Sunday, October 29 at 5:05 p.m – PPL Center, Allentown, PA
Lehigh Valley (3-3-0) vs. Hartford (4-2-0)
TONIGHT
The Lehigh Valley Phantoms have a PPL Center home game against the Hartford Wolf Pack, AHL affiliate of the New York Rangers. This is Lehigh Valley’s third consecutive Sunday at home and the Phantoms are 2-0-0 so far in their Sunday dates. Tonight is Game 2 out of 6 in the Atlantic Division rivalry series. The Phantoms and Wolf Pack will return to Allenton on Friday, November 3 in a rematch.
LAST TIME
The Lehigh Valley Phantoms cranked out 32 shots on goal, including 29 shots in the second and third periods, but were unable to break through Clay Stevenson in a 4-0 loss at Hershey on Saturday night. The Phantoms had their chances which included eight power plays. It was Lehigh Valley’s first shutout loss in the regular season in 80 games going back two seasons when the Phantoms were shutout by Springfield on April 23, 2021.
Pierrick Dube scored two goals for the Bears while former Phantoms Mike Vecchione and Logan Day also found the back of the net.
TRANSACTIONS
Oct 26 – Emil Andrae (D) – Loaned to Lehigh Valley by Philadelphia
Oct 26 – Louie Belpedio (D) – Recalled to Philadelphia
Oct 26 – Victor Mete (D) – Recalled to Philadelphia
Oct 26 – Mason Millman (D) – Reassigned by Philadelphia to Lehigh Valley from Reading
ANDRAE RETURNS
Emil Andrae returns to the Phantoms from the Philadelphia Flyers and is expected to make his season debut with Lehigh Valley this weekend. He played in four games with Philadelphia after making the Opening Night roster becoming the 43rd Lehigh Valley Phantoms to receive a recall for his NHL debut with Philadelphia.
Last season, Andrae joined the Phantoms in March and played in 10 games scoring two goals with four assists for six points. Andrae was the Flyers second-round selection (#54 overall) in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft
BELPEDIO GETS HIS CHANCE
Defenseman Louie Belpedio was recalled and made his Flyers debut on Thursday against Minnesota. That was a fitting way for Belpedio to return to the NHL. The 27-year-old defenseman from Skokie, IL was a third-round draft selection of the Minnesota Wild and spent the bulk of his career with the Iowa Wild before joining the Phantoms last season. Thursday represented just his fifth career NHL game and his first game in 2.5 years since February, 2021. The Phantoms alternate captain has played in 309 career AHL games including 75 with Lehigh Valley.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Olle Lycksell’s big weekend also brought home AHL Howie’s Hockey Tape/Player of the Week honors as announced on Monday. Lycksell scored five goals on the weekend including three on Friday and one each on Saturday and Sunday. Lycksell now rates tied for third in the AHL with five goals after briefly moving into first before the Phantoms had some days off. His three power-play goals rates second behind only Adam Gaudette of Springfield who has four. Lycksell’s two game-winning goals is also tied for the AHL lead.
The second-year pro becomes the sixth Lehigh Valley player all-time to win AHL Player of the Week honors and is the 21st Phantoms player in franchise history to receive the award going back to the beginning of the Philadelphia Phantoms in 1996.
PHANTASTIC!
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- Olle Lycksell recorded the 18th hat trick in Lehigh Valley history last Friday at Springfield. It was the first away hattie since Tanner Laczynski against the Binghamton Devils in Newark on March 26, 2021
- Lehigh Valley had its streak of five straight games with a power-play goal snapped on Saturday
- The Phantoms have 31 or more shots on goal in all six games this season
- Olle Lycksell (5-0-5) had a three-game goal streak snapped on Saturday
- Tanner Laczynski (1-6-7) has a four-game point streak and leads the team in scoring
- The Phantoms are 2-0-0 on Sundays
HERE COMES HARTFORD
Hartford (4-2-0) picked up the 1,000th win in the history of the franchise on Saturday against Lehigh Valley but has dropped two straight after initially entering the weekend as the only AHL team without a regulation loss.
The Pack fell 5-2 at Springfield on Friday and then fell behind 4-0 in the first period on Saturday en route to a 4-2 loss at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Saturday.
30-year-0ld captain Jonny Brodzinski (5-4-9) paces the offense and had a goal last Saturday, October 21 against Lehigh Valley when the Wolf Pack emerged with a 5-1 decision at XL Center. Former Laval Rocket captain Alex Belzile (3-4-7) is next on the Pack in scoring.
This is the second of six matchups between the Atlantic Division foes who will rematch at PPL Center in Lehigh Valley’s next home game on Friday, November 3.
Hartford head coach Kris Knoblauch and Phantoms head coach Ian Laperriere both used to be assistant coaches with the Philadelphia Flyers and were together for two seasons in Philadelphia.
Phantoms Scoring Leaders
Tanner Laczynski 1-6-7
Olle Lycksell 5-0-5
Cooper Marody 2-3-5
Samu Tuomaala 1-3-4
Hartford Scoring Leaders
Jonny Brodzinski 5-4-9
Alex Belzile 3-4-7
Mac Hollowell 0-6-6
Brennan Othmann 2-1-3
SPECIAL TEAMS
Lehigh Valley PP, 14.3% (24th)
Lehigh Valley PK 82.1% (17th)
Hartford PP 15.6% (22nd)
Hartford PK 83.3%, (13th)
UP NEXT
The Phantoms travel back to GIANT Center on Wednesday night for a rematch with the Hershey Bears.
Lehigh Valley’s next home game is Friday, November 3 in another showdown against Hartford on Swiftie Takeover Night!
UPCOMING
Sunday, October 29 (5:05) – Hartford Wolf Pack at Lehigh Valley Phantoms – Postgame Skate with Players
Wednesday, November 1 (7:00) – Lehigh Valley Phantoms at Hershey Bears
Friday, November 3 (7:05) – Hartford Wolf Pack at Lehigh Valley Phantoms – SWIFTIE Takeover Night!
Saturday, November 4 (7:05) – Lehigh Valley Phantoms at Springfield Thunderbirds
