TONIGHT
PLAYOFF FEVERPLAYOFF EXPERIENCE
Phantoms with the most AHL and NHL postseason games (entering the series vs. Hershey):
Adam Brooks – AHL 40 games (10-8-18) + NHL 2 games / Won 2018 Calder Cup with Toronto Marlies
Louie Belpedio – AHL 30 games (3-18-18) (Iowa, Laval, Lehigh Valley)
Garrett Wilson – AHL 18 games (0-5-5) + NHL 10 games (Florida, Pittsburgh) (1-1-2)
Cooper Marody – AHL 20 games (3-7-10) (Bakersfield, Lehigh Valley)
Evan Polei – AHL 20 games (3-1-4) (Bakersfield, Manitoba, Lehigh Valley)
Rhett Gardner – AHL 12 games (5-5-10) (Texas, Lehigh Valley)
Victor Mete – NHL 10 games (0-2-2) (Montreal 2020) + AHL 2 games (0-1-1)
Cal Petersen – AHL 8 games + NHL 1 game (Los Angeles)
Helge Grans – AHL 7 games (Ontario)
PLAYOFF HISTORY: PHANTOMS VS. HERSHEY
This is the sixth time for the Phantoms and Bears to meet in the Calder Cup Playoffs and the second time for Lehigh Valley to play against Hershey. Lehigh Valley’s first-ever playoff series was against the Hershey Bears in the opening round of the 2017 Calder Cup Playoffs in a series that saw the away team win every game in the Best-of-5 set.
Hershey took a pair of one-goal wins at PPL Center on April 21, 2017 and April 22, 2017 including a 1-0 overtime goaltenders duel between Alex Lyon and Pheonix Copley when Nathan Walker scored at 7:38 of overtime. The Bears dramatically rallied from a 4-2 deficit in the third period of Game 3. Chris Bourque scored the winner with just 33 seconds remaining.
The Phantoms struck back with consecutive wins at GIANT Center including Chris Conner’s overtime goal at 1:49 into overtime on April 24, 2019 after a blocked shot by Andy Miele for a 2-1 win followed by a more dominating 4-1 triumph in Game 4 including two goals by Scott Laughton. But the Bears hung on for a 3-2 win at PPL Center in Game 5 to close the series.
Previous Hershey vs. Phantoms Playoff Series
2017 – Hershey Bears 3 – Lehigh Valley Phantoms 2 (Round 1)
2009 – Hershey Bears 4 – Philadelphia Phantoms 0 (Round 1)
2000 – Hershey Bears 3 – Philadelphia Phantoms 2 (Round 1)
1998 – Philadelphia Phantoms 4 – Hershey Bears 0 (Round 2)
1997 – Hershey Bears 4 – Philadelphia Phantoms 3 (Round 2)
TEAM AND LEAGUE LEADERS
Garrett Wilson accumulated 216 penalty minutes to finish with the most in the AHL for a second consecutive season. He became the first AHL player in eight years to rack up over 200 PIM in a season since Stu Bickell with San Diego in 2015-16. J-R Avon had five shootout goals to tie for the AHL lead with Trey Fix-Wolansky of Cleveland
Emil Andrae has 15 power-play assists which was first among AHL rookie defensemen and second among AHL rookies overall trailing only Brennan Othmann of Hartford who has 17.
Cooper Marody and Olle Lycksell tied for the team lead with 19 goals apiece.
Marody had 37 helpers on the year giving him the team-crown in that department over Samu Tuomaala who has 28.
Marody also had 56 points this season besting Tanner Laczynski who was next with 44 points in just 49 games.
HERE COMES HERSHEY
Game 3 – Wednesday, May 8 (7:05) at Lehigh Valley
Game 4 – Saturday, May 11 (7:05) at Lehigh Valley
Game 5 – Sunday, May 12 (7:00) at Hershey
Hershey (53-14-5) is coming off an incredible season that rates as the very best in franchise history and the second-best ever in the AHL for a full season. Hershey’s .771 points percentage just barely fell short of the AHL record established 31 years ago by the 1992-93 Binghamton Rangers who had a .775 mark. Still the 53-win campaign including 111 points was easily enough to take the AHL’s Kilpatrick Trophy for the regular season title.
