Including tonight:
- 13 Games left in the season
- 8 of them at home
- 4 vs Hershey; 2 Home, 2 Away
- 3 vs last-place Wilkes-Barre; 2 Home, 1 Away
- In 5th place, 6 points ahead of 6th place; 9+ points ahead of the non-playoff teams
- 5-0 win streak; 6-3-0-1 in last 10
Playoff Watch
With six teams making the playoffs these days from the AHL Atlantic, I’ve been getting my first-round matchups wrong. The top two teams get a bye in the first round. So in whatever order, that will likely be Providence and Hershey unless Charlotte can make a late run. The first round playoffs as they stand now would be third-place Charlotte versus sixth-place Bridgeport. And, while the Phantoms are in a virtual tie with Springfield, that’s the first round opponent even if the Phantoms reach fourth place–it would just be down to who gets the home ice advantage in a three-game series. (Division semi-finals and division finals are 5-game series; Conference Finals and Calder Cup are seven-games.)
Hershey comes in tonight on an 0-3 skid and a perfectly average 4-4-1-1 tally in their last 10. But, they’ve had the Phantoms number this season for sure. The Hamilton Street Heroes are 2-7-0-1 on the season versus the brown team, while they are 8-2. The cumulative score totals 38-26 in Hershey’s favor. However, in the last three contests between the teams, the Phantoms are 2-0-0-1. In any case, the four games left versus Hershey should be a nice tune-up and a measuring stick for the Phantoms as they head to the playoffs, barring some kind of collapse. It’s a good way for them to prove they belong in said playoffs.
Players
The Phantoms lost F Tyson Foerster and G Sam Ersson to the Flyers this week, but like Sunday, there is the possibility that they could return for today’s game or possibly Friday depending on what’s going on in Philadelphia.
GAME DAY!
It’s our last mid-week game of the 2022-23 season! I feel like we’ve had fewer Wednesday games this season compared to in the past–possibly replaced by more Sundays. That’s probably better for attendance a couple different ways. The Phantoms are currently 10th in the AHL in average attendance. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them go up a couple notches before all is said and done.
Wednesday game means happy hour! Get your discounted drafts at any concession pouring Miller or Lager, right up until the puck drops. I don’t suppose they’ll keep track of how many drafts we can consume like they do for the hot dogs. Probably irresponsible.
Hershey has lost a couple guys to Washington recently, perhaps contributing to their recent swoon. Also, goon Kale Kessy was traded to Colorado so that’s less chance you’ll see a fight tonight–or maybe more?
Parking in the new Maple Street Deck has been very very budget friendly the past two Sunday games. But maybe only because it was Sunday? More information needed. The access off Walnut Street doesn’t appear open yet so you have to get in via the Maple Street alley off Ninth Street. Decent place to park if you’re pre-gaming at BrewWorks or thereabouts.
OFFICIALS
Referee: Beau Halkidis (#48)
Referee: Peter Schlittenhardt (#12)
Linesperson: J.P. Waleski (#14)
Linesperson: John Rey (#16)
MEDIA KIT
What To Watch
- Watch for longer lines at the concessions pre-game as folks queue up for those yummy yummy beverages
- Watch to see if Ersson or Foerster or both return for tonight’s game. In any case, we’ll need a backup goalie even if this is another Maier game.
- Watch to see what kind of effort we get from Hershey. Their recent losses are an interesting development.
- Watch to see if the Marody/Brooks line comes together again.
- Watch for roster moves this afternoon, as mentioned above.
Up Next
This group of 7/8 at home continues this weekend with games Friday and Sunday. Friday is a rematch with this same Hershey side, while Sunday is another 4PM contest, this time with Wilkes-Barre. The team will be on the road the following weekend versus the Pennsylvania teams, while we will be watching NCAA Hockey at the PPL Center.
Programing Note: As we get closer and closer to Baseball season, Hockey Night previews might be somewhat sporadic. Find me on Twitter for thoughts.