I really wanted to use the headline, “How The West Was Won” but then it would have been more accurate to say “How the Mid-West Was Almost Won” and that seemed bad. So, the Boys Are Back In Town…
“Guess who just got back todayThem wild-eyed boys that had been awayHaven’t changed, had much to sayBut man, I still think them cats are crazy”
-Thin Lizzy 1976
It was the first–and hopefully not the last–midwest trip for the Phantoms as the Lehigh Valley version. They started with two games in Grand Rapids against a Griffins team that took it to us pretty good back near the start of the season. The Phantoms returned the favor taking 3 of 4 points in Michigan, the first was on a Wednesday–always a good day for the Phantoms–and the second was a shoot-out loss on Friday. Then on to Rockford to take on an IceHogs squad that also beat the Phantoms at the PPL Center. Again, the Phantoms returned the favor on their home ice now with 5 out of 6 points on this trip. Headlines were being written. But, then, they faltered on the other side of the lake, dropping a game in Milwaukee on a Tuesday before heading home. Five out of Eight points isn’t horrible for such a trip, but it could have been better. We’ll see Milwaukee here in Allentown on a Wednesday in March.
Aside: I love playing these different teams even though for most fans it’s rather inconsequential. With the visiting Griffins and IceHogs this season and the Phantoms losing all those games, it did make me start to wonder if playing unfamiliar foes on home ice is hard to get up for. Then the Phantoms go and win some road games in their stadiums and maybe there’s something to it. I’ll be interested to see this Milwaukee game coming up, how the team looks against a foe they know a little, facing them at home in the rematch.
Records:
Overall: 25-20-5-2 (5th Place in Division)
Regulation Wins: 15
Home: 13-9-2-1
Away: 13-11-3-1
White Jerseys: 13-8-1-1
White-Out Jerseys: 1-1
Orange Jerseys: 6-6-1
Black Alternate Jerseys: 3-2-2-1
Black-Out Jerseys: 1-1-1
Black on Steel Gray Jerseys: 1-2
Fridays: 7-5-2-1
Saturdays: 10-6-2
Sundays: 0-4-0-1
Wednesdays: 7-1-1
Tuesday/Thursday: 1-4
Sunday 3/3: 0-3-0-1
Post-Game Player Event Day: 2-1
October: 2-3-1-1
November: 7-3-2
December: 4-7-1
January: 8-4-1
February: 4-3-0-1
Roster Update
Bolton, Bernard and Primeau were added before the trip so that the Phantoms would have good depth available on the road. Bolton and Primeau have since returned to Reading. I did have some concern that the Flyers would immediately help themselves to a. couple of our players on return from the mid-west, but as of this writing that hasn’t happened.
However, things could be about to change with the respective trade deadlines approaching. The NHL deadline is March 7. Several Flyers players have been mentioned as possibilities to move. The expectation would not be to receive players back who could help the Phantoms right now, probably more likely younger prospects, NHL guys, or draft picks. But, the AHL deadline is a week later, March 14, and it’s probably more likely that any net gain the Phantoms receive would come from there. Unfortunately, the most likely scenario is a net loss: NHL guys get traded away and the Flyers call up a couple guys for the remainder of the season leaving the cupboard bare in Allentown until the possibility of college and juniors guys arrive or players return for a playoff run once the Flyers are eliminated or finished. Also, watch the wire for “paper” moves ahead of the deadline as the Flyers signal which players will be available for the Phantoms in the AHL playoffs, should we be so fortunate.
Lines Tuesday in Milwaukee:
43 Eklind 18 Ābols 90 Richard
17 Wilson 13 Furry 72 Gendron
15 Lycksell 56 Gaucher 74 Wisdom
16 Avon 73 Rizzo 27 Tuomaala
19 McDonald 7 Belpedio
6 Andrae 3 Grans
37 Ginning 5 Samson
31 Gahagen (Backup: 80 Petruzzelli)
Scratches: 8 Ben Gleason 20 Cooper Marody 22 Rhett Gardner 32 Eetu Makiniemi 36 Sawyer Boulton 40 Cal Petersen 55 Xavier Bernard 57 Mason Primeau 91 Elliot Desnoyers
From Phantoms Media:
– The Phantoms have a three-game point streak (2-0-1) and also have points in five of the last six (4-1-1). The Phantoms are also 6-2-1 in their last nine. Overall, Lehigh Valley is seven games over .500 for the first time this season.
