PREVIEW: Phantoms vs. Griffins, Game #6

Lehigh Valley Phantoms (1-3-1) vs. Grand Rapids Griffins (5-1-0)
PPL Center, Allentown, PA
October 27, 2024 (7:05 p.m.) – Game #6

TODAY – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (1-3-1) seek a split of their weekend series as they rematch with the visiting Grand Rapids Griffins  at PPL Center for a Sunday matinee.  Grand Rapids (5-1-0) is the AHL affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings. This weekend’s games represents the first time the Phantoms have hosted a Western Conference opponent in 10 years since the 2014-15 season. The two teams had last met in March, 2009 when the Philadelphia Phantoms swept a pair of games from the Griffs at Wachovia Spectrum.

“Haunted on Hamilton” includes some Spooktacular Fun at PPL Center including a costume parade, trick-or-treating and pumpkin painting.

The Phantoms will return the favor with a pair of Michigan encounters in February.

LAST TIME – Rodrigo Abols scored for a second game in a row and Anthony Richard picked up his second fo the season but the Grand Rapids Griffins were opportunistic with their 22 shots to post a 5-2 win at PP LCenter led by Amadeus Lombardi with two goals and one assist. Sebastian Cossa backstopped the top defense in the AHL with a 31-save performance. The Griffins went 2-for-6 on the power play. It was the first meeting between the two teams in 15 years.

MEDIA MATERIALS – Fans can browse rosters and Media Materials for both teams and the AHL at the following link.

https://www.phantomshockey.com/media-materials/

TRANSACTIONS- DThe Philadelphia Flyers have recalled goaltender Alexei Kolosov and defenseman Emil Andrae from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms ahead of their game this evening against the Montreal Canadiens.

Kolosov, 22, receives his first career recall after starting in four consecutive games for the Phantoms to begin the season going 1-2-1, 3.29, .879. The Flyers Round 3 selection in the 2021 Draft from Minsk Belarus also played in two games for the Phantoms last year going 1-1-0, 3.03, .885 after backstopping the Minsk Dynamo in 47 games going 22-21-3, 2.39, .907

Andrae, 22, played in one game this season for the Phantoms and has yet to play for Philadelphia this year. The 22-year-old enters his second full professional season in North America after a solid rookie campaign with Lehigh Valley in which he produced 5-27-32 in 61 games played. Andrae began the 2023-24 campaign with the Philadelphia Flyers playing in four games.

PHANTASTIC
– Rodrigo Abols has scored in back-to-back games to tie Jacob Gaucher for the longest goal streak with the Phantoms this season. The 28-year-old Riga, Latvia product is back in North America for the first time in five years since a stint with the Springfield Thunderbirds in the 2019-20 season when he scored seven goals in 38 games.

– The Phantoms lead the AHL with 37.6 shots per game. The Phantoms are second in the AHL and first in the conference with 25.4 shots allowed per contest.

– Lehigh Valley’s power play is 5-for-19 for 26.3% which is 3rd in the AHL.

THE CAPTAIN – Fan-Favorite Garrett Wilson is the longest-tenured player on the Phantoms and is now 49 games away from passing Greg Carey for most games played with Lehigh Valley.

LEHIGH VALLEY – GAMES PLAYED
1. Greg Carey 277
2. Chris Conner 265
3. Colin McDonald 248
4. Reece Willcox 232
5. T.J. Brennan 230
6. Nic Aube-Kubel 229
6. Garrett Wilson 229
8. Cole Bardreau 226
8. Taylor Leier 226

GREETING THE GRIFFS – Lehigh Valley and Grand Rapids are meeting for the first time ever with a pair of games at PPL Center this weekend. The last time the Phantoms and Griffins played was over 15 years ago in some of the last-ever games at Wachovia Spectrum. The Philadelphia Phantoms swept the Griffs 7-4 and 4-1 on March 28 and March 29, 2009. The 7-4 win included hat tricks from Jon Matsumoto and Rob Sirianni marking the only time in franchise history the Phantoms have had two hat tricks in the same game.

Grand Rapids joined the AHL in 2001 transferring over from the former IHL where the Griffs had been members from 1996-2001. The Griffins won Calder Cup titles in 2013 and 2017 besting the Syracuse Crunch both times. Hershey head coach Todd Nelson was the Grand Rapids bench boss for the team’s 2017 run.

Grand Rapids (5-1-0) is perfect on the weekend with a 2-1 win at Springfield on Friday and then a 5-2 win at Lehigh Valley on Saturday. Friday’s game featured the first career pro goal for 2023 first-rounder Nate Danielson who was selected ninth overall in the draft. The Griffins have added 28-year-old forward Joe Snively who scored the lone goal in 1-0 shutout win over Manitoba last week. Snively was a Hershey mainstay for the last five years. 32-year-old Austin Watson is an NHL veteran of over 500 games. 6-foot-7 goaltender Sebastian Cossa (4-1-0, 1.54, .954) was the #15 overall selection in 2021 and won gold for Canada at the World Juniors in 2022 where he was teammates with Lehigh Valley’s Elliot Desnoyers. Dan Watson is in his second season as head coach following six years as bench boss for the ECHL Toledo Walleye.

SCORING LEADERS
Lehigh Valley
Samu Tuomaala 2-2-4
Rodrigo Abols 1-2-3
Anthony Richard 1-2-3
Oscar Eklind 2-0-2
Jacob Gaucher 2-0-2

Grand Rapids
Dominik Shine 2-4-6
Amadeus Lombardi 4-1-5
Joe Snively 1-4-5
Austin Watson 0-5-5

Special Teams:
Lehigh Valley – PP 26.3%, 3rd / 76.0%, 25th
Grand Rapids – PP 16.0% 18th / 94.4%, 3rd

COMING UP –  The Phantoms open a three-game road-swing on Wednesday, October 30 beginning with a trip to Chocolatown to face the two-time defending Calder Cup Champion Hershey Bears. Lehigh Valley then heads to Springfield next Saturday, November 2 and pays a visit to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Wednesday, November 6.

Lehigh Valley’s next home games are Friday, November 8 against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Saturday, November 9 taking on the Utica Comets featuring a Postgame Skate with the Phantoms players presented by NJM Insurance.

UPCOMING

Sunday, October 27 (3:05) – Grand Rapids Griffins at Phantoms (Haunted on Hamilton, Spooky Fun!)

Wednesday, October 30 – Phantoms at Hershey Bears

Saturday, November 2 – Phantoms at Springfield Thunderbirds

Wednesday, November 6 – Phantoms at W-B/Scranton Penguins

Friday, November 8 – W-B/Scranton Penguins at Phantoms – Berks Dollar Dogs

Saturday, November 9 – Utica Comets at Phantoms – Postgame Skate with Players presented by NJM Insuranace.