Hockey Night In Allentown: “It All Falls Apart” 1/23/26

The Phantoms have lost four in a row by a combined score of 17-6, and return home from yet another loss to that sorry team from Bridgeport in a good old-fashioned butt whooping in a Monday matinee.  Now, hungry Charlotte and Hershey teams, who are on a combined 7-game point streak, are coming to town.  What could go wrong?  Maybe Charlotte won’t show up for the game?

“Yeah, it falls apart
And you can count on that
You can count on bad, bad weather again”

-Dog’s Eye View Everything Falls Apart

Photo: Jack Mitroka
“What The #@!!’s Going On Out Here?!?”  – Vince Lombardi

The Phantoms may look like a winning team, but they are underwater on goals scored for and against, and are tied for the fewest regulation wins in the division.  The parent club has lost 7 of the last 8 and are dragging the Phantoms down with them.

The Phantoms are near the league leaders in penalty minutes.  Thankfully they make up for it by being the worst team in the division at killing penalties.

Charlotte is coming in hot, perhaps playing some of the best hockey in the division.  This leads off a Pennsylvania weekend for them, with Scranton tomorrow and Hershey Sunday.  What a great weekend for the team who can’t figure out travel plans!

Records and Standings

Record:  19-15-2-2

Standings: Fourth in the Atlantic, about to get passed by Hershey

Home:  9-6-1-1

Away:  10-9-1-1

Recent: Lost 4 in a row

Overtime:  3-2

Shootout: 4-2

Friday: 4-6

Saturday: 11-2-0-2

Sunday: 2-3-1

[Sunday 3/3: 0-1-1]

Monday:.0-1-1

Wednesday: 3-3

October: 5-3-0-1

November: 5-3-1-1

December:  5-5-1

January:  3-4

White “Road” Jerseys: 8-4-1-1

Black with Orange “Alternate” Jerseys:  4-5-1-1

Orange “Home” Jerseys: 5-3

“Black-Out” Jerseys:  0-1

“Faux-Back” Keystone Black:  2-2

Post-Game Fan Event Game:  2-0

Photo: Jack Mitroka
Player Update

D Hunter McDonald and C Lane Pederson were called up to the Flyers, along with G Aleksei Kolosov.  Perets makes the trip back from Reading, and brings with him D Artem Guryev and LW Hunter Johannes.

Currently battling injuries to some degree:  F Massimo Rizzo, F Alex Bump, D Ty Murchison (long term).

Lines Monday in Bridgeport:

90 Richard 26 Tomasino 20 Marody

43 Eklind 56 Gaucher 12 Kaplan

72 Gendron 74 Wisdom 22 Robertson

23 Dorwart 48 Johannes 17 Wilson

3 Grans 59 Bonk

37 Ginning 15 Kyrou

82 Guenette 76 Schmidt

64 Bjarnason (Backup: 1 Perets)

GAME DAY!

We don’t even get hot dogs for cheap.

Doors: 6:00PM Public, 5:45PM Premier Members

Show: 7:00PM

Hockey: 7:15PM

Tickets: Widely Available

Parking: Heard nightmares about recent events, but nothing to report for hockey

Weather:  We should be OK for both today’s game as well as tomorrow.  Charlotte will likely rush out after tomorrow’s game in Wilkes, as well as Hershey after tomorrow’s game here, to get to Hershey in advance of snow and prepare to play Sunday afternoon.

Post-Game:  They’ve discontinued the post-game raffles at Chickie’s.  Sources suggest there’s something else in the works, but no details were available.

MEDIA KIT (rosters, records, stats etc.):

Charlotte 2

OFFICIALS:

Referees: Jarrett Burton (#78), Jack Young (#24) Linesperson: Davids Rozitis (#62), Bill Lyons (#27)

Photo: Jack Mitroka
What To Watch
  • Watch to see if it’s Bjarnason doing the heavy lifting in net after taking the loss on Monday.
  • Watch to see if any of the injured guys are available and in the lineup
  • Watch special teams:  4 of the 6 goals Bridgeport scored Monday were Power Play Goals.  One was a Shortie.  They need to play better.  Let’s look at both the players and the coaching here.
  • Watch the effort.  Win or lose, but are they playing hard?  Can this coach help pull them out of this funk?
  • Or, is the attrition just too much at this point?  This was a fun team to start the season, but we’re not having any fun lately here at Hockey Night.

 

See you at the arena,

@Kram207

 

 

Kram207 Written by:

Columnist and PodCast Host for the Top Level of the Minors, covering Lehigh Valley Professional Sports. The new location for all NoiseNation and Horn and Bell news. @Kram207 @TopLevelMinors

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