– Olle Lycksell is on a six-game point streak since February 14 accumulating 1-6-7 in the stretch. His point streak is tied for the longest on the team this year. It is Lycksell’s second time with a six-game point streak and Anthony Richard also had a six-gamer earlier this year. The third-year pro leads the Phantoms with 14-21-35 in 36 games.
– Rodrigo Abols has points in five of six games since returning from the Philadelphia Flyers scoring 1-5-6 in the stretch.
– Anthony Richard has scored 3-2-5 with a pair of multi-point games in the first three games of the team’s road trip. The AHL veteran of over 500 games returns to Milwaukee for Tuesday’s contest where he starred for the first four-and-a-half seasons of his career.
– The Phantoms have scored three or more goals in eight of their last nine games with 38 goals over the stretch averaging 4.2 goals per game.
– Lehigh Valley is 15-1-1 when scoring four or more goals in a game. The Phantoms are 17-0-2 when holding their opponents to two goals or fewer.
– The Phantoms lead the AHL with 18 overtime games ahead of Cleveland with 17. Lehigh Valley is also tied for the tops with seven OT wins along with Hershey, Hartford and Laval. Olle Lycksell leads the AHL with three overtime winners. Lehigh Valley is 7-5 in overtimes and 4-2 in shootouts.
– Lehigh Valley has taken the league-lead in most one-goal games with 32. The Phantoms also are third in one-goal wins with 18 behind Hershey (20) and Laval (19). The Phantoms boast a record of 18-7-7 in one-goal games including 10-2-3 at home.
GAME DAY!
Welcome home for two with lowly Bridgeport. Firmly in last place all season they come in on an 0-2-0-1 streak, 2-6-1-1 in their last 10 games. These are the games the Phantoms need to win to solidify their playoff hopes. And yet, Bridgeport has only three less regulation wins than the Phantoms.
You’ll remember old friend Cole Bardreau is on this team. I know he only has three goals or something, but they should just leave him here in Allentown; he doesn’t deserve to be on such a crappy team. They have a giant Finn goalie Tikkanen, too, so watch for Tuomaala to do some Finn chirping.
The Islanders are near the bottom of the league in both special teams set-ups. The Phantoms have been doing worse than previous in their own power play and penalty kill.
It’s ‘Hockey Is For Everyone’ night at the arena. We can’t have dollar dogs because we did that already this month. It’s the final game of February.
Plenty of good seats still remain for tonight’s game, as low as $12 on the secondary market.
MEDIA KIT
OFFICIALS
Referee Beau Halkidis (#48)
Referee Rob Hennessey (#87)
Linesperson John Rey (#16)
Linesperson Jud Ritter (#34)
Scouting the Refs: Halkidis I have no notes. Hennessey was labeled as ‘uneven’ and ‘excessive slashing’
What To Watch
- Watch for Gahagen in goal, unless they want to give him an extra day off since he played on Tuesday. But it’s 3/3 so probably Gahagen, Petro, Gahagen.
- Watch to see if the Phantoms can capitalize on having better special teams–on paper.
- Watch to see Cole Bardreau get revenge
- Watch to see if the road trip had any effect on the jump for this team
Up Next
Right back here for a rematch tomorrow. There may or may not be a game-day set-up for you, depending on how tonight goes and Pig Day tomorrow. They’ve got Hershey on Sunday afternoon for 3/3, which hasn’t ended well for the Phantoms this season.
Next weekend they’ll be in Charlotte, then they’ll be home for five in a row from 3/14 to 3/22.
See you at the arena,
@Kram207