Back from the Break
February 8, 2023
Lehigh Valley, PA – A well-rested Lehigh Valley Phantoms (22-17-5) contingent returns to action following the AHL All-Star Break with a pair of games this weekend including an away game at Hartford on Friday and a home game against Bridgeport on Saturday.
The Phantoms built momentum into the break with a pair of impressive wins over the first-place Hershey Bears. Lehigh Valley stands in fifth place in the congested Atlantic Division standings just two points back of Springfield and five points behind third-place Charlotte.
Saturday’s home game at PPL Center is Hockey is for Everyone Night with the Phantoms celebrating inclusivity in hockey.
WEEKLY RECAP
Wednesday, February 1, 2023
Phantoms 5 – Bears 2
The Lehigh Valley Phantoms equaled a season-high with four goals in a period during a monster middle frame en route to a 5-2 blowout win of the Hershey Bears at PPL Center. Cooper Marody had three consecutive assists in the six-minute scoring burst. Louie Belpedio’s snipe sparked the onslaught and Tyson Foerster’s team-leading 16th goal of the season capped the offensive explosion.
Friday, February 3, 2023
Bruins 4 – Phantoms 2
The away team continues to thrive in this divisional series as visiting Providence emerged with a 4-2 triumph at PPL Center on Friday night. The Phantoms went 3-0-0 at Providence this year but the Bruins have now gone 2-0-0 in Allentown. Jordy Bellerive and Cooper Marody found the net for the Phantoms but Marody’s equalizing goal late in the second period provided only a short-lived tie score as Georgii Merkulov converted for the eventual game-winning tally just 13 seconds later.
Saturday, February 4, 2023
Phantoms 5 – Bears 1
It was a blowout win for Lappy’s Legion on the road in Chocolatetown thanks to a pair of goals by Jackson Cates and also Tyson Foerster’s 17th of the season. Jordy Bellerive (6th) struck again at Giant Center where half of his goal-production has come this season. Lehigh Valley went 2-for-3 on the power play including a game-sealing dagger by Bobby Brink with just 3:11 left to give the Phantoms a 4-1 lead.
ALL-STAR FUN
Ronnie Attard and Tyson Foerster represented the Phantoms at the AHL All-Star Classic in Laval, Quebec as the Eastern Conference won in the Skills Competition on Sunday and then the Atlantic Division advanced to the Championship game of the 3-on-3 All-Star Challenge on Monday before falling to the Pacific Division.
Tyson Foerster scored two goals in under in a minute in the Atlantic’s round-robin victory to clinch a spot in the championship while Ronnie Attard scored his own goal earlier in the tournament.
Attard cranked up a 97.2 mph slapper in the Hardest Shot competition on Sunday to finish third.
Foerster went 4-for-6 in the Accuracy Shooting contest and also scored a beauty in the Breakaway Challenge
POWER SURGE
The Phantoms have moved all the way up to second in the AHL on the power play at 24.1% after going 5-for-11 in the last four games before the All-Star Break including 4-for-8 in the most recent two games. Only Toronto (26.3%) has a more successful power-play conversion rate.
Tyson Foerster (6-7-13) and Olle Lycksell (4-8-12) pace the team’s power-play attack.
Amazingly, 11 players have scored two or more power-play goals for the Phantoms:
Foerster (6), Anisimov (4), Lycksell (4), Desnoyers (3), Attard (2), Brink (2), Brooks (2), Marody (2), O’Reilly (2), Wilson (2), York (2)
14 total players have scored at least one power-play goal for the Phantoms including Bellows, Cates and MacEwen who have one each.
PHANTASTIC!
– Red-Hot Tyson Foerster has six goals in the last seven games and also eight goals in the last 11 games including three multi-goal performances in the stretch. His last 11 games with eight total goals accounts for almost half of his season total of 17. Foerster had nine goals in the first 33 games of the season before his torrid tear.
