“Just keep a movin’
You keep away I say
You got to change your backdrop
You got to keep a base”
–Izzy Stradlin “Train Tracks”
December Depression
December has not been kind to these Phantoms. It doesn’t seem to have anything in particular to do with injuries or malfeasance by the Flyers. Maybe it has some to do with “want-to”.
But they got up off the train tracks for the rematch in Cleveland on Saturday and managed an overtime win to get off the schnide. That was their first win of any kind since December began. Only the lowly Islanders are preventing the Phantoms from being in last place.
Records:
Overall: 10-10-4-1 (7th Place in Division)
Home: 6-4-1-1
Away: 4-6-3
White Jerseys: 7-6-1
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: 5-3-2
Sundays: 0-1-0-1
Wednesdays: 3-1-1
Tuesday/Thursday: 0-2
October: 2-3-1-1
November: 7-3-2
December: 1-4-1
Roster Moves
Boulton, Primeau and Sedley were added just prior to the road trip to Toronto and Cleveland last week. Primeau has since been returned to Reading.
F Jacob Gaucher was signed to an NHL contract with the Flyers. That’s a big deal for a guy who started out in professional hockey with ECHL Reading, playing the entire 2022-23 season there.
Enter Providence
We won’t see Providence here at the corner of 7th and Hamilton again until March; this is the first of their two visits. (Meanwhile some teams get to beat up on Bridgeport multiple times per season and we get to bang our heads against the Hershey wall 40 times per season. But, I digress.) Providence comes in on a 6-0 run and 7-3 in their last 10. They currently sit in fourth place in win percentage in the AHL Atlantic.
The Providence “Away” power play is 26th in the league as a road squad. They’ll face the Phantoms “Home” PK unit which is 15th in the league. When the Phantoms have the man-advantage, their 6th-ranked home power play will face the Providence #23 road Penalty Kill.
The Phantoms have a winning record at home and have been a good team on Wednesdays. The Phantoms dropped two up in Providence the weekend before Thanksgiving, one in overtime.
D Mason Millman is a friendly face. Prospects on this team include F Fabian Lysell #22, and F Georgii Merkulov #10.
Phantoms Media on Providence:
“Providence (14-10-2) has vaulted from seventh to second in the Atlantic on the strength of a six-game win streak. Following back-to-back losses against the last-place Utica Comets, the ruins have found their offense and have now racked up 25 goals in the last five games including a pair of goals in the win streak from defenseman Mason Millman who played parts of four seasons for the Phantoms. Providence Captain Patrick Brown (6-9-15) is a former Philadelphia Flyer of two seasons with 620 career pro games. Georgii Merkulov (6-17-23) is tied for sixth in the league in assists and had an overtime goal against the Phantoms on November 23 in Rhode Island. Brandon Bussi (5-6-2, 3.05, .889) posted a 30-save shutout against the Phantoms in the first meeting on November 22. After a horrible start, Bussi’s shutout against the Phantoms started the former AHL All-Star netminder back on the right track going 4-1-0, 1.81, .930 since November 22 after beginning the season 1-5-0, 4.11, .857.”
GAME DAY!
It’s another Wednesday Happy Hour game! “Beer-gate” should be resolved today, I’ve been told, as advertising 16oz beverages and having the arena substitute 12oz drinks and pocketing the difference should be coming to an end. We’ll see. 12oz beer for $2 before the game starts is still a deal–just not the one they promised.
Parking: Pre-purchase your parking in the arena deck. It does sell out, so grab it early. The rates are in the $7 range from Park Mobile and you can even back into your spot because the overlords don’t have access to spy on your plate. Main facilities are $10: Spiral, Trans Center, North Lot, Germania Lot. Park on the outskirts for only $5: Community Deck (6th Street), Maple St Deck (Walnut St). The parking folks are getting back into the overnight enforcement business, but that shouldn’t impact event parking other than maybe making them calm down about start time.
Tickets: Good seats still remain for tonight’s game; it should be a sparsely attended one, so a great time to come out and see the hockey without battling crowds. Tickets on the secondary market are as low as $8.
Winter Drive: Bring new and gently used winter items for donation, to Chickie’s before the game today and Friday for a chance to win prizes.
OFFICIALS
Referee Mike Dietrich (#15)
Referee Rob Hennessey (#87)
Linesperson Robert Peterkin (#51)
Linesperson John Rey (#16)
Scouting the refs: Hennessey we’ve had before. My notes say excessive slashing calls.
MEDIA KIT
What To Watch
- Watch for Peterson to start the game in goal. Gahagen right now is only getting the back-to-back games.
- Watch for “want-to”. Do these guys look like they want to win a hockey game or like they want to get on with a holiday vacation?
- Looking at the standings, the Phantoms have allowed way more goals than many other teams. Watch the defense as well as the goalie and see if that’s the main problem.
- Watch for the Phantoms to score on the man-advantage. If they can’t, they’ll likely lose.
Up Next
Right back here on Friday for Toronto, then Saturday at 6PM in Wilkes-Barre, then off for the holiday.
See you at the arena,
@Kram207
Izzy:
