Phantoms Power Play Presented by Provident Bank
Charlotte Rivalry Continues at PPL Center
December 6, 2022
Lehigh Valley, PA – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms return from their southern sojourn for three games this week beginning Wednesday night at Hartford. Lehigh Valley (9-8-2) is at home this Friday and Saturday for two more games against the Charlotte Checkers, whom the Phantoms just played twice last weekend.
The Phantoms are coming off a split of their weekend series in North Carolina.
Friday at PPL Center is Berks $1 Hot Dogs.
Saturday at PPL Center is Phantoms Hats presented by Service Electric plus another live music performance by Dear Anna on Saturday Night Hockey Live.
WEEKLY RECAP
Wednesday, November 30, 2022
Bears 4 – Phantoms 2
Hershey broke a 2-2 tie with 16:32 remaining in the third period on Mike Sgarbossa’s goal on a scramble in the crease that may have also gone off his hand. Lehigh Valley rallied to tie the game twice in the second period on goals but Olle Lycksell (4th) and Garrett Wilson (5th). Sam Ersson made 31 saves on 34 shots before Hershey sealed the victory with a late empty-netter.
Friday, December 2, 2022
Phantoms 3 – Checkers 2
Adam Brooks and Jordy Bellerive both scored their first goals of the season while Elliot Desnoyers opened the scoring on a tip for a goal that was originally credited to Wyatte Wylie but was later changed. Bellerive’s game-winner came from towards the corner with 6:27 on a bank off the leg of former Phantom Alex Lyon. Ersson was terrific with 32 saves in keeping the Phantoms even through two periods despite a shots disadvantage.
Saturday, December 3, 2022
Checkers 6 – Phantoms 4
Lehigh Valley continued to come back to tie or pull closer but the Checkers kept pushing forward as well and eventually pulled off a wild 6-4 win in a feisty finale that earned the hosts the weekend split. Tyson Foerster (6th), Adam Brooks (2nd), Jackson Cates (5th) and Elliot Desnoyers (9th) all registered markers for the Phantoms who went 3-for-4 on the power play.
TRANSACTIONS
Dec 2 – Add Kieffer Bellows (F) – Loaned to LV from Philadelphia (NHL)
Dec 4 – Delete Alex Kile (F) – Loaned to Maine (ECHL)
Dec 4 – Delete Evan Barratt (F) – Reassigned by PHI to Reading (ECHL)
Dec 5 – Delete Pat Nagle (G) – Loaned to Reading (ECHL)
Dec 5 – Add Nolan Maier (G) – Recalled by LV from Reading (ECHL)
WELCOME
Kieffer Bellows joined the Phantoms and made his Lehigh Valley debut on Saturday at Charlotte. The former New York Islander registered an assist on the first goal of the game and later hit the post on a deflection of a shot by Louie Belpedio.
Adam Brooks played in his first games in six weeks and scored goals in back-to-back games. The former Calder Cup winner with the Toronto Marlies had been out with an injury since the second game of the season at Hershey on October 16.
POWER SURGE
The Lehigh Valley Phantoms power play has gone 6-for-10 in the last four games including a 3-for-4 performance on Saturday at Charlotte. The Phantoms have vaulted all the way up to seventh overall in the AHL at 24.6%.
Tyson Foerster and Cam York have both scored 2-5-7 on the power play while Cal O’Reilly is 1-6-7. The scoring has been very even on he man-advantage with six Phantoms tied for the team lead with two power-play goals each; Brooks, Desnoyers, Foerster, Lycksell, Wilson, York.
UPCOMING
Wednesday, December 7 at 7:00 pm
XL Center, Hartford, CT
Phantoms at Hartford Wolf Pack
Hartford (5-9-5) is in last place in the Atlantic Division and has dropped five straight decisions (0-4-1) as well as eight of its last nine (1-5-3). The AHL affiliate of the New York Rangers is dead last in the league in offense at just 2.3 goals per game. Highly touted rookie free-agent addition Bobby Trivigno is trying to find his game at the pro level and has scored 4-3-7. Former Phantoms defenseman Andy Welinski (3-7-10) is tied for the team lead along with Tim Gettinger (2-8-10) who has played in 201 career AHL games, all with Hartford. 30-year-old veteran goalie Louis Domingue (4-4-3, 2.48, .912) brings his experience of 322 pro games to the crease, including 137 NHL games with Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay and Arizona. Domingue is keeping his team in games for head coach Kris Knoblauch who had previously been at the bench together with Ian Laperriere as Flyers assistant coaches.
