PREVIEW: Phantoms vs. T-Birds, Game #13

Lehigh Valley Phantoms (6-3-3) at Springfield Thunderbirds (4-8-1)
MassMutual Center, Springfield, MA
Friday, November 15, 2024 (7:05 p.m.) – Game #13

TONIGHT – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms look to keep it rolling as they head up to Western Mass for their last visit to Springfield in the 2024-25 season. Lehigh Valley (6-3-3) is on a three-game win streak and seven-game point streak (5-0-2). Springfield (4-8-1) is reeling with only two wins in its last nine games while occupying seventh place out of eight in the Atlantic Division.

The Phantoms won the first encounter between the two teams on November 2 with a 5-2 decision on the strength of Jacob Gaucher’s hat trick. Saturday Night at the Fights also featured five fights in the bruising contest.

LAST TIME – The “Lehigh RALLY” Phantoms did it again with another dramatic comeback. Alexis Gendron’s second goal of the game tied the score at 3-3 setting up Olle Lycksell’s overtime winner on the power play to down the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 4-3 at PPL Center on Wednesday night. Louie Belpedio (2nd) also scored for the Phantoms. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s Owen Pickering had given the Penguins the lead with under six minutes to go. The Phantoms finished a perfect 3-0 road-trip and came back from behind in all three games including twice against the Penguins.

MEDIA MATERIALS – Fans can browse rosters and Media Materials for both teams and the AHL at the following link.

https://www.phantomshockey.com/media-materials/

STREAKING – Lehigh Valley is on a seven-game point streak (5-0-2) since October 27.

Lehigh Valley can tie the team record with at least one standings point tonight. Lehigh Valley has twice had an eight-game point streak including February 7-21, 2018 (7-0-1) and November 2-18, 2016 (8-0-0).

The franchise-record longest point streak was during a 17-game win streak by the Philadelphia Phantoms from October 22-November 27, 2004 that was an AHL record at the time (since eclipsed by the Norfolk Admirals 28-game win streak in 2012)

PHANTASTIC

– Second-year winger Samu Tuomaala has scored 3-6-9 on the power play which is tied for first in power play points with Trevor Carrick of Charlotte. Tuomaala also paces the Phantoms in overall scoring with 4-8-12. He scored 15-28-43 in 69 games while representing the Phantoms at the AHL All-Star Classic in his rookie season.

– Rookie winger Alexis Gendron cranked it up the three-game homestand with a pair of two-goal games, both against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The 20-year-old waited for his turn to jump into the lineup eventually making his season debut in Game 6. With five goals in just six games played, he has quickly impressed and has thrived in his role on the team’s second line with veterans Garrett Wilson and Rhett Gardner. The seventh-rounder in 2022 out of Coteau Du Lac, Quebec began last season with the Phantoms scoring five goals in 17 games played before he was returned to Major Juniors where he went on a run to the Memorial Cup with Drummondville.

– Rookie defenseman Hunter McDonald has a +9 rating which is tied for first among AHL rookies. The Northeastern University product by way of Fairport, NY recently had a four-game point streak including his first official pro goal on November 6 at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The tall and tough 22-year-old was a Round 6 selection of the Flyers in 2022.

– Olle Lycksell’s 56 shots is most in the AHL. Lycksell is now on a two-game goal streak with a pair of pivotal strikes including a tying goal on Saturday against Utica with 3:29 left followed by his first career overtime winner against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Wednesday. Lycksell had 10 shots in last Saturday’s game and finally scored his first goal of the captain on his 10th shot of the night and 50th shot of the season.

– Defenseman Ben Gleason made his Phantoms debut on Saturday vs. Utica and recorded an assist and then followed that up with a two-assist night on Wednesday with helpers on the tying and winning goals. Gleason is on a six-game point streak with Lehigh Valley and Bakersfield combined. The AHL veteran was acquired by the Philadelphia Flyers from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for Ronnie Attard last Monday. Gleason is in his seventh season in the AHL having previously played 359 games with the Texas Stars and Bakersfield Condors scoring 40-137-177 in his career including 10-22-32 last year with Bakersfield.

– Lehigh Valley’s power play is converting at a 28.6% clip which is second-best in the AHL. The Phantoms are 6-for-18 (33.3%) in November.

– The Phantoms are averaging 34.5 shots per game which rates second in the AHL trailing only Rochester (35.5)

THINKING ABOUT THE THUNDERBIRDS – Springfield (4-8-1) was swept in a pair of games at Hershey last weekend. Sunday evening, the T-Birds dramatically rallied from a 2-0 deficit with a pair of goals in the final 41 seconds from Samuel Johannesson and Nikita Alexandrov but Hershey still prevailed on Mike Vecchione’s overtime-winning goal.

Lehigh Valley won at Springfield on Saturday, November 2 with Jacob Gaucher recording a hat trick in a 5-2 decision. The game also featured five fights in the bruising matchup. This is Lehigh Valley’s last trip this season to visit the AHL affiliate of the St. Louis Blues but the two teams will meet again on January 24 in Allentown. The T-Birds are led by 19-year-old Slovakian first-rounder Dalibor Dvorsky (6-4-10) and 24-year-old second-rounder from Russia Nikita Alexandrov (4-4-8). Captain Matthew Peca (3-3-6) is back from injury and scored a winning goal last week against Bridgeport as the T-Birds overcame an early 3-0 deficit. The 31-year-old veteran has played in 423 career AHL games recording 300 points (88-212-300) mostly with Syracuse and Springfield. He has also played in 83 NHL games with Tampa Bay, Montreal, Ottawa and St. Louis.

IT ALL STARTED IN SPRINGRFIELD – Daniel Briere starred with the Springfield Falcons in his professional rookie 1997-98 season at just 20 years old winning the Red Garrett Memorial Award as the top rookie in the AHL after racking up 36-56-92 to place fourth in the league in scoring. Briere spent parts of four seasons with Springfield bouncing between the Falcons and parent Phoenix Coyotes before finally earning a full-time spot in the NHL in his All-Star career of 973 games with 696 points plus 116 postseason points in 124 Stanley Cup playoff games. An immensely popular player in his time with Springfield, Briere accumulated 88 goals with 129 assists for 217 points with the Springfield Falcons in 169 games played from 1997-2001.

SCORING LEADERS
Lehigh Valley
Samu Tuomaala 4-8-12
Jacob Gaucher 6-4-10
Olle Lycksell 2-7-9
x – Anthony Richard 4-5-9
Oscar Eklind 4-3-7
Alexis Gendron 5-1-6

Springfield
Dalibor Dvorsky 6-4-10
Nikita Alexandrov 4-5-9
Marcus Sylvegard 3-5-8
Hugh McGing 1-6-7
Dylan Peterson 4-2-6

Special Teams:
Lehigh Valley – PP 28.6%, 2nd / PK 82.4%, 14th
Springfield – PP 9.1%, 31st / PK 79.6%, 21st

COMING UP –  The Phantoms return to PPL Center on Saturday night as they welcome the two-time defending Calder Cup Champion Hershey Bears for the first time this season.

UPCOMING

Friday, November 15 – Phantoms at Springfield Thunderbirds

Saturday, November 16 – Hershey Bears at Phantoms – Saturday Night Hockey Live, DJ Angel B

Friday, November 22 – Phantoms at Providence Bruins

Saturday, November 23 – Phantoms at Providence Bruins

Wednesday, November 27 – Phantoms at Hartford Wolf Pack

 

 

 

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