PREVIEW: Phantoms At Bridgeport, Game 38

Matinee Rematch with Islanders

TODAY – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (19-14-4) have a Monday matinee as they look for some revenge as well at the Bridgeport Islanders (16-17-3), AHL affiliate of the New York Islanders. Bridgeport had just defeated the Phantoms at PPL Center on Friday by a 3-1 count.

The Phantoms are on their first three-game losing streak of the season as they have been unable to carry the momentum of their recent four-game win streak and seven-game point streak. Lehigh Valley is holding steady at fourth place in the Atlantic Division. Meanwhile, the Islanders have won four in a row to climb out of the Atlantic Division cellar and into sixth place in the Atlantic above the playoff cutoff.

Today is Game 4 out of 8 in the season series with the Islanders holding a 2-1 series edge. The away team has picked up the win in all three previous matchups. It is the only away game in a current stretch in which the Phantoms will play four out of five at home and today’s contest is also the 38th game of the regular season for the Phantoms.

Fans can browse rosters and Media Materials for tonight’s game at www.phantomshockey.com/media/media-materials/

LAST TIME – Lehigh Valley’s pressure came in waves and the Phantoms’ power play was buzzing and creating several strong chances. But Jon Gillies held off the Orange and Black long enough for the Syracuse Crunch to eventually emerge with a 4-1 win on Saturday night at PPL Center.

Anthony Richard (10th) registered the lone goal for Lehigh Valley to get the Phantoms on the board late in the second period. But it wasn’t enough. And the Crunch picked up a fluky and momentum-changing goal with less than eight minutes left to make it 3-1 and then an empty-netter at the end of a feisty night. Lehigh Valley (19-14-4) racked up 28 shots, including several close-range and Grade-A chances on 31-year-old veteran goaltender Jon Gillies who was very good. Dylan Duke (18th) and Tristan Allard (4th) gave Syracuse a 2-1 lead. Tommy Miller (3rd) played a ricochet off a Phantoms’ defender for a pivotal goal to make it 3-1 with under 8:00 left.

GETTING THE CALL – The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled defenseman Hunter McDonald and center Lane Pederson from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
McDonald, 23, is in his second full season of professional hockey and can potentially make his NHL debut with Philadelphia. He has played in 33 games with the Phantoms this season recording five assists. He has played in 115 career games with the Phantoms scoring 4-22-26. A 6’4″ product of Fairport, NY, McDonald was a Round 6 selection of the Philadelphia Flyers in 2022. He can become the third Lehigh Valley Phantoms player to make his NHL debut with the Flyers this season joining Ty Murchison and Denver Barkey. Other Phantoms to receive recalls to the Flyers this season include Emil Andrae, Jacob Gaucher, Carl Grundstrom, Aleksei Kolosov and Adam Ginning.

Pederson, 28, is the leading scorer on the Phantoms this season with 13-15-28 in 37 games played. The 6’0″ right-handed shooting center from Saskatoon, SK has been centering Lehigh Valley’s top line this year. Pederson has played in 71 career NHL games scoring 4-7-11 with Arizona, San Jose, Vancouver and Columbus. He also has played in 348 career AHL games scoring 124-134-258 Tucson, San Jose, Chicago, Abbotsford, Bakersfield and Lehigh Valley. He has not appeared in the NHL since the 2022-23 season when he played 11 games with Vancouver and 16 games with Columbus.