Friday, December 9 at 7:05 and Saturday, December 10 at 7:05
PPL Center, Allentown, PA
Phantoms vs. Charlotte Checkers
Charlotte (12-6-3) and Lehigh Valley will continue their stretch of four games in nine days against each other. The Checkers play at Hershey on Tuesday night before traveling to Allentown. The AHL affiliate of the Florida Panthers leads the league with nine overtime games. NHL veteran Riley Nash (6-13-19) paces the offense and scored 1-2-3 against Lehigh Valley in the recent weekend split. The 33-year-old center has played in 627 career NHL games with Carolina, Columbus and Boston among other teams. Other experiences veterans Chris Tierney and Zac Dalpe were both recently recalled to Florida.
Five former Phantoms or Flyers are on the Charlotte roster including Alex Lyon, Connor Bunnaman, Gerry Mayhew and Michael Del Zotto as well as third goalie J-F Berube who has only played in one game this year. Lyon (6-4-1, 2.78, .906) lost on Friday in his first-ever game AGAINST the Phantoms. He won the Calder Cup with the Chicago Wolves last year. Lyon returns to PPL Center for the first time this weekend and is Lehigh Valley’s all-time winningest goalie over parts of five seasons accumulating 85 victories from 2017-21 in 149 career games for the Orange and Black.
PHANTASTIC!
– Rookie Elliot Desnoyers leads the Phantoms with nine goals and has a two-game goal streak. Desnoyers has four goals in the last five games as well as six goals in the last nine games.
– Lehigh Valley’s top five scorers are all rookies or young prospects: Tyson Foerster (6-8-14), Cam York (3-9-12), Olle Lycksell (4-8-12), Elliot Desnoyers (9-2-11), Ronnie Attard (4-5-9)
– The Phantoms are 6-for-10 on the power play in the last four games and are 7th in the AHL at 24.6%. Lehigh Valley’s road power play is even stronger at 26.2% (11-for-42) which is second in the conference behind only Cleveland.
– The Phantoms are 7-2-2 in one-goal games. Lehigh Valley is 6-0-2 when leading after two periods.
– The Phantoms are 3-2 in decisions after regulation having gone 2-1 in overtime and 1-1 in shootouts.
Phantoms Scoring Leaders
Tyson Foerster 6-8-14
Cam York 3-9-12
Olle Lycksell 4-8-12
Elliot Desnoyers 9-2-11
Ronnie Attard 4-5-9
Phantoms Tickets are available HERE
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Wednesday, December 7 (7:00) at Hartford Wolf Pack
Friday, December 9 (7:05) vs. CHARLOTTE CHECKERS
Saturday, December 10 (7:05) vs. CHARLOTTE CHECKERS
Friday, December 16 (7:05) at Providence Bruins
Saturday, December 17 (7:05) vs. PROVIDENCE BRUINS
Sunday, December 18 (5:00) at Hershey Bears
UPCOMING PROMOTIONS
Friday, December 9 (7:05) vs. Charlotte Checkers – Berks $1 Hot Dogs!
Saturday, December 10 (7:05) vs. Charlotte Checkers – Phantoms Hat Giveaway Presented by Service Electric
Saturday, December 17 (7:05) vs. Providence Bruins – Teddy Bear Toss Presented by Big Woody’s
Saturday, December 31 (7:05) vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins – New Year’s Eve Celebration presented by Penn Community Bank. Including festivities after the game right outside the arena to ring in 2023!
Broadcast coverage of all Phantoms games, home and away, is available on the Phantoms 365 app and on Real Oldies 1470-AM in Allentown. Fans can watch on AHLTV.com and can listen on their Smart Speakers at: “Play Phantoms Radio 24/7.” Join the Voice of the Phantoms, Bob Rotruck, for all the action!
Service Electric Network again provides exclusive television coverage of all Phantoms home games with veteran announcer Steve Degler and Phantoms’ alum Steven Swavely on the call from the booth. Kristi Fulkerson reports from ice level and also from the Chickie’s and Pete’s studio with Dan Fremuth for pregame, intermission and postgame show analysis.
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