December 16, 2014
This Week
Wednesday, December 17 (7:05 PM) – Binghamton Senators @ Lehigh Valley Phantoms
($2 Beers From 6 PM Until the Start of the 2nd Period!)
Friday, December 19 (7:05 PM) – Hershey Bears @ Lehigh Valley Phantoms
(FREE Shirt Friday! FREE Holiday-themed Phantoms Shirt For All Fans in Attendance!)
Saturday, December 20 (5:00 PM) – Lehigh Valley Phantoms @ Hartford Wolf Pack
Upcoming
The Lehigh Valley Phantoms, proud AHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers, are back in action for another busy three-game stretch this week.
Lehigh Valley (11-10-3-1, 26 pts.) returns to the frozen surface tomorrow when the Phantoms welcome the Binghamton Senators to PPL Center for the first time this season. Binghamton (12-10-2-1, 27 pts.) enters the week just one point ahead of Lehigh Valley in the East Division standings. Wednesday’s showdown marks the third of 10 total meetings during the 2014-2015 regular season between the Phantoms and Senators with the two sides having split the first two get-togethers. Lehigh Valley earned a dramatic 5-4 overtime victory in Binghamton back on October 25th before the Senators leveled the regular season set with a 3-1 win at Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena last Friday.
The Phantoms are then back at home on Friday when they welcome their in-state rivals, the Hershey Bears, to PPL Center. Friday’s showdown is another Free Shirt Friday with FREE holiday-themed Phantoms shirts for all fans in attendance! Hershey (14-10-2-1, 31 pts.) enters the week in sole possession of second place in the East but just five points clear of Lehigh Valley with the Phantoms holding two games-in-hand on the Bears. Friday’s tilt will be the fourth of 12 total meetings during the 2014-2015 regular season between Lehigh Valley and Hershey with the Phantoms having already claimed two of the first three head-to-head contests. Lehigh Valley is 2-0 against the Bears at PPL Center this season after a come-from-behind 4-2 triumph back on October 24th followed by a 3-2 shootout win over rival Hershey on November 19th.
Tickets for both highly-anticipated match-ups at PPL Center are available now at the Mealey’s Furniture Box Office at PPL Center (701 Hamilton), by calling 610-347-TIXX (8499) or online at pplcenter.com.
Finally, Lehigh Valley concludes its busy three-game week on Saturday when the Phantoms head up to Hartford for a 5:00 PM showdown with the Wolf Pack. Hartford (15-9-2-1, 33 pts.) enters the week in the middle of the five-team Northeast Division and is 1-0 against Lehigh Valley this season after capturing a 4-2 victory at PPL Center back on November 1st. After Saturday’s tilt, the Phantoms and Wolf Pack won’t square off again until a February 21st meeting in Lehigh Valley.
Phantoms By The Numbers
- Lehigh Valley is 7-2-2-1 at PPL Center this season. The Phantoms have outscored their opposition 32-27 in home games and have treated their fans to five straight one-goal decisions at PPL Center.
- The Phantoms are 7-2-3-1 in one-goal games this season. Lehigh Valley has already enjoyed nine one-goal decisions at PPL Center (5-1-2-1) this season and is 4-4 overall in games decided in overtime/shootout.
- Lehigh Valley is 10-1-1 when scoring three or more goals this season. Meanwhile, the Phantoms are 10-5-2 when limiting their opposition to three goals or fewer.
- The Phantoms are 6-3-1-1 when scoring first this season and are undefeated in regulation time (9-0-0-1) when leading after two periods of play.
- Defenseman Brandon Manning leads all Phantoms in both assists (11) and total points (17). He’s also first among all Lehigh Valley skaters in power play points (nine), game-winning goals (three) and shots on goal (77).
Last Week
Friday, December 12: Lehigh Valley Phantoms 1 – Binghamton Senators 3
Zack Stortini scored less than two minutes into the tilt and goaltender Rob Zepp registered 37 total saves but the Binghamton Senators were able to scratch out a 3-1 win over the Phantoms.
Stortini also enjoyed his fourth fight of the season in the contest while Taylor Leier and Zepp grabbed assists on Lehigh Valley’s conversion.
Saturday, December 13: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 1 – Lehigh Valley Phantoms 2 (SO)
In front of the largest crowd in Lehigh Valley Phantoms history (8,647 fans), Anthony Stolarz amassed a season-high 44 saves en route to a thrilling 2-1 shootout victory over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Petr Straka netted his sixth goal of the season in regulation before he, Taylor Leier and Nick Cousins all scored in the shootout earning the Phantoms their second shootout triumph of the season.
Sunday, December 14: Lehigh Valley Phantoms 3 – Albany Devils 4 (OT) (Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City)
In the midst of their third game in less than 48 hours, the Phantoms mounted a valiant comeback as Taylor Leier, Zack Stortini and Andrew Gordon all scored third-period goals for Lehigh Valley but the Albany Devils, in action for the first time since Thursday, were able to hang on for a 4-3 overtime win at historic Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.
Leier’s conversion was his team-leading eighth of the season while Gordon moved into sole possession of second place with his seventh goal of the year. Rob Zepp helped the Phantoms garner a critical standings point in the decision thanks to 33 saves on 37 Devils shots.
Broadcast Coverage
Service Electric’s TV2 Sports will be broadcasting live all of the Phantoms’ 26 remaining regular season home games. If you can’t make it out to the rink, be sure to catch all the exciting action in high definition with Steve Degler and former Flyers and Phantoms goaltender Brian Boucher! And don’t miss “Phantoms – Breaking the Ice” every Monday from 7:00 – 8:00 PM throughout the season live at Chickie’s & Pete’s (701 Hamilton Street)!
Be sure to also catch each and every Phantoms game this season live on Fox Sports 1470 AM, online at Fox1470.com or via the iHeartRadio app! Join Voice of the Phantoms, Bob Rotruck, for all of the heart-pumping action of Lehigh Valley Phantoms hockey whether the team is at home or on the road. Nazareth Pallett Countdown to Faceoff begins 45 minutes prior to puck drop.
Ticket Information
Tickets for all of the Phantoms’ 26 remaining regular season home games, including this Saturday’s highly-anticipated showdown, are on sale now at the Mealey’s Furniture Box Office at PPL Center (7th & Hamilton), by calling 610-347-TIXX (8499) or online at pplcenter.com.
Check it out! Don’t miss the action and fun of Lehigh Valley Phantoms hockey at PPL Center in downtown Allentown! Contact the Phantoms Front Office for information on season tickets and affordable partial-season plans by calling 610-224-GOAL (4625).
In their 19th season of operation, the Phantoms are currently in the midst of their Inaugural Season as the Lehigh Valley Phantoms playing at the brand-new PPL Center. Established in 1996, the Philadelphia Phantoms spent their first 13 seasons at the Spectrum before re-locating to Glens Falls, New York in 2009 where the team spent the next five seasons as the Adirondack Phantoms. A new era of Phantoms hockey began in the fall of 2014 when the Lehigh Valley Phantoms began play at the state-of-the-art PPL Center. Through 18 incredibly successful campaigns, the Phantoms have captured two Calder Cup Championships (1998, 2005), two Conference Championships (1998, 2005), two Regular Season Titles (1996-97, 1997-98) and four Division Championships (1996-97, 1997-98, 1998-99, 2003-04).