Friday, April 26, 7:05 p.m.
PPL Center, Allentown, PA
Lehigh Valley vs. W-B/Scranton
TONIGHT
The Calder Cup Playoffs return to PPL Center for the first time in six years and the Lehigh Valley Phantoms will have the brooms out as they look to sweep the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the Best of 3 series. The Phantoms took Game 1 of the series in Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday night with a 2-1 victory.
This is the first time Lehigh Valley and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton have met in the playoffs and the fifth time the Phantoms franchise has played against the Penguins with the most recent encounter coming in 2008 when the Philadelphia Phantoms tangled with their foes from northeast Pennsylvania.
If the Phantoms win tonight then the team will get a little extra time to breathe before starting up Round 2 of the Calder Cup Playoffs against the defending champion Hershey Bears in early May in a Best of 5 series.
If the Penguins win tonight then we head back to Wilkes-Barre on Sunday at 5:05 for the deciding contest in the Best of 3 series.
LAST TIME
Adam Brooks and Rhett Gardner scored for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and Louie Belpedio had a pair of assists while Cal Petersen turned in a 21-save performance as the Phantoms held off the Baby Pens 2-1 on Wednesday night up in Wilkes-Barre. The Phantoms dominated the second period but Wilkes-Barre/Scranton hung in there to keep the game close. Ville Koivunen scored in his pro debut late ni the second period to set up an intense third but Lehigh Valley held off the late surge to take the series lead.
RALLY THE VALLEY
It’s Playoff Time!!
The Phantoms will host a playoff game at PPL Center for the first time in six years when the Penguins arrive on Friday, April 26 for Game 2 of the series. The Phantoms are part of the AHL’s postseason dance for the second consecutive season and for the fourth time in the last six years in which the Playoffs have been held since 2017.
In total, the Phantoms are making their 14th overall appearance in the postseason including a pair of Calder Cup Championships for the Philadelphia Phantoms in 1998 and 2005 before the team arrives in the Lehigh Valley.
If the Phantoms win tonight then Lehigh Valley gets a little extra time to breathe before starting up Round 2 of the Calder Cup Playoffs against the defending champion Hershey Bears in early May in a Best of 5 series.
If the Penguins win tonight then we head back to Wilkes-Barre on Sunday at 5:05 for the deciding contest in the Best of 3 series.
STELLAR DOWN THE STRETCH
Veteran goaltender Cal Petersen has found his A-Game since he return to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms from the Philadelphia Flyers on February 28. The lefty netminder from Waterloo, Iowa has been particular solid in his 13 games back with the team posting a goals-against average going 5-7-1, 2.08, .917 with two shutouts including a playoff-berth clinching win on Friday at Bridgeport in his most recent start. Petersen has surrendered two goals or fewer in eight of his last 13 starts including three of his last four and also five of his most recent seven.
REINFORCEMENTS
The Lehigh Valley Phantoms have a beefed-up roster entering the Calder Cup Playoffs after the Philadelphia Flyers loaned forwards Bobby Brink and Olle Lycksell and defensemen Ronnie Attard and Adam Ginning to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Brink, 22, has played in 57 games with Philadelphia this season scoring 11-12-23 and also 13 games with Lehigh Valley scoring 7-6-13.
Lycksell, 24, is tops on the Phantoms in goals having scored 19-20-39 in 38 games with Lehigh Valley this season. He has also played 18 games with the Flyers scoring 1-4-5 including his first career NHL goal on April 6 at Columbus.
Attard, 25, has scored 10-17-27 in 48 games with the Phantoms and also 0-2-2 in 12 games with Philadelphia.
Ginning, 24, has played in 58 games with the Phantoms this season scoring 2-11-13 and nine games with the Flyers in a stint that included his first NHL goal on April 6 at Columbus.
TEAM AND LEAGUE LEADERS
Garrett Wilson accumulated 216 penalty minutes to finish with the most in the AHL for a second consecutive season. He became the first AHL player in eight years to rack up over 200 PIM in a season since Stu Bickell with San Diego in 2015-16.
J-R Avon had five shootout goals to tie for the AHL lead with Trey Fix-Wolanski of Cleveland
Emil Andrae has 15 power-play assists which was first among AHL rookie defensemen and second among AHL rookies overall trailing only Brennan Othmann of Hartford who has 17.
Cooper Marody and Olle Lycksell tied for the team lead with 19 goals apiece.
