Lehigh Valley Phantoms (33-27-7) vs. Springfield T-Birds (33-28-6)
PPL Center, Allentown, PA
Saturday, April 5, 2025 (7:05 p.m.) – Game #68
TODAY – With just five games to go and inching closer and closer to punching their ticket for the Calder Cup Playoffs, “Los Fantasmas” return on Hispanic Heritage Night taking on the Springfield Thunderbirds, AHL affiliate of the St. Louis Blues.
Both teams have a chance to officially punch their ticket tonight. If Hartford loses in regulation at Hershey this evening, then the winner of the Lehigh Valley vs. Springfield matchup will clinch a spot in the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs.
The Phantoms are also one point ahead of Springfield for fifth-place in the division as the team’s also battle for playoff seeding so tonight’s contest is sure to have an extra jolt of playoff-caliber intensity.
Springfield (33-28-6) is in sixth place in the Atlantic Division. The Thunderbirds are entering Allentown on a two game losing streak falling to the Rochester Americans 4-2 and the Utica Comets 5-2 this week. Lehigh Valley is 1-2-0 against the Thunderbirds going into game four out of a four -game season series.
LAST TIME – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms largely outplayed the first-place Hershey Bears on Friday night at PPL Center but Clay Stevenson was the difference-maker in Hershey’s 2-1 win. Stevenson turned aside 32 of 33 shots he faced including several strong denials. Alexis Gendron (20th) broke through for the Phantoms in the third period and almost had the equalizer down low with 20 seconds left but Stevenson fought it off with the right shoulder as the Bears escaped with the rivalry decision. Fans also got their first look at newcomer Jett Luchanko in a Phantoms uniform. The 18-year-old first-round selection made his AHL debut during the recent three-game road trip and was appearing at PPL Center for the first time since the Flyers vs. Rangers Rookie Series in September. He highly touted prospect came as advertised as he continued to click on his line with fellow rookie Alexis Gendron and veteran captain Garrett Wilson.
traight game and Jett Luchanko had another assist for a two-game point streak.
MEDIA MATERIALS – Fans can browse rosters and Media Materials for upcoming games at the following link: https://www.phantomshockey.com/media-materials/
MORE NEW BLOOD – More new additions to the Phantoms in the past week include forward Alex Ciernik and defenseman Ty Murchison. Both players have yet to make their pro debuts but can potentially get a chance in the lineup in the near future.
Ciernik, 20, signed an ATO contract for the remainder of the 2024-2025 season. The native Slovakian played for the Nybro Vikings IF in Sweden’s Allsvenskan League where he scored 11-12-23 in 46 games played this season. Ciernik was selected by the Flyers in the fourth round (#120 overall) of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. His father, Ivan Ciernik, played 89 NHL games with Ottawa and Washington.
Murchison, 22, signed his two-year entry-level contract with the Philadelphia Flyers last Wednesday, beginning in the 2025-26 season. He joins the Phantoms on an ATO for the remainder of the 2024-25 season. Murchison was selected by the Flyers in the fifth round (158 overall) of the 2021 NHL Draft. The Corona, CA native just completed his fourth and final season at ASU where he totaled 24 points (9g-15a) in 146 regular-season games throughout his career with the Sun Devils.
PHANTASTIC – The Phantoms are 20-14-2 since January 1. Lehigh Valley is 20-1-1 when scoring four or more goals in a game. The Phantoms are 22-1-2 when holding their opponents to two goals or fewer.
– The Phantoms are 24-7-4 when scoring the first goal and are 19-4-1 when leading at the first intermission.
– Second-year pro Ethan Samson is the first Phantoms defenseman to score 10 or more goals in a season since Ronnie Attard had 12 goals in 2022-23. Samson had two goals in the team’s three-game road trip and also as four goals in the last eight games.
– It’s down to the wire for the team goal-scoring title. Alexis Gendron and Jacob Gaucher (20) are tied at 20 goals apiece after Gendron blasted one home for a second-consecutive game. Gendron has four goals in the last seven games and became just the third rookie in Lehigh Valley history to score 20 goals in a season.
