PREVIEW: Phantoms vs. Checkers, Game #31

Lehigh Valley Phantoms (13-12-5) vs. Charlotte Checkers (17-8-3)
PPL Center, Allentown, PA
Tuesday, December 31, 2024 (7:05 p.m.) – Game #31

TONIGHT – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms look to close out 2024 in style on a Whiteout Night at PPL Center as they rematch against the Charlotte Checkers, AHL affiliate of the Florida Panthers.

Lehigh Valley (13-12-5) won the opener before a packed house on Saturday via Brendan Furry’s electric shorthanded winner with just 3:05 left. The Phantoms moved into sole possession of fifth place in the Atlantic Division with the win.

Charlotte (17-8-3)  bounced back from the setback to post a 1-0 win at Hershey on Sunday via Ken Appleby’s league-leading fourth shutout of the season. The Checkers are tied for second place in the division with Providence.

Tonight’s New Year’s Eve fun includes Light-Up sticks from Penn Community Bank and the World’s Largest Puck Drop after the game at the corner of Seventh and Hamilton to count down the final moments of 2024 and welcome in 2025.

LAST TIME – A sellout crowd at PPL Center in Allentown roared as Brendan Furry (2nd) scored the winning goal with just 3:05 left on a shorthanded breakaway beauty off the backhand to beat Chris Dreidger. Alexis Gendron (8th) got the Phantoms on the board in the second period with his 5-on-3 power-play goal. Tobias Bjornfot scored in the first period for the Checkers but that was all for the highest scoring team in the league who also went 1-for-7 on the power play. Parker Gahagen racked up 29 saves in a magnificent performance which included a show-stopping blocker save sliding to his right to break up a 3-on-2 with 9:30 left. The Saturday triumph marked the team’s third straight home victory.

MEDIA MATERIALS – Fans can browse rosters and Media Materials for tonight’s game here: https://www.phantomshockey.com/media-materials/

TRANSACTIONS –
Dec 27 Olle Lysksell          – Del – Recalled to Flyers
Dec 29 Sawyer Boulton     – Add – Recalled from Reading
Dec 31 Xavier Bernard      – Del – Loaned to Reading
Dec 31 Mason Primeau    – Del – Loaned to Reading

PHANTASTIC – 

– The Phantoms are 9-4-2 at PPL Center but are only 4-8-3 on the road. The Phantoms are on a three-game home win streak.

– Lehigh Valley has opened a busy stretch which will include nine games in 16 days as well as 12 games in 23 days through January 18.

– Phantoms captain Garrett Wilson has three goals in the last seven games as well as four goals in the last 10 games including a Gordie Howe Hat Trick (Goal, Assist and Fight) in the December 18 comeback win against Providence.

– Cal Petersen leads all AHL goaltenders with three assists.

– Lehigh Valley leads the AHL with 12 overtime games and six overtime wins. The Phantoms are 6-4 in overtime decisions and 1-1 in shootouts.  Lehigh Valley is second in one-goal games with 21 trailing only Hershey. The Phantoms are 10-5-5 in the one-goal squeakers including 7-0-2 at home in one-goal games.

LEHIGH VALLEY DECEMBER SCORING
Jacob Gaucher 6-4-10
Olle Lycksell 4-5-9
Zayde Wisdom 3-5-8
Helge Grans 2-6-8
Alexis Gendron 3-4-7

CHECKING ON THE CHECKERS – Charlotte (17-8-3) is tied for second place in the division with Providence and is also second-best in points percentage trailing only Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The Checkers recovered from their 2-1 loss in Allentown on Saturday to post a 1-0 win at Hershey on Sunday behind Ken Appleby’s fourth shutout of the season. Despite their recent goaltending duels, the Checkers are still tops in the conference at 3.6 goals per game and their 31.2% is also best.

Westwood, NJ native John Leonard (12-13-24) leads the way and had a hat trick two weekends ago against Bridgeport. Leonard has played in 70 NHL games with San Jose, Arizona and Nashville. Crafty Trevor Carrick (5-11-16) is a two-time AHL All-Star in 2016 and 2019. 32-year-old veteran Kyle Criscuolo (10-13-23) played for the Phantoms five seasons ago. 29-year-old veteran goaltender Ken Appleby (8-2-1, 1.98, .916) has been Eatin’ Good in the Neighborhood and rates third in the AHL in GAA with a career resurgence after spending the last three seasons splitting time between Bridgeport and the ECHL Worcester Railers. Geordie Kinnear is the longest-tenured head coach in the AHL in his eighth season with the Florida Panthers AHL affiliate in Charlotte and previously in Springfield.

SCORING LEADERS
Lehigh Valley
x – Olle Lycksell 9-15-24
Samu Tuomaala 8-15-23
Jacob Gaucher 13-9-22
Anthony Richard 6-10-16
Oscar Eklind 4-10-14

Charlotte
John Leonard 12-13-25
Trevor Carrick 5-19-24
Kyle Criscuolo 10-13-23
Aidan McDonough 10-6-16
Rasmus Asplund 10-6-16

Special Teams:
Lehigh Valley – PP 20.4%, 9th / PK 81.6%, 19th
Charlotte – PP 31.2%, 1st / PK 86.6%, 4th

COMING UP –  The Phantoms begin 2025 with three straight away games beginning Friday night at the Utica Comets (NJ) and continuing Saturday at the Syracuse Crunch (Tampa Bay).

UPCOMING

Tuesday, December 31 (7:05) – Charlotte Checkers at Phantoms – Light-up glow sticks from Penn Community Bank. World’s Largest Puck-Drop at Midnight!

Friday, January 3 (7:00) – Phantoms at Utica Comets

Saturday, January 4 (7:00) – Phantoms at Syracuse Crunch

Tuesday, January 7 (7:00) – Phantoms at Hershey Bears

Friday, January 10 (7:05) – Hartford Wolf Pack at Phantoms – Blackout Knit Caps from The Morning Call

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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