November 7, 2017
This Week
Wednesday, November 8 (10:30 a.m.) – Lehigh Valley Phantoms @ Bridgeport Sound Tigers
Saturday, November 11 (7:00 p.m.) – Lehigh Valley Phantoms @ Hershey Bears
Upcoming
Winners of seven of their last 10 games, the red-hot Lehigh Valley Phantoms (8-3-0-2, 18 pts., 0.692 pts. pct., 3rd Atlantic Division) kick off a season-high six-game road trip this week with a pair of rivalry road contests.
The Phantoms return to action this Wednesday, November 8 when the team travels to Bridgeport for a 10:30 a.m. clash with the Sound Tigers. Bridgeport (6-5-0-0, 12 pts., 0.545 pts. pct., 5th Atlantic Division) is coming off an extremely successful weekend in which the Sound Tigers won three games over a busy three-day period. After a 1-0 win at the Providence Bruins on Friday, Bridgeport secured a 3-2 victory at home over the Springfield Thunderbirds on Saturday before capping its perfect weekend with a 6-0 triumph in a Sunday rematch at Providence. The Sound Tigers enter the week having won five of their last six games overall and have outscored their opposition 23-11 during their recent surge.
Wednesday’s contest will mark the second of eight total meetings during the 2017-18 regular season between Lehigh Valley and Bridgeport and the Phantoms claimed the series opener with a 5-2 win at PPL Center back on October 20.
Lehigh Valley then caps this week’s action on Saturday, November 11 when the team visits the Giant Center in Hershey for a 7:00 p.m. showdown with the rival Bears. Hershey (4-6-0-2, 10 pts., 0.417 pts., pct., 7th Atlantic Division) won one game in three tries last weekend but still enters the week having won three of its last five games overall. After a 7-6 shootout loss at the Rochester Americans last Friday followed by a 4-1 regulation setback to the Toronto Marlies on Saturday, the Bears closed the week on a high note with a 3-2 shootout triumph over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Saturday’s game will be the third of 12 total meetings this season between Lehigh Valley and Hershey. The Phantoms are already 2-0 against the rival Bears this season after a 7-2 victory at PPL Center on October 7 followed by a 4-3 shootout victory at Giant Center on October 15.
- Phantoms By The Numbers
Forward Danick Martel enters the week leading all Phantoms and all AHL skaters with 13 goals this season. The third-year winger is currently riding a five-game goal-scoring streak (6 goals) and has found the back of the net in nine of Lehigh Valley’s 13 games this year. He is also tied with Hershey’s Chris Bourque for the AHL lead in total scoring with 17 points (13 goals, 4 assists).- Forward Chris Conner (right) is coming off an incredibly impressive weekend in which he tallied three goals, five assists and eight total points across just three games. The 33-year-old winger enters the week second among all Phantoms and tied for fourth among all AHL skaters in scoring with 13 points (4 goals, 9 assists). After his strong weekend, Conner is now tied with Nick Cousins for 16th on the Phantoms all-time scoring list with 124 total points.
- Forward Mike Vecchione enters the week leading all AHL rookies with 10 assists and tied for the AHL rookie lead in scoring with 12 total points.
- The Phantoms head into their six-game road swing in the midst of a four-game road winning streak. Lehigh Valley is 4-1-0-1 overall on the road this season.
- The Phantoms power play has produced an impressive eight man-advantage markers over the team’s last six contests. Lehigh Valley’s power play is 8-for-33 (24.2 percent) since October 25.
Last Week
Friday, November 3: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 6 – Lehigh Valley Phantoms 5 (SO)
Chris Conner registered a goal and three assists as the Lehigh Valley Phantoms earned a critical standings point in a 6-5 shootout setback to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in front of a standing room-only sellout crowd of 8,517 fans at PPL Center. Oskar Lindblom added a pair of assists for the Phantoms while T.J. Brennan chipped in a goal and an assist as he returned to Lehigh Valley’s lineup after missing six games due to injury.
Forward Mikhail Vorobyev tallied his first career AHL goal while Tyrell Goulbourne (1st) and Danick Martel (11th) also found the back of the net for Lehigh Valley in front of goaltender Dustin Tokarski who turned aside 28 of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s 33 total shots.
Saturday, November 4: Lehigh Valley Phantoms 6 – Binghamton Devils 5
Chris Conner put forth another four-point game (2 goals, 2 assists) while Phil Varone added a season-high four assists as the Lehigh Valley Phantoms earned a come-from-behind 6-5 regulation triumph over the Binghamton Devils. The Phantoms scored five of the game’s final seven goals in erasing a 3-1 first period deficit en route to the team’s fourth road win of the season.
Cole Bardreau, Danick Martel and T.J. Brennan each recorded a goal and an assist while Mike Vecchione added a pair of helpers in the victory.
Sunday, November 5: Toronto Marlies 5 – Lehigh Valley Phantoms 1
Danick Martel extended his goal-scoring streak to five straight games with his league-leading 13th goal of the season Sunday as the Phantoms were handed a 5-1 setback to the Toronto Marlies in front of 8,027 fans inside PPL Center. Martel has tallied six goals and seven total points during his recent surge and has found the back of the net in nine of Lehigh Valley’s 13 total games this year.
Goaltender Dustin Tokarski turned in a herculean effort between the pipes with an impressive 32 saves on 37 total Marlies shots.
Broadcast Coverage
Service Electric’s TV2 Sports will be broadcasting live each of the Phantoms’ 31 home games throughout the 2017-2018 regular season. 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, Todd Fedoruk, Doug Heater and Kristi Fulkerson! Pre-game coverage begins with “Phantoms Front and Center” 30 minutes before puck drop.
Be sure to also catch each and every Phantoms game this season live on 1470-AM WSAN, 790-AM WAEB or via the iHeartRadio app and Phantoms365 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 each and every Phantoms home game throughout the 2017-18 season are available online at pplcenter.com, by calling 610-347-TIXX [8499] or in-person at the QNB Box Office [7th & Hamilton].
