November 17, 2015
This Week
Friday, November 20 (7:05 p.m.) – Lehigh Valley Phantoms @ Providence Bruins
Saturday, November 21 (7:00 p.m.) – Lehigh Valley Phantoms @ Hartford Wolf Pack
Sunday, November 22 (3:05 p.m.) – Lehigh Valley Phantoms @ Providence Bruins
Upcoming
Fresh off a successful three-game week in which the Phantoms claimed five of a possible six standings points, Lehigh Valley (6-8-1-0, 13 pts., 7th Atlantic Division) is in the midst of preparing for a busy, three-game road weekend.
The action resumes on Friday when the Phantoms head to Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence for the first of two games this weekend with the Bruins. Providence (3-7-3-1, 10 pts., 8th Atlantic Division) dropped each of its three outings last week, including a 4-2 setback at home to the Albany Devils on Friday followed by a 3-2 shootout defeat to the Portland Pirates on home ice on Sunday. The Bruins enter the week in the midst of a six-game winless skid during which the team has claimed just two of a potential 12 standings points.
After Lehigh Valley and Providence face off on Friday at 7:05 p.m., the two Atlantic Division foes will meet again on Sunday for a 3:05 p.m. clash. The two games this weekend will mark the third and fourth meetings of the 2015-2016 season between the Phantoms and Bruins. Providence opened the season series with a 5-3 win at Dunkin’ Donuts Center on October 23 before Lehigh Valley exacted a little revenge on home ice with a 3-1 triumph at PPL Center just 24 hours later.
In between their two collisions with the Bruins this weekend, the Phantoms will head to XL Center in Hartford on Saturday for their first meeting of the year with the Wolf Pack. Hartford (6-7-2-0, 14 pts., 6th Atlantic Division) enters the week in the midst of a seven-game winless stretch and, like Providence, earned just one of a possible six standings points in three games last week. The Wolf Pack opened its week with back-to-back losses at Portland before falling 7-6 in a back-and-forth affair at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Hartford has claimed just one of a potential 14 standings points during its recent slide and has been outscored 29-12 during that stretch.
Saturday’s contest marks the first of six total meetings this year between the Phantoms and Wolf Pack.
Be sure to catch all the road action on Fox 1470-AM, online at fox1470.com or via the iHeartRadio app. Coverage begins with “Countdown to Faceoff” 45 minutes before puck drop.
Phantoms By The Numbers
Center Nick Cousins enters the week first among all Phantoms and tied for eighth among all AHLers in total scoring with 15 points (5 goals, 10 assists). After missing four games due to injury, Cousins returned with a vengeance last week as he notched 2 goals and 4 assists in just three games.- Winger Petr Straka enters the week leading all Lehigh Valley skaters with nine goals this season. He brings a three-game goal-scoring streak into this weekend’s action and hasn’t gone more than three straight games without finding the back of the net this year.
- Center Tim Brent saw his six-game point streak come to an end in last Saturday’s 2-1 overtime defeat to the Albany Devils. During that time, the produced two goals and five assists in compiling the longest point streak of the season to date for Lehigh Valley.
- After producing 14 goals in just three games last week, the Phantoms enter the week ninth among all AHL clubs in goals on a per-game basis (3.2).
Last Week
Wednesday, November 11: Lehigh Valley Phantoms 6 – Binghamton Senators 3
Nick Cousins registered a goal and an assist and Evan Rankin added three helpers of his own as the Phantoms doubled up the Binghamton Senators 6-3 inside Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena. Chris Conner (2 assists) also had a multi-point outing in the victory while Tyrell Goulbourne, Shayne Gostisbehere, Kevin Goumas, Petr Straka and Tim Brent also found the back of the net for Lehigh Valley.
The Phantoms won the special teams battle with a 1-for-3 performance on the power play coupled with a perfect 2-for-2 effort on the penalty kill, while Anthony Stolarz earned the victory in goal with 30 saves on 33 Binghamton shots.
Friday, November 13: Rochester Americans 1 – Lehigh Valley Phantoms 7
Nick Cousins (goal, 3 assists) produced Lehigh Valley’s first four-point night of the season and Danick Martel added two goals and an assist as the Phantoms earned a convincing 7-1 victory in front of 8,011 fans at PPL Center. Kevin Sundher, Chris Conner, Taylor Leier and Petr Straka also scored for the Phantoms in posting a PPL Center-record seven goals.
Anthony Stolarz turned in his strongest performance of the year with a season-high 33 saves while Lehigh Valley recorded multiple power play conversions (2-for-5) for the first time this season.
Saturday, November 14: Albany Devils 2 – Lehigh Valley Phantoms 1 (OT)
The Phantoms enjoyed their largest crowd of the 2015-16 season and the fourth-largest to enjoy a hockey game at PPL Center as 8,959 fans turned out to enjoy a thrilling overtime contest with the Albany Devils. Petr Straka scored just past the midway point of the third period to force the extra sessions before Joe Blandisi ended the back-and-forth affair with his sixth goal of the season.
Straka’s goal extended his goal-scoring streak to three consecutive games, while Stolarz finished a busy and impressive week with 27 saves on 29 Albany offerings. All told, Stolarz allowed just six goals against in three games last week while posting an impressive .938 save percentage. Meanwhile, the Phantoms garnered five of a possible six standings points during the team’s three-game week.
Broadcast Coverage
Service Electric’s TV2 Sports will be broadcasting live all of the Phantoms’ 29 remaining regular season home games. If you can’t make it out to the rink, be sure to catch all the exciting action live in HD quality with Steve Degler, Peter Zingoni, Doug Heater and Kristi Fulkerson! Pre-game coverage begins with “Phantoms Front and Center” 30 minutes before puck drop. And don’t miss “Phantoms – Breaking the Ice” every Monday from 7:00 – 7:30 p.m. throughout the season live at Chickie’s & Pete’s at PPL Center!
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. “Countdown to Faceoff” begins 45 minutes prior to puck drop.
Ticket Information
Tickets for all of the Phantoms’ 29 remaining regular season home games are available now online at pplcenter.com, by calling 610-347-TIXX [8499] or in-person at the Mealey’s Furniture Box Office at PPL Center (7th & Hamilton).
RISE UP! 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 groups for the 2015-2016 season of Phantoms hockey by calling 610-224-GOAL [4625].
In the midst of their 20th season of operation, the Phantoms are coming off their Inaugural Season as the Lehigh Valley Phantoms playing at the state-of-the-art 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).
