PREVIEW: Phantoms vs. Wolf Pack, Game #35

Lehigh Valley Phantoms (16-13-5) vs. Hartford Wolf Pack
PPL Center, Allentown, PA
Friday, January 10, 2025 (7:05 p.m.) – Game #35

TONIGHT – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms play their first home game of 2025 on a Blackout Night at PPL Center as they host the Hartford Wolf Pack, AHL affiliate of the New York Rangers. It is also the beginning of a two-game home-and-home weekend series between the Atlantic Division foes.

Lehigh Valley (16-13-5) is 3-0-0 to start 2025 and has won four of its last five and is also 7-3-0 in the last 10 games. The Phantoms are in fifth place in the Atlantic Division and have moved to within one point of fourth-place Providence.

Hartford (15-14-3) is in sixth place in the division and also four points back of the Phantoms. The Wolf Pack also have two games-in-hand on Lehigh Valley.

The Phantoms and Wolf Pack will rematch tomorrow night in Connecticut. Tonight is Game 4 out of 6 in the season series. All three previous encounters between the two clubs have gone to overtime.

The Phantoms will be wearing their snazzy blackout jerseys for the first time at home this season while fans are receiving blackout knit caps from The Morning Call and are also encouraged to wear black to the game.

LAST TIME – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms won their third straight as they hung on for a 5-4 verdict at the rival Hershey Bears on Tuesday night. Hunter McDonald (2), Elliot Desnoyers (3), Ethan Samson (6), Emil Andrae (1),  and Jacob Gaucher (14) all scored for the Phantoms who had leads of 4-1 and 5-2 but had to hang on at the end. Lehigh Valley killed three consecutive Bears’ power plays in the third period as well as a 6-on-4 at the end of the game.

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

OLLE IS AN ALL-STAR – Olle Lycksell has been selected to represent the Phantoms at the AHL All-Star Classic in Palm Springs, CA taking place February 2-3.

Lycksell is tied with Samu Tuomaala for the team lead in scoring with 9-14-25. Lycksell recorded his 100th career point with the Phantoms on December 4 and notched his second career hat trick on December 20 in a 7-2 thrashing of the Toronto Marlies. That led to him winning  AHL Player of the Week honors for the second time in his career becoming the first player in Lehigh Valley history to win it twice. Lycksell has scored three overtime goals this season to lead the AHL and also tie for a Phantoms franchise record for most OT goals in a season.

OVERTIME IS PHANTOMS-TIME – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms lead the AHL with seven overtime wins and 13 overtime games this season. Lehigh Valley is 7-4 in overtime decisions and 1-1 in shootouts. Olle Lycksell has scored three overtime winners to lead the AHL. Other overtime goal-scorers for the Phantoms include Rhett Gardner, Samu Tuomaala, Louie Belpedio and Brendan Furry.

The Phantoms have won their last three straight overtime games and are 5-1 in overtimes dating back to Samu Tuomaala’s winner at Hartford on November 27. The Phantoms are also 7-2 in their last nine OT games since November 9 against Utica.

The franchise record for most overtime wins in a season is eight which has happened twice including last year in 2023-24 and also by the Philadelphia Phantoms in 2005-06.

PHANTASTIC – 

– The Phantoms have won three straight to open 2025 and have also won four of their last five and are also 7-3-0 in their last nine games to take sole possession of fifth place in the Atlantic Division while closing the gap on the Top 4.

– Jacob Gaucher recorded his 100th career pro point with his team-leading 14th goal of the season on Tuesday at Hershey.

– Tonight is Rhett Gardner’s 300th career AHL game. Tuesday was the 200th AHL game for Helge Grans.

– Alexis Gendron had a two-game goal streak and has three goals in the last five games and also four goals in the last eight. He turned 21 years old on December 30.

– The Phantoms will hit the midway mark of the season this weekend. After Saturday’s game at Hartford, the Phantoms will have played 36 games and will have 36 to go.

– Lehigh Valley leads the AHL with 13 overtime games and seven overtime wins. The Phantoms are 7-4 in overtime decisions and 1-1 in shootouts.