JOINING THE PHANTOMS – Lehigh Valley has received forward Hunter Johannes and defenseman Artem Guryev who had been with the Reading Royals of the ECHL.
Johannes, 27, was acquired by the Phantoms from the Charlotte Checkers in a trade for future considerations on December 12, 2025 and he was immediately loaned to Reading after beginning the season with the ECHL’s Savannah Ghost Pirates. He recorded his first career hat trick in his Reading debut on December 13 in a win against Norfolk and has now played in 14 games with Reading scoring 7-7-14. He also played in 17 games with Savannah scoring 1-7-8. Last year, as a professional rookie, he played in 51 games in the AHL with the Grand Rapids Griffins scoring 2-2-4.
Guryev, 22, is a 6’4″ left-handed shooting defenseman who was acquired from the San Jose Sharks along with Carl Grundstrom in a trade for Ryan Ellis on October 5, 2025. He played in four games with the Phantoms in October and has also played in 27 games with the Reading scoring one goal. He has played in 35 career games in the AHL with San Jose and Lehigh Valley with zero goals and four assists. He was a Round 5 selection of San Jose in 2021 out of the Peterborough Petes and Flint Firebirds of the OHL.

PHANTASTIC –
Phantoms record when…
Score First: 12-0-2
Lead After 1: 9-0-0
Score 3+ Goals: 16-1-2
Allow 2 goals or fewer: 14-0-1

TRANSACTIONS –
1/15/26 Add Yaniv Perets (G) – Recalled by LV from Reading
1/15/26 Del Aleksei Kolosov (G) – Recalled to PHI
1/17/26 Add Artem Guryev (D) – Reassigned to LV from Reading by PHI
1/17/26 Del Hunter McDonald (D) – Recalled to PHI
1/18/26 Add Hunter Johannes (F) – Reassigned to LV from Reading by PHI
1/18/26 Del Lane Pederson (F) – Recalled to PHI

BRIDGEPORT BREAKDOWN – Bridgeport (16-17-3) has won four straight to move into sixth place in the division with a 3-1 triumph in Allentown on Friday and then took down Springfield 4-1 on Saturday. Merrimack College product Alex Jeffries (7-17-24) is a fourth-rounder in his second year with Bridgeport and leads the team in scoring. Undrafted rookie Joey Larson (12-10-22) was teammates with Lehigh Valley’s Karsen Dorwart at Michigan State. Matthew Highmore (5-15-20) has 187 career NHL games under his belt. 36-year-old Chris Terry (7-9-16) is a future AHL Hall of Famer whose 337 career goals rate most among active AHL players and is just one shy of Hall of Famer Denis Hamel for 12th all-time.
Bridgeport leads the season series 2-1 with the visiting team picking up victories in all three meetings so far. Denver Barkey’s four-point game and Lane Pederson’s two goals led the way at Bridgeport on November 5 in a 6-2 thumping of the B-Isles. Former Columbus first-rounder Liam Foudy (9-8-17) led the Friday win at PPL Center with a goal and a dazzling assist across to NHL veteran D-Man of 275 games Ethan Bear who has recovered from injury and scored his first of the season. Former Flyers assistant coach Rocky Thompson is in his first season as head coach of the B-Isles.

SCORING LEADERS
Phantoms Scoring Leaders
x – Lane Pederson 13-15-28
Anthony Richard 10-10-20
Alex Bump 7-13-20
Alexis Gendron 7-10-17
x – Denver Barkey 7-9-16
Christian Kyrou 5-11-16

Bridgeport Scoring Leaders
Alex Jeffries 7-17-24
Joey Larson 12-10-22
Matt Maggio 5-16-21
Adam Beckman 12-8-20
Matthew Highmore 5-15-20

Special Teams PP / PK / (PP in Season Series)
LV 17.8%, 18th / 77.4%, 27th (vs. BRI 2-10, 20.0%)
BRI 14.1%, 29th / 80.0%, 19th vs. LV 5-20, 25.0%)

Season Series vs. Bridgeport Islanders: (1-2-0)
11/5/25 Away W 6-2
12/19/25 Home L 1-5
1/16/26 Home L 1-3
1/19/26 Away
1/31/26 Home
2/7/26 Away
3/8/26 Away
4/11/26 Home

LOOKING AHEAD – The Phantoms return to PPL Center next weekend hosting the Charlotte Checkers on Friday, January 23 and the Hershey Bears on Saturday, January 24.

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