Win Streak Hogtied by Rockford

Phantoms Fall 7-3

December 4, 2024

Allentown, PA – It was a first-ever meeting between the two teams which the Phantoms would just as soon forget. The Lehigh Valley Phantoms had their three-game win streak and four-point streak snapped by the Rockford IceHogs in a 7-3 final on Wednesday night at PPL Center.

Rockford (8-9-2) racked up all of its goals in the first 40 minutes as the IceHogs were led by Cole Guttman (7th, 8th) with a pair of strikes while former Phantom Jackson Cates (1st) and first-rounder Frank Nazar (11th) were also among those who found the back of the net.

Lehigh Valley (9-7-4) was led by Anthony Richard (6th), Helge Grans (2nd) and Rhett Gardner (3rd) who all converted for the Phantoms. But it wasn’t enough.

The Phantoms surrender seven goals for the time this season and also the first time in almost exactly a calendar year. Lehigh Valley last gave up this many goals on December 1, 2023 in a 7-3 loss at the Hartford Wolf Pack. It’s the most goals given up at PPL Center in two seasons since a 7-3 loss to the Hershey Bears on January 28, 2023.

The Chicago Blackhawks farm club was feeling it right from opening puck drop with three lamplighters before the first promotional timeout. Jackson Cates sniped against his former team at 4:37 into the game and then Colton Dach (8th) took a little flick in the right circle from Frank Nazar to make it 2-0 at 6:01.

Anthony Rickard converted on the backdoor for Lehigh Valley thanks to some strong vision from Ben Gleason who connected with the veteran forward in the right circle. Goaltender Mitchell Weeks dove across to his left and briefly appeared to have made a spectacular save but as he came crashing down to the ice his trapper carried the puck behind the line to make it a good goal getting Lehigh Valley on the board.

But just a minute later it was Cole Guttman rushing past the defense on the breakaway at 9:23 to put the Hogs ahead at 3-1.

Nazar scored from an almost-impossible angle beneath the bottom of the right circle as the first-rounder converted a 5-on-3 strike to make it 4-1 early in the second period.

Guttman’s second of the game beat a screened Cal Petersen to the upper-right corner to extend the lead to 5-1 at which point the Phantoms instilled Parker Gahagen in relief duty in net the rest of the way.

Cavan Fitzgerald’s long shot from the point made it through for a 6-1 lead at 13:07 into the second period and Landon Slaggart (3rd) buried it out in front after a pair of rebounds following a wide wraparound try to push the advantage to 7-1 at the second intermission.

The Phantoms got two of them back in the opening minutes of the third period. with Helge Grans blasting one home from the right circle taking advantage of a connection from behind the goal by Olle Lycksell. Then it was Zayde Wisdom creating a scoring opportunity from behind the goal line when he found Garnder at the net front to chip through the final tally of the game providing for the 7-3 final margin.

Olle Lycksell’s assist was his 100th career point with the Phantoms. He becomes the 10th player in Lehigh Valley history and the 35th in Phantoms franchise history to reach the milestone. Tonight was also the 300th pro game for 30-year-old goaltender Cal Petersen.

Lehigh Valley’s three-game win streak was tied for its longest of the season. The Phantoms and IceHoge will meet again on February 22 in Rockford, Ill.

The Lehigh Valley Phantoms conclude their four-game homestand on Saturday against the Hershey Bears on the team’s annual Teddy Bear Toss presented by Big Woody’s.

SCORING SUMMARY

1st 4:37 – RFD, J. Cates (1) (J. Luypen, B. Baddock) (0-1)
1st 6:01 – RFD, C. Dach (8) (F. Nazar, L. Slaggert) (0-2)
1st 8:23 – LV, A. Richard (6) (B. Gleason, E. Samson) (1-2)
1st 9:23 – RFD, C. Guttman (7) (B. Seney) (1-3)

2nd 6:37 – RFD, F. Nazar (11) (B. Seney, K. Korchinski) (PP, 5×3) (1-4)
2nd 9:36 – RFD, C. Guttman (8) (E. Del Maestro) (1-5)
2nd 13:07 – RFD, C. Fitzgerald (3) (L. Slaggert, F. Nazar) (1-6)
2nd 19:27 – RFD, L. Slaggert (3) (C. Dach, I. Phillips) (1-7)

3rd 1:10 – LV, H. Grans (2) (O. Lycksell, A. Ginning) (2-7)
3rd 3:57 – LV, R. Gardner (3) (Z. Wisdom, B. Gleason) (3-7)

Shots:
LV 29 – RFD 36

PP:
LV 0/2, RFD 1/5

Goaltenders:
LV – C. Petersen (L) (4-5-1) (13/18)
LV – P. Gahagen (ND) (16/18)
RFD – M. Weeks (W) (4-4-2) (26/29)

Records:
Lehigh Valley (9-7-4)
Rockford (8-9-2)

UPCOMING

Saturday, December 7 – Phantoms vs. Hershey Bears – Teddy Bear Toss presented by Big Woody’s

Sunday, December 8 (5:00) – Phantoms at Hershey Bears

Tuesday, December 10 (6:00) – Phantoms at Toronto Marlies

Thursday, December 12 (7:00) – Phantoms at Cleveland Monsters

Saturday, December 14 (7:30) – Phantoms at Cleveland Monsters

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