Marody had 37 helpers on the year giving him the team-crown in that department over Samu Tuomaala who has 28.
Marody also had 56 points this season besting Tanner Laczynski who was next with 44 points in just 49 games.
PHANTASTIC!
The Phantoms record when:
– Score 4 or more goals: 21-0-2
– Allow 2 or fewer goals: 19-6-1
– Lead After 1st period: 10-1-3
– Lead After 2nd period: 17-3-1
– One-Goal Games: 19-8-9
– Overtime: 8-6 / Shootout: 4-3
BRING ON THE BABY PENS
Game 1 – Lehigh Valley 2 – W-B/Scranton 1
Game 2 – Friday, April 26 (7:05) at Lehigh Valley
Game 3 – Sunday, April 28 (5:05) at W-B/Scranton
W-B/Scranton (39-24-9) had a seven-game win streak late in the season and landed the third-place position in the Atlantic Division. The Phantoms are 4-7-1 against the Baby Pens and dropped the last four contests against their northeast Pennsylvania rivals however the Phantoms boast a stronger lineup with the return of their reinforcements from the Flyers.
Like the Phantoms, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s roster has been bolstered by some arrivals from the big club. The Pittsburgh Penguins have loaned forwards Sam Poulin, Valtteri Puustinen and Radim Zohorna as well as defenseman Jack St. Ivany back to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Defenseman Ty Smith (9-34-43) is unavailable due to a long-term injury. NHL veteran of 374 games Vinnie Hinostroza (16-19-35) is the team’s active-leading scorer and has scored 3-8-11 against Lehigh Valley. Corey Andonovski has 2-6-8 vs. the Phantoms including an overtime winner on March 30. Second-rounder Joel Blomqvist (25-12-6, 2.16, .921) was named to the AHL All-Rookie team. Against the Phantoms, Blomqvist has gone 6-1-2, 2.10, .929 including his first career shutout on March 13.
Phantoms Scoring Leaders
Cooper Marody 18-36-54
Samu Tuomaala 15-28-43
Tanner Laczynski 16-26-42
Olle Lycksell 19-20-39
Emil Andrae 5-27-32
Penguins Scoring Leaders
Ty Smith 9-34-43
Vinnie Hinostroza 16-19-35
Sam Poulin 16-15-31
Corey Andonovski 7-23-30
Austin Rueschhoff 15-13-28
SPECIAL TEAMS
Lehigh Valley PP, 18.4% (15th)
Lehigh Valley Valley PK 79.8% (24th)
LV PP vs. WBS 5/36, 13.9%
W-B/Scranton PP 17.2% (27th)
W-B/Scranton PK 85.4% (2nd)
WBS vs. LV PP 8/41, 19.5%
SEASON SERIES
Jan. 6 – WIN – Lehigh Valley 4 at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 3 (OT) (Tuomaala)
Jan. 26 – LOSS – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 4 at Lehigh Valley 3
Feb. 3 – LOSS – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 3 at Lehigh Valley 1
Feb. 9 – WIN – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 4 at Lehigh Valley 5 (SO)
Feb. 21 – WIN – Lehigh Valley 3 at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 2 (OT) (Marody)
Mar. 8 – LOSS – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 3 at Lehigh Valley 2
Mar 9 – WIN – Lehigh Valley 4 at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 2
Mar. 13 – LOSS – Lehigh Valley 0 at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 3
Mar. 24 – LOSS – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 3 at Lehigh Valley 1
Mar. 30 – OTL – Lehigh Valley 3 at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 4 (OT) (Andonovski)
Apr. 7 – LOSS – Lehigh Valley 1 at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 5
Apr. 20 – LOSS – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 2 at Lehigh Valley 0
SERIES LEADERS
Lehigh Valley
Rhett Gardner 3-6-9
Samu Tuomaala 4-3-7
Cooper Marody 3-4-7
Adam Brooks 3-3-6
Parker Gahagen 1-2-0, 2.40, .918
Cal Petersen 0-2-0, 2.58, .904
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
Vinnie Hinostroza 3-8-11
Radim Zohorna 2-7-9
Corey Andonovski 2-6-8
Sam Poulin 4-4-8
Joel Blomqvist 6-1-2, 2.10, .929
Phantoms Tickets are available HERE
CALDER CUP PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE
Friday, April 26 (7:05) vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins – Game 2 – Calder Cup Playoffs
Sunday, April 28 (5:05) at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins – Game 3 – Calder Cup Playoffs
