Phantoms Power Play Presented by Provident Bank

Showdown Series at Charlotte

March 5, 2025

Allentown, PA – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms have had some time to catch their breath with a nice stretch of off days after a busy schedule. With just 16 games remaining in the regular season, the Phantoms now hit the stretch run including a pair of afternoon games at the Charlotte Checkers this weekend. The Phantoms are looking to catch, and potentially pass, Charlotte in the Atlantic Division Standings.

Lehigh Valley (28-21-7) is in fifth place and now has a Magic Number of 23 points in the team’s quest for a third consecutive berth in the Calder Cup Playoffs. The top six teams qualify for the postseason. The Phantoms have shown steady improvement since January 1 with a record of 15-8-2 in 2025.

After this weekend’s quick road trip to North Carolina, the Phantoms return next week for a five-game homestand beginning Friday, March 14.

LAST WEEK
February 25 – Milwaukee Admirals 5 – Phantoms 3
February 28 – Phantoms 5 – Bridgeport Islanders 2
March 1 – Phantoms 5 – Bridgeport Islanders 3
March 2 – Hershey Bears 4 – Phantoms 0

THE WEEK AHEAD
Saturday, March 8 (4:00) – Phantoms at Charlotte Checkers
Sunday, March 9 (1:00) – Phantoms at Charlotte Checkers

WEEKLY RECAP
Tuesday, February 25, 2025
Milwaukee Admirals 5 – Phantoms 3
The Phantoms rallied from a 3-0 deficit at Milwaukee to even the score at 3-3 but the Central Division-leading Admirals pushed through for a 5-3 win in the finale of Lehigh Valley’s four-game midwest road trip. Rodrigo Abols (12th), Brendan Furry (7th) shorthanded and Anthony Richard (13th) got the Phantoms back in the game. But Kyle Marino’s second goal of the night put the Admirals back in front with 10 minutes left and Ozzy Wiesblatt finished off a Gordie Howe Hat Trick with his long empty-netter to seal it. Former Phantoms’ captain Cal O’Reilly scored a breakaway goal early in the second period to put the Admirals ahead 3-0.

Friday, February 28, 2025
Phantoms 5 – Bridgeport Islanders 2
Jacob Gaucher (17th, 18th) led the way with two goals and one assist while Olle Lycksell (15th) had a two-point night as Lehigh Valley returned to PPL Center with a 5-2 win over the Islanders. Brendan Furry (8th) and Alexis Gendron (16th) also scored for the Phantoms. Keith Petruzzelli came in for an injured Parker Gahagen after one period and was stellar in the second period with a number of strong saves in preserving leads of 2-0 and 2-1. Eetu Liukus pulled the Islanders to within a goal again at 3-2 with under five minutes left but Gaucher and Gendron scored back-to-back in the final four minutes to finish it off.

Saturday, March 1, 2025
Phantoms 5 – Bridgeport 3
The high-octane offense kept it up with another five-goal output led by Olle Lycksell (16th, 17th) with two goals and one assist and another multi-point game by Jacob Gaucher (19th) with one goal and an assist. Louie Belpedio (5th) and Anthony Richard (14th) also scored for Lehigh Valley. Cal Petersen returned to the lineup for the first time in six weeks and notched a strong 24-save effort for the win while also helping his own cause offensively with an assist on the first goal of the night.

Sunday, March 2, 2025
Hershey 4 – Phantoms 0
The Phantoms ran out of gas in the weekend finale as they fell at rival Hershey 4-0 to take their fourth shutout against this season. Hunter Shepard had a 21-save performance for the Bears. Dalton Smith scored his first for Hershey. He was briefly a Phantom with 11 games played in the 2015-16 season and is the son of former Philadelphia Flyer Derrick Smith. First-rounders Ivan Miroshnichenko (16th) and Hendrix Lapierre (4th) also scored goals against Keith Petruzzelli who made a number of strong saves in holding off the Bears as best he could.

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

ROAD WARRIORS – The Phantoms are 9-4-1 on the road since January 1 after beginning the season with a far less stellar 4-8-3 mark in away games from October through December. Lehigh Valley had a five-game point streak (4-0-1) on the road before falling in the most recent two away games at Milwaukee and at Hershey.

TRANSACTIONS – 
Mar 2 – Xavier Bernard – D – Add – Recalled from Reading
Mar 2 – Sawyer Boulton – F – Add – Recalled from Reading
Mar 2 – Matt Miller – F – Add – Recalled from Reading
Mar 3 – Matt Miller – F – Del – Returned to Reading

PHANTASTIC – Olle Lycksell had a nine-game point streak from February 14 through March 1 accumulating 4-9-13 in the stretch. Our 2025 AHL All-Star representative finished one game shy of the Lehigh Valley record 10-game point streak set by Jason Akeson in the team’s inaugural season in 2014-15. Lycksell has also taken the team-lead in scoring (17-24-41) with 41 points in just 40 games played.

– Cal Petersen is tied for most assists by a goaltender with Spencer Martin of Chicago with four. Petersen has tied Alex Lyon (2016-17) for the Lehigh Valley record for most assists in a season by a goalie.

Lehigh Valley Record Book
Point Streak
Jason Akeson – 10 (Jan-Feb 2015)
Olle Lycksell – 9 (Feb 14 2025 – Mar 1 2025)
Chris Conner – 9 (Feb 2016)
Franchise Record:
Vinny Prospal – 16 (Oct-Nov 1996)

Most Assists by Goalie:
Cal Petersen – 4 (2024-25)
Alex Lyon – 4 (2016-17)
Franchise record:
Scott Munroe – 6 (2008-09)

– Who’s Hot
Olle Lycksell last 10 games: 4-9-13
Anthony Richard last 7 games: 5-4-9
Rodrigo Abols last 9 games: 3-5-8
Jacob Gaucher last 5 games: 4-1-5

– The Phantoms scored three or more goals in nine consecutive games before they were shut out on Sunday. Lehigh Valley also has three or more goals 11 of the last 13 games scoring 51 goals over the stretch since January 29 and averaging 3.9 goals per game. The Phantoms have scored five goals in four of the last seven games.

– The Phantoms are 15-8-2 since January 1. Lehigh Valley is 17-1-1 when scoring four or more goals in a game. The Phantoms are 18-0-2 when holding their opponents to two goals or fewer.

– The Phantoms are 19-6-4 when scoring the first goal and are 14-3-1 when leading at the first intermission.

– The Phantoms have played 56 games which is the most in the AHL. With just 16 games remaining in the season, Lehigh Valley enjoys a more spread out and gradual schedule of games the rest of the way.

– The Phantoms are second in the AHL with 18 overtime games trailing only Cleveland (19). Lehigh Valley is also tied for the tops with seven OT wins along with Hershey, Hartford and Laval. Lehigh Valley is 7-5 in overtimes and 4-2 in shootouts. Lehigh Valley is also tied for the league lead in one-goal games with 32. The Phantoms also are third in one-goal wins with 18 behind Hershey (21) and Laval (20). The Phantoms boast a record of 18-7-7 in one-goal games including 10-2-3 at home.

IMPENDING MILESTONES
– Garrett Wilson, 399 pro points
– Garrett Wilson, 274 games with Lehigh Valley (Record: Greg Carey, 277 games)

UPCOMING
Saturday, March 8, 2025 (4:00 p.m.)
and
Sunday, March 9, 2025 (1:00 p.m.)
Bojangles Coliseum, Charlotte NC
Phantoms at Charlotte Checkers

The Phantoms travel to Charlotte for the first time this season with hopes of catching the Checkers in the standings. Entering Wednesday’s action, Lehigh Valley trails Charlotte by just one point for a spot in the top half of the division but the Checkers also have five games-in-hand including a Wednesday night matchup against the streaking Springfield Thunderbirds who prevailed in Charlotte on Tuesday with a 3-0 shutout. 29-year-old goaltender Ken Appleby (11-7-1, 2.00, .908) has had an impressive career resurgence two years removed from a multi-year stretch with Worcester of the ECHL. Appleby now leads the AHL with five shutouts while also leading the league in GAA. The Checkers are fourth in the AHL in team defense allowing just 2.63 goals per game.

The Phantoms and Checkers previously split a two-game series in Allentown with Lehigh Valley taking the opener 2-1 on December 28 on a 29-save gem for Parker Gahagen and a winning shorthanded goal with just 3:05 left for Brendan Furry. The Checkers got revenge in the New Year’s Eve rematch 6-3.

30-year-old veteran defenseman Trevor Carrick (7-30-37) is second on the Checkers overall and sixth in the AHL in scoring among defensemen. Former San Jose prospect, 26-year-old John Leonard (23-17-40) leads the Checkers and is tied for second with Brendan Furry of the Phantoms with four shorthanded goals apiece. That includes back-to-back shorthanded goals on the same Phantoms’ power play on December 31 at PPL Center. 22-year-old Justin Sourdif (12-11-23) is always a thorn in the side of the Phantoms and is coming off scoring his first NHL goal last week.

Phantoms Scoring Leaders
Olle Lycksell 17-24-41
Jacob Gaucher 19-16-35
Samu Tuomaala 11-21-32
Anthony Richard 14-16-30
Rodrigo Abols 12-15-27
Alexis Gendron 16-7-23

UPCOMING

Saturday, March 8 (4:00) – Phantoms at Charlotte Checkers

Sunday, March 9 (1:00) – Phantoms at Charlotte Checkers

Friday, March 14 (7:05) – W-B/Scranton Penguins at Phantoms

Sunday, March 16 (3:05) – W-B/Scranton Penguins at Phantoms – Kids Takeover!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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