Friday, February 10, 2023 at 7:00 p.m.
Lehigh Valley Phantoms (22-17-5) at Hartford Wolf Pack (19-16-9)
XL Center, Hartford, CT
TONIGHT
It’s back to action for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (22-17-5) as they resume play following the AHL All-Star Break with their second, and final, visit to Hartford. Lehigh Valley picked up a pair of blowout wins over the first-place Hershey Bears to carry momentum into the break. Hartford (19-16-9) was also riding the wave with an 8-2 win against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in its most recent game.
LAST TIME
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.
TRANSACTION
The Philadelphia Flyers have placed defenseman Linus Hogberg on unconditional waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract. Hogberg will be returning to Sweden.
Hogberg was a Round 5 selection of the Flyers in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. He played in 103 career games with the Phantoms over three seasons scoring three goals with 17 assists for 20 points. He also played in five games with the Philadelphia Flyers last season in April recording two assists.
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
ABOUT THE 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 returned to the Pack after a three-game stay with 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.
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
Hartford Scoring Leaders
Turner Elson 10-15-25
Tanner Fritz 4-20-24
Ryan Carpenter 11-11-22
Will Cuylle 14-7-21
Jonny Brodzinsky 5-15-20
Phantoms Tickets are available HERE
SPECIAL TEAMS
Lehigh Valley Power Play – 24.1%, 2nd
Lehigh Valley Penalty Kill – 74.1%, 31st
Hartford Power Play – 13.8%, 32nd
Hartford Penalty Kill – 81.1%, 13th
UP NEXT
The Phantoms return to PPL Center Saturday night against the Bridgeport Islanders on Hockey is for Everyone Night celebrating inclusivity in hockey.
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
Sunday, February 19 (5:05) vs. Hartford Wolf Pack – meLVin’s Birthday with his Mascot Friends! Postgame Skate with the Phantoms Players
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.”
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.
