“Now, look; if I go through with this, you gotta do everything I say, and I mean *everything* – no weaselling, no arguments, no *nothin* – *everything*”
–Jim Rockford
The Phantoms continue their current point streak and home stand with a visit from the Rockford IceHogs, AHL affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks. This is their first-ever visit to the PPL Center. It’s Happy Hour Night; let’s go win a hockey game!
Records
It’s a 4-game point streak as the team closed out November with a win Saturday night versus Laval at 7th and Hamilton. That followed a spirited overtime victory on Black Friday over the obnoxious Bears. The November record of 7-3-2 is a good one. Points in 9 of 12 games is a very nice pace if they can keep it up.
Overall: 9-6-3-1 (4th Place AHL Atlantic)
Home: 6-3-0-1
Away: 3-3-3
White Jerseys: 6-2
Orange Jerseys: 3-3-1
Black Jerseys: 0-1-2-1
Sunday 3/3: 0-0-0-1
Post-Game Event Day: 1-0
Fridays: 2-3-1
Saturdays: 4-3-1
Sundays: 0-0-0-1
Wednesdays: 3-0-1
October: 2-3-1-1
November: 7-3-2
December: 0-0
Players
Recent roster moves include D Helge Grans returning from the Flyers and F Sawyer Boulton returning from Reading.
Lines Saturday Night versus Laval:
15 Lycksell 73 Rizzo 27 Tuomaala
72 Gendron 22 Gardner 90 Richard
43 Eklind 18 Abols 16 Avon
91 Desnoyers 56 Gaucher 74 Wisdom
19 McDonald 7 Belpedio
37 Ginning 5 Samson
55 Bernard 8 Gleason
31 Gahagen (40 Petersen)
Scratches: 9 Sam Sedley 13 Brendan Furry 17 Garrett Wilson 20 Cooper Marody 32 Eetu Makiniemi
Discussion: Furry and Wilson with veteran time off, perhaps, unless there’s an unannounced injury (aren’t they all?). We know Marody is down–I heard “week to week” and some speculation about a concussion but all hearsay at this point and he’s going to need to board the proverbial “moving train” when/if he comes back. Eetu with the sports hernia will be out for some time. I like that third line of Eklind, Abols, Avon.
Royal Report
Reading is 7-3-1 and in 11th place out of 14 in the ECHL Eastern Conference, and 5/7 in the North Division. They are 2-6-2 in their last 10, so not doing well of late. Phantoms taking Gahagen has probably not been a help.
GAME DAY!
The IceHogs are in 4th place out of 7 in the AHL Central, at 7-9-2. Looking at only 7 teams in that division and where they are located in proximity to each other as well as the Pacific, it’s really no wonder they have started to make some forays to the East–speaking of Grand Rapids whom we saw already, as well as Milwaukee coming up. Rockford is in the middle of a 6-game road stretch which will take them to Hartford and Springfield this weekend. Then they’ll likely fly to Iowa for a game next Wednesday.
They have a couple “old friends” on the roster: F Gerry Mayhew, F Jackson Cates.
Prospects: #1 overall prospect and 2024 1st rounder (#2 overall) #55 D Artyom Levshunov, 2022 first rounder, diminutive #91 F Frank Nazar, 2022 first rounder D #14 Kevin Korchinski, #38 D Ethan Del Mastro, 2021 2nd round #28 Colton Dach, 2020 3rd round #84 F Landon Slaggert
Special Teams: On the power play, the IceHogs arrive with the #9 overall power play–however, that drops to #25 in away games. The Phantoms power play has been good, but the weekend games have dropped us to #6–but still #4 as a home team. Rockford has the #3 overall Penalty Kill, which drops to 9th as a road team. The Phantoms have the #15 PK unit overall, and 14th at home.
It’s a happy hour game, and you’ve already read my ‘Kram Komplains’ about the arena switching the cup size to “dixie” and not being honest about it, and only taking cash at one register. So, we’ll bypass that. Good reason to get to the arena early, though, to stock up on miniature cups of beer if that’s your jam.
OFFICIALS
Referee Rob Hennessey (#87)
Referee Andrew Bell (#6)
Linesperson Jud Ritter (#34)
Linesperson Michael Magee (#41)
Scouting the Refs: Bell we’ve had before. Tons of “holding” calls that game, but not much for stick penalties. Ritter is everyone’s favorite Lehigh Valley linesperson, and gets top billing tonight.
MEDIA KIT
What To Watch
- Watch for Peterson in net, and again on Saturday with Gahagen getting Sunday in Hershey.
- Watch for Wilson to return to the lineup, possibly Furry.
- Watch to see if Mass Rizzo stays in the lineup. The former 7th rounder of Carolina was traded to Philadelphia in 2019 in the David Kaše trade. He scored 44 points in 30 games last season for the University of Denver and played on the “top” line Saturday versus Laval. Watch for him to start appearing on the score sheet tonight as long as he’s still out there.
- Watch to see if Rockford shows up in decent sweaters. Grand Rapids in pure Red Wings knock-offs two nights in a row, was really disappointing. Phantoms in the home whites means the visitor can show their colors. Let’s go Rockford!
- Watch all the prospects on this Rockford team. They are young and may encounter some adversity on this extended road trip, but they have a ton of talent.
- Watch to see if the Phantoms can win the 5-on-5 times. Special teams might be a wash so we might benefit from some good play at even strength.
- How does Helge Grans appear tonight after coming back from his first NHL action? Inspired? Energized? Depressed? I think he’ll be fine, but it’s worth watching.
Up Next
We’ll be right back here on Saturday for “Teddy Bear Toss” versus the Bears. I believe it’s toss night in Reading on Saturday as well.
Next week the team will take to the road for four games. Sunday in Hershey for a rematch, Tuesday in Toronto for the first of two Canada trips this season, and Thursday and Saturday for two in Cleveland, before returning to the PPL Center two weeks from tonight for another Happy Hour versus Providence.
See you at the arena,
@Kram207
Rockford Files Theme (Long Version)
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