The Phantoms are in the midst of five straight games on the road. However, plenty has been happening so let’s get up to speed in advance of Wednesday in Bridgeport and next Saturday at home for Toronto.
Last Saturday In Hershey, What Happened?
After the tremendous last-minute win in regulation last Friday night at the PPL Center, the Phantoms headed out to the (not so) Giant center to complete the home-and-home with the Bears. Grundstrom got the Phantoms on the board in the first minute, but Hershey got the next two for a 2-1 lead at the first intermission. In the second period, the Phantoms got goals from Grans and Wilson to re-take the lead. Alas, a Smallman who plays for the Bears was able to tie it up. The Phantoms gave up far too many power plays in the game, but only one goal on the man-advantage for Hershey. There was no score in overtime. Bump, Grundstrom and Andrae were kept out of the net as the good guys lost in the shootout. Bjarnason was in net.
Wednesday In Laval, QC, What Happened?
The Phantoms got blanked 3-0 while only putting 17 shots on net. They once again gave up too many power plays–including a 4-minute job when Dorwart drew blood with his stick in the second, which resulted in one of the goals against. Kolosov was in net for the good guys.
Weekend With The Wolfpack, What Happened?
Friday night the Hamilton Street Heroes spotted the home Wolfpack 2-0 to begin the game but fought back from 3-1 to tie the game on a Carl Grundstrom goal early in the third. Lane Pederson burried the game-winner in overtime. Bjarnason was in net. The Phantoms played a cleaner game, not surrendering an inordinate amount of power plays.
Saturday in the rematch it was another back-and-forth game with the Phantoms scoring first and then Grundstrom once again with an important goal in the third to tie it. Column-favorite Cooper Marody shoved in the game-winner in overtime, which resulted from some “sloppy puck” by the Wolfpack. Yaniv Perets was in net for the Phantoms and gets his first AHL win of the season. Once again the Phantoms were able to keep things pretty clean on the penalty sheet.
Roster Update: “Every Day We’re Shuffling”
The other thing that has been happening is that the roster has been turning over more that one would expect this early in the season and with the team on an extended roadie. But we serve at the pleasure of the Flyers, and injuries happen, so here we are:
- F Sawyer Boulton loaned to ECHL Reading
- D Emil Andrae promoted to NHL Flyers
- D Ben Meehan promoted from ECHL Reading
- F Samu Tuomaala traded to Texas for D Christian Kyrou
- Samu had been our All Star a couple seasons ago, but has had trouble staying healthy and staying effective on the ice. He’s mostly blocked with the Flyers and was having trouble getting playing time with the Phantoms this season. A good candidate for a change of scenery. Kyrou is a 2022 second round pick of the Dallas Stars who shoots right-handed. Scouting reports have him as a 5’11” defender who moves with the puck well. In 57 games with the AHL Texas Stars last season he posted 8/15/23 and a -5 with 22 penalty minutes. His brother is Jordan Kyrou of the Blues.
- D Vincent Sévigny signed to a PTO. Big lefty defender brought in for depth during the shuffle. Has played in the AHL with Laval and Bridgeport
- G Aleksei Kolosov recalled to NHL Philadelphia. G Sam Ersson’s semi-annual lower-body injury has him on the shelf.
- G Yaniv Perets recalled from ECHL Reading. French-Canadian had a cup of coffee with the Chicago Wolves last season.
- D Ben Meehan returned to ECHL Reading
- D Emil Andrae returned from NHL Philadelphia
- F Jacob Gaucher promoted to NHL Philadelphia. Couturier took a puck hard.
- D Artem Guryev loaned to ECHL Reading. Came over from the Sharks with Grundstrom in the Ellis trade. Hadn’t gotten a ton of playing time yet with the Phantoms and with Andrae and Kyrou and Sevigny around it’s not getting easier to get ice time.
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The Week Ahead
This week the Phantoms will stop off in Bridgeport for a mid-week tilt on Wednesday before settling in at home. The have a rare Friday night off and just one game next weekend when Toronto visits the PPL Center on Saturday, Service Electric Cap Giveaway Game. The following weekend is two home games as well. In all, after Wednesday, four of the next five games are at home.
Hockey Night column to get you ready for the Toronto game will be up Saturday morning.
See you at the arena,
@Kram207