Saturday, January 7, 2023 at 4:00 p.m.
Lehigh Valley Phantoms (15-13-3) at Toronto Marlies (20-9-2)
Coca-Cola Coliseum, Toronto, ON
TODAY
The Lehigh Valley Phantoms travel north of the border for their second of a three-game road swing as they tangle with the first-place Toronto Marlies, AHL affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Fans can watch today’s game for free on AHLTV.com as part of the AHLTV Game of the Week.
Lehigh Valley (15-13-3) is making its last trip to Canada this season and is meeting the Marlies for the first time. The Phantoms are 1-1-0 in Canada this year.
Toronto (20-9-2) paces the North Division and is coming off a 5-4 overtime win against the Utica Comets in its most recent contest on Tuesday.
LAST TIME
Friday, January 6, 2023
Phantoms 3 – Americans 2
Lehigh Valley exploded for three goals in a stretch of just 2:30 early in the third period to rally from behind for a 3-2 win at the Rochester Americans in the first game of 2023. Bobby Brink scored his first career professional goal in his Phantoms and AHL debut and then Tyson Foerster (9th) and Jackson Cates (6th) found the net shortly thereafter. Felix Sandstrom repelled 24 of 26 Americans’ shots in his first game back with Lehigh Valley on a conditioning loan from Philadelphia.
BOBBY’S DEBUT
Rookie forward Bobby Brink didn’t take long to impress. The talented forward scored his first career professional goal on Friday night at Rochester to spark a come-from-behind win. It was also the Phantoms’ first goal of calendar year 2023. The Flyers’ second-round selection in 2019 out of the University of Denver was the NCAA scoring champ last year scoring 14-43-57 in just 41 games making him a Hobey Baker Award Hat Trick finalist while leading Denver to the Frozen Four in Boston. He then made his NHL debut with the Flyers on April 22, 2022 and played in 10 games with Philadelphia.
Brink had hip surgery last July and, more recently, has been practicing and rehabbing in Allentown with the Phantoms since November before being officially activated and added to the roster on Tuesday.
PHANTASTIC!
– Elliot Desnoyers is fourth among AHL rookies with 12 goals and also leads the Phantoms in lamplighters
– Lehigh Valley’s power play is fifth in the AHL at 24.8%.
– The Phantoms are….
12-4-2 when scoring 3 or more goals
11-2-1 when allowing 2 goals or fewer
12-3-3 in one-goal games
9-1-3 when scoring the first goal
9-0-3 when leading after two periods
3-2 in overtime and 2-1 in shootouts
ABOUT THE MARLIES
The Toronto Marlies (20-9-2) have been the cream of the crop in the North Division. Toronto recently had a five-game win streak and seven-game point streak snapped with a 3-2 loss against Rochester on New Year’s Eve. Logan Shaw (11-22-33) leads the Marlies and the 30-year-old veteran also brings 232 games of NHL experience to the team with stints in Ottawa, Winnipeg, Montreal, Anaheim and Florida. Free-agent talent from Notre Dame Alex Steeves scored 23 goals last year as a rookie and already has 11-18-29 this year. Joseph Woll (7-0-0, 2.29, .926) has been perfect between the pipes. Head coach Greg Moore will be at the bench for the North Division for the AHL All-Star Classic next month in Laval by virtue of having the best divisional record on New Year’s Day. Moore played for the Adirondack Phantoms for most of the 2010-11 season before he was traded to the Columbus organization in exchange for Tom Sestito at the February deadline.
Tonight’s game is a homecoming for Adam Brooks who won a Calder Cup as a rookie with Toronto in 2017-18. Garrett Wilson played for the Marlies in 2019-20.
Phantoms Scoring Leaders
Tyson Foerster 9-11-20
Olle Lycksell 5-14-19
Elliot Desnoyers 12-6-18
Artem Anisimov 10-5-15
Garrett Wilson 5-9-14
Cal O’Reilly 3-10-13
Toronto Scoring Leaders
Logan Shaw 11-22-33
Alex Steeves 11-18-29
Semyon Der-Arguchintsev 8-19-27
Noel Hoefenmayer 9-16-25
Adam Gaudette 13-7-20
Phantoms Tickets are available HERE
SPECIAL TEAMS
Lehigh Valley Power Play – 24.5%, 5th
Lehigh Valley Penalty Kill – 72.4%, 30th
Toronto Power Play – 27.0%, 2nd
Toronto Penalty Kill – 75.6%, 26th
UP NEXT
The Phantoms conclude their three-game road swing on Wednesday night at the Bridgeport Islanders in what is also the first game of a home-and-home series between the division foes.
The next home games for the Phantoms are January 13-14 against the Bridgeport Islanders and Toronto Marlies.
Phantoms Tickets are available HERE
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Saturday, January 7 (4:00) at Toronto Marlies
Wednesday, January 11 (7:00) at Bridgeport Islanders
Friday, January 13 (7:05) vs. BRIDGEPORT ISLANDERS
Saturday, January 14 (7:05) vs. SYRACUSE CRUNCH
UPCOMING PROMOTIONS
Friday, January 13 (7:05) vs. Bridgeport Islanders – Berks Dollar Dog Night
Saturday, January 14 (7:05) vs. Syracuse Crunch – Valley Youth House Night Presented by Air Products – Toilet Paper Donation Drive with great prizes
Friday, January 27 (7:05) vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins – Flyers Night with Lou Nolan and GRITTY!!!
Saturday, January 28 (7:05) vs. Hershey Bears – meLVin Hat Night for the first 2,000 fans age 12 and under.
Broadcast coverage of all Phantoms games with Bob Rotruck is available on the Phantoms 365 app and on Real Oldies 1470-AM in Allentown. Also available on the Listen Live button at phantomshockey.com
Fans can also watch the games on AHLTV.com or can listen on their Smart Speakers at: “Play Phantoms Radio 24/7.”