– Lehigh Valley is second in the AHL in one-goal games with 22 trailing only Hershey. The Phantoms are 12-5-5 in the one-goal squeakers including 7-0-2 at home in one-goal games.

WELCOMING THE WOLF PACK – Hartford (15-14-3) has had inconsistent play under first-year head coach Grant Potulny but remains close behind the Phantoms in the Atlantic Division standings entering this important home-and-home weekend series. The Wolf Pack have sometimes been all-or-nothing and recently followed up an impressive 7-0 New Year’s Eve thrashing of Springfield with a humbling 5-0 loss at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and then bounced back with a 5-1 win vs. Bridgeport on Sunday.

All three previous meetings between the Phantoms and Wolf Pack have gone to overtime and Lehigh Valley is 2-0-1 against Hartford. Lehigh Valley won in a shootout at PPL Center on Opening Night on October 12 in a rough-and-tumble and chippy affair. Samu Tuomaala scored the overtime-winning goal at Hartford on November 27 in the most recent encounter.

33-year-old veteran Alex Belzile (10-21-31) leads the offense in his second year with the team following five seasons with Laval and Montreal and was just named to the AHL All-Star Classic along with goaltender Dylan Garand (10-4-2, 2.17, .929) who rates 8th in the AHL in GAA. Former Anaheim first-rounder Bo Groulx (11-18-29) had an overtime winner against the Phantoms on October 25 at Hartford. Rangers second-rounder Adam Sykora (6-12-18) is in his third pro season and first-rounder Brennan Othmann (3-5-8) recently returned from injury that had him on the shelf for two months.

Phantoms Scoring Leaders
x – Olle Lycksell 9-15-24
Samu Tuomaala 8-16-24
Jacob Gaucher 14-9-23
Rodrigo Abols 8-8-16
Anthony Richard 6-10-16
Alexis Gendron 10-5-15
Oscar Eklind 4-11-15

Hartford
Alex Belzile 10-21-31
Bo Groulx 11-18-29
Adam Sykora 7-11-18
Matthew Robertson 1-14-15
Dylan Roobroeck 6-8-14

Special Teams:
Lehigh Valley – PP 18.2%, 11th / PK 82.9%, 17th / PP vs. HFD 4/15, 26.7%
Hartford – PP 17.5%, 12th / PK 79.7, 25th / PP vs. LV, 3-15, 20.0%

SEASON SERIES
Oct 12 – Win – Hartford 3 at Lehigh Valley 4 (SO)
Oct 25 – OTL – Lehigh Valley 3 at Harford 4 (OT)
Nov 27 – Win – Lehigh Valley 5 at Hartford 4 (OT)
Jan 10 at Lehigh Valley
Jan 11 at Hartford
Feb 8 at Lehigh Valley

SERIES LEADERS
Lehigh Valley
Samu Tuomaala 4-1-5
Anthony Richard 1-4-5
Rodrigo Abols 1-2-3
x – Olle Lycksell 0-3-3

Hartford
Alex Belzile 0-5-5
Bo Groulx 2-2-4
Anton Blidh 3-0-3
Casey Fitzgerald 1-2-3

COMING UP –  The Phantoms and Wolf Pack rematch tomorrow night in Hartford and then Lehigh Valley wraps up the weekend on Sunday evening at the Bridgeport Islanders. The Phantoms are back at PPL Center on Wednesday, January 15 hosting the Belleville Senators with Pregame Happy Hour.

UPCOMING

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

Saturday, January 11 (7:05) – Phantoms at Hartford Wolf Pack

Sunday, January 12 (5:00) – Phantoms at Bridgeport Islanders

Wednesday, January 15 (7:05) – Phantoms vs. Belleville Senators, Pregame Happy Hour, $2 Beers

Friday, January 17 (7:05) – Phantoms at Rochester Americans

Saturday, January 18 (7:05) – Rochester Americans at Phantoms – Air Products Night, Children’s Book Donation Drive

 

 

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