The Phantoms are 8-3-0-1 as they continue to stack wins. It’s one of their best starts ever–and best since the 2017-18 campaign. I went back and read the Hockey Night columns of the day. We were worried about goalie because Alex Lyon didn’t look completely healthy. We were winning when we got good play from our special teams. I used the same Thin Lizzy lead-in that I used last weekend. There was “unrest” in the arena. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Here’s the column from 11/25/17.
Previously, on Hockey Night…
Last time out, the Phantoms held on to a regulation win versus the visiting Marlies of Toronto last Saturday night at the PPL Center. The Phantoms limited Toronto to just two power plays and didn’t allow a goal. Meanwhile, the Phantoms themselves were kept scoreless on five man-advantage scenarios. Not great, but it was a cleaner game against a franchise that often skates and moves the puck well, which is a good sign for a team maybe prone to some sloppiness under a new coach. Kolosov returned to tame pucks and looked good, for the most part.
The Phantoms have been off for the week and should be healthy and rested headed into a three-in-three weekend.
Records and Standings
Record: 8-3-0-1
Standings: 3rd Place (Providence and Wilkes lead the division)
Home: 3-1
Away: 5-2-0-1
Recent: 4-game win streak
Overtime: 2-0
Shootout: 1-1
Friday: 3-0
Saturday: 4-0-0-1
Sunday: 0-1
Sunday 3/3: 0-0
Wednesday: 1-2
October: 5-3-0-1
November: 3-0
White “Home” Jerseys: 3-1
Black/Orange “Alternate” Jerseys: 2-0-0-1
Orange “Away” Jerseys: 3-2
Post-Game Fan Event Game: 1-0
The Players
Roster moves this week:
- F Carl Grundström returned from Philadelphia. He’s an NHL player caught in a roster crunch. It’s good to have him here.
Lines Saturday versus Toronto:
21 Bump 25 Pederson 52 Barkey “Peterson and the Prospects”
90 Richard 23 Dorwart 12 Kaplan “Richard and the Kids”
43 Eklind 56 Gaucher 72 Gendron “The return of the Eklind”
17 Wilson 74 Wisdom 36 Boulton “Thunder, Lightning and Boulton”
4 Muirchison 15 Kyrou
55 Sevigny 3 Grans
19 McDonald 24 Berger
35 Kolosov (64 Bjarnason)
Line nicknames remain a work in progress.
Scratches:
20 Cooper Marody 22 Tucker Robertson 48 Dennis Gilbert 57 Artem Guryev
I hope Marody is reasonably healthy. I’d like to see more of Robertson and hope the same for him.
Photo: Jack Mitroka
Enter Springfield
It hasn’t been a great start to the season for the Thunderbirds, AHL affiliate of the St Louis Blues. The arrive in last place in the AHL Atlantic at 2-8-1-1. However, they did beat Laval at home on Wednesday. The Phantoms will have the rest advantage as well as the travel advantage tonight. Springfield will head up the pike to Wilkes Barre for a 6:05PM Early Bird Special tomorrow.
NHL veteran and long-time Boston Bruin F Milan Lucic is on this team right now; he’s a forward wearing #12. 2019 second-rounder #17 Nikita Alexandrov leads the team in scoring. Old foe Kale Kessy is on this team if you’re looking for some rough stuff tonight.
Springfield is poor, but not horrible, on the power play–and that rises to average as a road squad. Springfield’s PK is excellent–and the best in the country as an road team!
GAME DAY!
It’s Berk’s Dollar Dogs tonight at the arena, through to the start of the first intermission.
Premier Gates: 5:45PM All Gates: 6:00PM Show Time: 7:05PM Hockey: 7:17PM
Parking: Nothing to report. Currently 2-2 on the season in my perennial battle to elude the Parking Overlords.
Traffic: Watch for construction on the center square and avoid driving through there if you can. Nothing at the Archer or Symphony Hall tonight, so traffic should be light downtown.
Tickets: Widely available and scattered. Secondary market for some savings.
Broadcast: Service Electric for video broadcast. Audio broadcast available for streaming or on Fox Radio Lehigh Valley.
Online Media Information: HERE
Printable Media Kit / Rosters / Stats: Springfield 1125
Officials: Refs: Beau Halkidis (#48), Adam Tobias (#16) Lines: Brandon Grillo (#75), Kirsten Welsh (#10)
What To Watch
- First we watch the goalies, as usual. Kolosov is depth for the Flyers as well as a work in progress as far as his North American game goes. Bjarnason is a top prospect. Kolosov got the call recently and as expected, Bjarnason got priority work when he was gone. Kolosov stepped right back in last weekend. Now, with a whole week off, it should be Bjarnason’s turn. But, it’s a 3/3 weekend so we’re expecting Kolosov tonight and Sunday afternoon in Hershey while Bjarnason will get the home Hershey look tomorrow night.
- Watch for Grundstrom to slot back in on one of the top two lines. We’re looking for two vetran-dominated lines tonight.
- Watch for Marody and Robertson. If they’re out again it could signify injury. Monitor as the weekend goes along, as well.
- There’s not a ton of advantage on special teams tonight. However, it is a space that the Phantoms need to improve, so keep an eye out for that.
- Also watch for sloppy penalties. At home and off all week, there should be no fatigue factor here.
- Watch for the hot dog totals. If this gets going I might need to get involved.
- Check out the new Pro Shop over at the former 99 Bottles. It makes so much sense, and corrects a real error in not having a retail presence downtown other than during Phantoms games. Also, as much as I enjoyed ‘Crust’ and ’99 Bottles’ pre-pandemic, it’s a tough market for restaurants if you’re not ‘all in’ to run one.
Up Next
Hershey comes in for Phan Con tomorrow, and we’ll complete the 3/3 as well as the home/home with the obligatory Sunday Hershey matinee.
Our first Wednesday home game is this coming week. It’s Rochester and it’s Military Appreciation night. The game will be on NHL Network. Word from the team is that we’d like to have a sizable mid-week crowd. To that end, you may be able to find some nice ticket deals around if you look hard enough. Bring a friend!
See you at the arena,
@Kram207
Featured image by Jack Mitroka. Hey Toronto, no extra points for goal difficulty or style, man.
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