PREVIEW: Phantoms at IceHogs, Game #52

Lehigh Valley Phantoms (25-19-7) at Rockford IceHogs (21-22-6)
BMO Harris Bank Center, Rockford, IL
Saturday, February 22, 2025 (8:05 p.m.) – Game #52

TONIGHT – The road trip continues as the Lehigh Valley Phantoms had to Rockford, Illinois to tangle with the Rockford IceHogs, AHL affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks.

Lehigh Valley (25-19-7) took three out of four points at Grand Rapids to begin the road swing but dropped a 5-4 shootout decision last night. The Phantoms have points in four of the last five games (3-1-1)  as well as six out eight (5-2-1). The Phantoms also have points in four consecutive away games (3-0-1) are 8-2-1 on the road since January 1. There are 21 games remaining in the regular season. The Phantoms are solidly in fifth place in the Atlantic Division, above the playoff cut-line, and are just two points back of fourth-place Charlotte and three points behind third-place Providence.

Rockford (21-22-6) is heating up. The IceHogs are in fifth place in the Central but have a sizeable 12 point lead over Iowa for the last playoff spot on the strength of a four-game win streak. The IceHogs won in Allentown on December 4 by a 7-3 count in the first-ever meeting between the two teams.

LAST TIME – Zayde Wisdom (7th, 8th) cranked up three points including a pair of goals but the Grand Rapids Griffins had the last laugh in the see-saw affair in Michigan to pick up a 5-4 shootout victory. Massimo Rizzo (6th) and Emil Andrae (3rd) also scored goals against Ville Husso. Ondrej Bcher knocked in two power-play strikes past Parker Gahagen and then contributed the shootout winner to lead the Griffins in front of a roaring sellout crowd.

MEDIA MATERIALS – Fans can browse rosters and Media Materials for upcoming games at the following link: https://www.phantomshockey.com/media-materials/

TRANSACTIONS – 
Feb 16 Sawyer Boulton – Add – Recalled from Reading
Feb 16 Xavier Bernard – Add – Recalled from Reading
Feb 17 Mason Primeau – Add – Recalled from Reading

PHANTASTIC –

– Rodrigo Abols had his four-game point streak snapped on Saturday. Since his return from the Philadelphia Flyers last week, Abols has scored 2-3-5 in five games played. The 29-year-old Latvia product made his NHL debut one month ago in a nine-game stint.

– Lehigh Valley is 4-2 in shootouts but both of the losses have come against Grand Rapids. The Phantoms finished the season series 1-1-2 against the Griffins.

– The Phantoms have points in four out of five (3-1-1) and are also 5-2-1 in their last eight. The Phantoms have also accumulated points in four consecutive away games (3-0-1) and are 8-2-1 on the road since January 1 after beginning the season with a far less-stellar 4-8-3 mark on the road from October through December. Overall, Lehigh Valley is six games over .500 matching its high-water mark for the third time this year.

– The Phantoms have scored three or more goals in seven of their last eight games with 33 goals over the stretch averaging 4.1 goals per game.

– Lehigh Valley is 14-1-1 when scoring four or more goals in a game. The Phantoms are 17-0-2 when holding their opponents to two goals or fewer.

– The Phantoms lead the AHL with 18 overtime games and are also tied for the tops with seven OT wins (along with  Hershey, Hartford and Laval). Olle Lycksell leads the AHL with three overtime winners. Lehigh Valley is 7-5 in overtimes and 4-2 in shootouts.

– Lehigh Valley is also second in one-goal games with 30 (Hershey has 31) as well as one-goal wins with 17 (Herhsye has 20). The Phantoms boast a record of 17-6-7 in one-goal games including 10-2-3 at home.

IMPENDING MILESTONES
– Garrett Wilson, 399 pro points
– Garrett Wilson, 269 games with Lehigh Valley (Record: Greg Carey, 277 games)

CAN YOU SMELL WHAT THE ROCK IS COOKING? – Rockford (21-22-6) has had a disjointed season but is putting it together of recent with a four-game win streak to create some distance well above the playoff cut-line. The Hogs picked up a 2-1 win over Iowa last night on a 32-save gem for Mitchell Weeks. The Phantoms undoubtedly remember a 7-3 humbling at PPL Center at the hands of the IceHogs on December 4 in the first-ever meeting between the two teams. Third-year pro Cole Guttman (20-24-44) led the way in that one with a pair of goals and rates eighth in the AHL in scoring. Second-year pro Colton Dach (12-24-36) is a second-rounder who has played in 13 NHL games with the Chicago Blackhawks this year. 19-year-old #2 overall pick in 2024 Artyom Levshunov of Belarus is naturally drawing a lot of attention. First-rounder Frank Nazar was recalled to Chicago. 30-year-old NHL veteran of nearly 500 games Andreas Athanasiou (8-7-15) is in the AHL for the first time in nine years and lighting it up with a recent three-game goal streak and goals in six of their last eight while accumulating 15 points in 15 games. The former Detroit Red Wing, L.A. King and Chicago Blackhawk has played in almost 500 career NHL games and scored 30 goals in a season with Detroit in 2018-19. Watch out for three former Phantoms on the IceHogs roster including Jackson Cates (3-6-9), Gerry Mayhew (9-9-18) and Colin Felix (1-3-4). The IceHogs feast on special teams with a power play (20.3%) that rates eighth in the AHL and a penalty kill (85.6%) coming in at second.

Scoring Leaders
Phantoms
Olle Lycksell 14-20-34
Samu Tuomaala 11-20-31
Jacob Gaucher 15-15-30
Rodrigo Abols 11-13-24
Alexis Gendron 15-7-22
Zayde Wisdom 8-13-21

Rockford
Cole Guttman 20-24-44
Brett Seney 8-22-30
Colton Dach 12-14-26
x Landon Slaggert 10-15-25
x Frank Nazar 11-13-24
Zach Sanford 8-16-24

Special Teams:
Lehigh Valley – PP 18.2%, 18th / PK 80.3%, 23rd
Rockford – PP 20.3%, 8th / PK 85.6%, 2nd

COMING UP –  The Phantoms conclude the road trip with Tuesday night visit to Cal O’Reilly and the Milwaukee Admirals. The Phantoms return to PPL Center on Friday, February 28 and Saturday, March 1 for a two-game series against the Bridgeport Islanders featuring Hockey is For Everyone Night and a Mardi Gras Celebration!

UPCOMING

Saturday, February 22 (8:00) – Phantoms at Rockford IceHogs

Tuesday, February 25 (8:00) – Phantoms at Milwaukee Admirals

Friday, February 28 (7:05) – Bridgeport Islanders at Phantoms – Hockey is For Everyone!

Saturday, March 1 (7:05) – Bridgeport Islanders at Phantoms – Mardi Gras Celebration!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The post PREVIEW: Phantoms at IceHogs, Game #52 appeared first on Lehigh Valley Phantoms.