– Parker Gahagen has been especially strong in the second half of the season, rating as one of the best goaltenders in the AHL since December 28. The 31-year-old Army Captain has gone 10-2-1, 1.91, .930 since the Holiday Break. In his last two games since his return to the Phantoms from Reading, Gahagen has gone 2-0-0, 1.00, .961 with 49 saves on 51 shots.
Lehigh Valley Record Book:
Goals by Rookie
Elliot Desnoyers – 23 (2022-23)
Danick Martel – 22 (2016-17)
Alexis Gendron – 20 (2024-25)
Single Season, Goals by Defenseman
T.J. Brennan – 21 (2016-17)
T.J. Brennan – 14 (2017-18)
Ronnie Attard – 12 (2022-23)
Brandon Manning – 11 (2014-15)
Ethan Samson – 11 (2024-25)
ROAR OF THUNDER – The Thunderbirds enter tonight in the same situation as the Phantoms with a Magic Number of just 4 points and an opportunity to clinch a playoff spot tonight via a win in tonight’s game combined with a potentially regulation loss by Hartford and Hershey. Springfield (33-27-6) couldn’t have been more Jeckyl and Hyde in March. The Thunderbirds had a three-game win streak immediately following a total collapse during a six-game losing skid that included a weekend allowing 22 goals in just three games against Syracuse and Providene. Somehow, the Thunderbirds have figured it out again and were playing well before back-to-back losses this week to Rochester, 4-2, and Utica 5-2.
19-year-old first-rounder Dalibor Dvorsky (20-23-43) was rewarded for his work with his first recall to the St. Louis Blues but has since returned to the T-Birds. 31-year-old Captain Matthew Peca (30-32-62) is thriving in his fourth season with the Birds setting a career-high in goals while equaling his all-time highest points total. Blues second-rounder Nikita Alexandrov (21-27-48) scored twice in the last 1:30 at Providence on Sunday as the T-Birds stunningly rallied for a 3-2 win. He has seven points in the last four games. Colten Ellis (22-12-3, 2.60, .922) got shelled by Syracuse last week but still ranks third in the AHL in save percentage. The Phantoms are 1-2-0 against Springfield this year including a 5-2 win in western Mass on November 2 led by Jacob Gaucher’s first-career hat trick. The T-Birds snagged a 5-1 win at PPL Center on January 24 in the most recent encounter.
Scoring Leaders
Phantoms
x – Olle Lycksell 17-24-41
Jacob Gaucher 20-16-36
Anthony Richard 16-19-35
Samu Tuomaala 11-21-32
Zayde Wisdom 13-17-30
Alexis Gendron 20-8-28
Thunderbirds
Matthew Peca 30-32-62
Nikita Alexandrov 21-28-49
Matt Luff 20-29-49
Dalibor Dvorsky 20-23-43
Hugh McGing 14-20-34
Aleksanteri Kaskimaki 11-23-34
Special Teams:
Lehigh Valley – PP 17.0%, 26th / PK 80.4%, 22nd
Springfield – PP 21.4%, 4th / PK 78.4%, 26th
SEASON SERIES (1-2-0)
11/2/24 Away W 5-2
11/15/24 Away L 3-4
1/24/25 Home W 5-1
4/5/25 Home
SERIES LEADERS
Lehigh Valley
Jacob Gaucher 3-0-3
x – Olle Lycksell 2-1-3
Samu Tuomaala 2-1-3
Anthony Richard 1-2-3
Springfield
Samuel Johanesson 1-2-3
Aleksanteri Kaskimäki 0-3-3
x – Marcus Sylvegard 2-0-2
Colten Ellis 2-1-0, 3.00, .912
COMING UP – The Phantoms are back in action next Friday night at the Syracuse Crunch and then will return home for a Saturday showdown with the rival Hershey Bears on Star Wars Night.
UPCOMING
Saturday, April 5 (7:05 pm) – Phantoms vs. Springfield Thunderbirds. Los Fantasmas!
Friday, April 11 (7:00 pm) – Phantoms at Syracuse Crunch
Saturday, April 12 (7:05 pm) – Hershey Bears at Phantoms. Star Wars Night!
Friday, April 18 (7:05 pm) – Cleveland Monsters at Phantoms. Regular Season Home Finale
Saturday, April 19 (7:00 pm) – Lehigh Valley Phantoms at Hershey Bears. End of Regular Season