The Bears are striving to become the first team to win back-to-back Calder Cups since Hershey did it in 2009 and 2010. Last year, it was former Phantom Mike Vecchione who scored the first-ever Calder Cup Championship Game 7 overtime goal with his dramatic championship winner in Palm Springs, California against Coachella Valley.
Hershey gave up a paltry 2.1 goals per game on just 26 shots allowed to rate as the top defensive team in the AHL. Hunter Shepard (27-4-3, 1.76, .929) was incredible to win the Baz Bastien Award as the circuit’s top goaltender. He also won the 2023 Butterfield Trophy as Calder Cup Playoffs MVP and has started 22 consecutive playoff games.
Joe Snively (14-45-59) and Penn State product Alex Limoges (24-27-51) paced the offense along with Pierrick Dube and Ethen Frank who had 28 and 29 goals respectively. Washington sent several reinforcements to boost the Bears’ roster including captain Dylan McIlrath and fellow defenseman Hardy Haman Aktell, Lucas Johansen and Vincent Iorio as well as first-rounder forwards Hendrix Lapierre and Ivan Miroshnichenko.
Phantoms 2023-24 Scoring Leaders
Cooper Marody 19-37-56
Tanner Laczynski 17-27-44
Samu Tuomaala 15-28-43
Olle Lycksell 19-20-39
Emil Andrae 5-27-32
Bears 2023-24 Scoring Leaders
Joe Snively 14-45-59
Alex Limoges 24-27-51
Pierrick Dube 28-20-48
Ethen Frank 29-18-47
Mike Vecchione 17-21-38
SPECIAL TEAMS
Lehigh Valley PP, 18.4% (15th)
Lehigh Valley Valley PK 79.8% (24th)
LV PP vs. HER 4/47, 8.5%
Hershey PP 20.1% (6th)
Hershey PK 87.7% (1st)
HER vs. LV PP 5/50, 10.0%
PHANTOMS vs. HERSHEY
Lehigh Valley vs. Hershey = 4-6-2
Hershey vs. Lehigh Valley = 8-2-2
SEASON SERIES
Oct. 28 – Loss – Lehigh Valley 0 at Hershey 4
Nov. 1 – OTL – Lehigh Valley 3 at Hershey 4 (OT)
Nov. 11 – Loss – Hershey 2 at Lehigh Valley 0
Nov. 12 – Win – Lehigh Valley 4 at Hershey 1
Dec. 30 – Loss – Hershey 4 at Lehigh Valley 0
Jan. 7 – OTL – Lehigh Valley 2 at Hershey 3 (OT)
Jan. 13 – Win – Hershey 3 at Lehigh Valley 4 (SO)
Jan. 31 – Loss – Hershey 4 at Lehigh Valley 2
Feb. 2 – Win – Hershey 1 at Lehigh Valley 4
Mar. 3 – Win – Hershey 0 at Lehigh Valley 1 (SO)
Apr. 2 – LOSS – Lehigh Valley 0 at Hershey 1
Apr. 12 – LOSS – Lehigh Valley 1 at Hershey 4
REGULAR SEASON SERIES LEADERS
Lehigh Valley
Cooper Marody 2-4-6
Garrett Wilson 2-3-5
Olle Lycksell 2-2-4
Adam Ginning 1-3-4
Cal Petersen 2-4-1, 2.51, .903
Hershey
Pierrick Dube 6-2-8
Joe Snively 1-6-7
Ivan Miroshnichenko 1-5-6
Chase Priskie 1-5-6
Clay Stevenson 4-2-1, 1.42, .948
Hunter Shepard 3-0-1, 1.71, .930
2024 POSTSEASON LEADERS
Lehigh Valley
Louie Belpedio 0-4-4
Tanner Laczynski 3-0-3
Emil Andrae 1-1-2
Ronnie Attard 1-1-2
Rhett Gardner 1-1-2
Bobby Brink 0-2-2
Olle Lycksell 0-2-2
Cal Petersen 2-2-0, 2.77, .882
Hershey
Ethen Frank 2-2-4
Hendrix Lapierre 2-1-3
Bogdan Trineyev 0-3-3
Henrik Rybinski 2-0-2
Chase Priskie 0-2-2
Joe Snively 0-2-2
Hunter Sheaprd 2-0, 1.00, .968