– Jackson Cates has enjoyed a mini-scoring surge with three goals in the last four games to become the fourth Phantom to reach double-digits in goals this year. Cates (10) joined Tyson Foerster (17), Elliot Desnoyers (14) and Artem Anisimov (12) with 10 or more lamplighters.
– Jordy Bellerive has scored three of his six goals at GIANT Center
– Bobby Brink has scored all six of his goals in six different arenas since joining the roster on January 6: Rochester, Bridgeport, Cleveland, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Lehigh Valley, Hershey
– The Phantoms are….
16-5-4 when scoring 3 or more goals
18-1-1 when allowing 2 goals or fewer
13-3-5 in one-goal games
11-1-5 when scoring the first goal
14-0-4 when leading after two periods
4-3 in overtime and 2-2 in shootouts
UPCOMING
Friday, February 10, 2023 (7:00)
XL Center, Hartford, CT
Phantoms at Hartford Wolf Pack
Hartford (19-16-9) has clawed its way out of the cellar of the Atlantic Division and its sixth-place positioning has the Pack just two points behind the Phantoms. Hartford picked up an impressive blowout win before the break clobbering Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 8-2 last Saturday led by Ty Gettinger’s two goals and recently returned captain Jonny Brodzinski’s one goal with three assists.
30-year-old veteran Turner Elson (10-15-25) and former Bridgeport mainstay Tanner Fritz (4-20-24) lead the offense. Rookie Will Cuylle (14-7-21) has been recalled to the New York Rangers. Young defenseman Zac Jones (6-12-18) represented the Pack at the All-Star Classic. Veteran Louis Domingue (11-8-6, 2.47, .910) is the top goaltender for Ken Gernander’s gang.
The Phantoms lost a 3-2 decision at Hartford on December 7 in the only meeting this season when the Pack raced out to a 3-0 lead in the first 12 minutes before the Phantoms put together a comeback in the third that fell short. The Pack will return the favor with their first visit to PPL Center on Sunday, February 19.
Saturday, February 11, 2023 (7:05)
PPL Center, Allentown, PA
Phantoms vs. Bridgeport Islanders
Bridgeport (19-18-8) has certainly had its ups and downs this year. Brent Thompson’s contingent spent the early weeks of the season rated as one of the top teams in the AHL. But an 11-game winless slide quickly sent the Islanders tumbling down the standings. With some key pieces having returned, including former NHL All-Star goaltender Cory Schneider, Bridgeport has built itself back up again somewhat but still stands in seventh place in the division.
Second-rounder Aatu Raty was dealt to Vancouver in the Bo Horvat deal. Former Phantom Andy Andreoff (20-18-38) is enjoying a tremendous season and joins fellow veteran Chris Terry (14-30-44) atop the team’s scoring chart. Ruslan Ishakov (9-22-31) and William Dufour (15-13-28) are impressive rookie scoring threats. The team has been much better with Cory Schneider (13-4-3, 2.55, .923) than without. The Phantoms are 2-1-1 against Bridgeport entering Game 5 of 8 in the season series.
Phantoms Scoring Leaders
Olle Lycksell 8-25-33
Tyson Foerster 17-13-30
Elliot Desnoyers 14-11-25
Artem Anisimov 12-9-21
Jackson Cates 10-9-19
Ronnie Attard 7-12-19
Phantoms Tickets are available HERE
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Friday, February 10 (7:00) at Hartford Wolf Pack
Saturday, February 11 (7:05) vs. BRIDGEPORT ISLANDERS
Tuesday, February 14 (7:00) at Charlotte Checkers
Wednesday, February 15 (7:00) at Charlotte Checkers
UPCOMING PROMOTIONS
Saturday, February 11 (7:05) vs. Bridgeport Islanders – Hockey is for Everyone! Philly Special ticket packages available
Saturday, February 18 (7:05) vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins – United Way Housing Heroes presented by PPL including Sock Donation Drive
Sunday, February 19 (5:05) vs. Hershey Bears – meLVin’s Birthday with his Mascot Friends! Postgame Skate with the Phantoms Players
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.
