clendening 5-27-32
x – Hayden Hodgson 18-11-29
Garrett Wilson 13-16-29
Egor Zamula 4-22-26
x – Morgan Frost 6-13-19
Isaac Ratcliffe 6-12-18
Linus Sandin 6-11-17
Wyatte Wylie 4-13-17
Goaltending Leaders
Pat Nagle 7-3-4, 2.60, .904
Kirill Ustimenko 1-3-2, 2.91, .900
Felix Sandstrom 12-16-3, 3.11, .896
Upcoming Schedule
Friday, April 1 (7:05) vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (PPL Center) – HOCKEY FIESTA WEEKEND
Saturday, April 2 (7:05) vs. Utica Comets (PPL Center) – HOCKEY FIESTA WEEKEND
Sunday, April 3 (3:05) at Bridgeport Islanders
Wednesday, April 6 (7:05) at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Friday, April 8, (7:05) vs. Hershey Bears (PPL Center)
Sunday, April 10 (3:00) at Bridgeport Islanders
Monday, April 11 (7:05) at Providence Bruins
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.
