PREVIEW: Phantoms at Wolf Pack, Game #4

Lehigh Valley Phantoms (1-2-0) at Hartford Wolf Pack (2-1-1)
XL Center, Hartford, CT
October 25, 2024 (7:00 p.m.) – Game #4

TONIGHT – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (1-2-0) open a busy three-game weekend with a Friday night clash at the Hartford Wolf Pack (2-1-1), AHL affiliate of the New York Rangers. Tonight’s game in Connecticut is a rematch of the spectacularly entertaining Opening Night battle at PPL Center on October 12 in which the Phantoms prevailed 4-3 in a shootout.

LAST TIME – The Phantoms largely dominated the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins last Saturday at PPL Center but 41 shots wasn’t enough to break goaltender Filip Larsson who hung on for his first career AHL shutout and the Penguins escaped with a 3-0 decision. Close calls in the game for Oscar Eklind, Olle Lycksell, Ronnie Attard, Elliot Desnoyers and Samu Tuomaala accounted for some of the team’s best chances on the frustrating night. Boris Katchouk scored three minutes into the game to provide the Baby Pens all the offense they would need. Lehigh Valley outshot the Penguins by a massive 41-17 margin including 31-7 in the final two periods.

MEDIA MATERIALS – Fans can browse rosters and Media Materials for both teams and the AHL at the following link.

https://www.phantomshockey.com/media-materials/

ANDRAE ARRIVES – Defenseman Emil Andrae has been returned to the Phantoms from the Philadelphia Flyers and is expected to make his season debut this weekend. Andrae did not play on his 10-day recall to Philadelphia. The creative, play-making 22-year-old enters his second full professional season in North America after a solid rookie campaign with Lehigh Valley in which he produced 5-27-32 in 61 games played. Andrae began the 2023-24 campaign with the Philadelphia Flyers playing in four games before he was loaned to Lehigh Valley in November. He also played in 10 games with the Phantoms at the end of the 2022-23 season scoring 2-4-6 and on his AHL career with Lehigh Valley has produced 7-31-38 in 71 games.

PHANTASTIC
– Oscar Eklind scored his first-career AHL goal on Friday at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on a set up by Elliot Desnoyers. Eklind had never been to the United States before signing with the Philadelphia Flyers this year. The 26-year-old winger from Trelleborg, Sweden made his Phantoms debut.

– Sawyer Boulton made his pro debut on Saturday against the Penguins. The 20-year-old rookie forward is the son of long-time NHL enforcer Eric Boulton who amassed over 1,400 penalty minutes in his career with Buffalo, Atlanta, and the New York Islanders.

– The Phantoms lead the AHL with 42 shots per game. The Phantoms are also seventh in the AHL and first in the division with just 25 shots allowed per game.

– Lehigh Valley’s power play is 4-for-14 for 28.6% which is 4th in the AHL.

LAPPY 100 WINS – Head coach Ian Laperriere is on the verge of joining an elite group of Phantoms coaches to reach 100 career wins.

Phantoms Franchise – Career Coaching Wins
John Stevens – 230 (2000-2006)
Bill Barber – 187 (1996-2000)
Scott Gordon – 186 (2015-21)
Ian Laperriere – 99 (2021- Present)

THE CAPTAIN – Fan-Favorite Garrett Wilson is the longest-tenured player on the Phantoms and is now 50 games away from passing Greg Carey for most games played with Lehigh Valley.

LEHIGH VALLEY – GAMES PLAYED
1. Greg Carey 277
2. Chris Conner 265
3. Colin McDonald 248
4. Reece Willcox 232
5. T.J. Brennan 230
6. Nic Aube-Kubel 229
7. Garrett Wilson 227
8. Cole Bardreau 226
8. Taylor Leier 226

PLAYING THE PACK – Hartford (2-1-1) picked up a pair of wins last weekend, including the first for new head coach Grant Potulny who is the older brother of former Philadelphia Flyers and Philadelphia Phantoms forward Ryan Potulny. The Pack just beefed up their roster with the addition of 6’8″ enforcer Matt Rempe who returns from the New York Rangers potentially to make his AHL season-debut.

This is Game 2 out of 6 in the season series. Lehigh Valley took Round 1 in a 4-3 thriller on Opening Night in Allentown with power-play goals by Jacob Gaucher, Samu Tuomaala and Anthony Richard as part of a 49-shot barrage. But Casey Fitzgerald tied the game for Hartford with just 1:05 left to keep the drama.

Opening Night at XL Center on Friday was a 6-5 triumph over Springfield including two goals apiece for Brennan Othmann and Jaroslav Chmelar. The Wolf Pack split a pair of games at Bridgeport with a 5-4 overtime victory on Saturday on Brett Berard’s winning goal followed by a Sunday 4-0 loss on Jakub Skarek’s 24-save effort.

Hartford is allowing 4.25 goals per game, 28th out of 32 in the AHL. The Pack are led by 2020 fifth-rounder Brett Berard (4-2-6), who had 25 goals last year, and 2018 Anaheim second-rounder Bo Groulx (2-3-5). First-rounder Brennan Othmann (2-2-4) had 21 goals as a rookie. 32-year-old veteran goaltender Louis Domingue has played in 143 NHL games with seven teams beginning with Arizona in 2014-15.

SCORING LEADERS
Lehigh Valley
Samu Tuomaala 1-2-3
Jacob Gaucher 2-0-2
Anthony Richard 1-1-2
Rodrigo Abols 0-2-2

Hartford
Brett Berard 4-2-6
Bo Groulx 2-3-5
Alex Belzile 0-5-5
Brennan Othmann 2-2-4

Special Teams:
Lehigh Valley – PP 28.6%, 4th / 75.0%, 25th / PP vs. HFD 3-for-8
Hartford – PP 25.0%, 6th / 72.2%, 29th / PP vs. LV 2-for-8

Season Series
Oct 12 – Win – Hartford 3 at Lehigh Valley 4 (SO)
Oct 25 at Hartford
Nov 27 at Hartford
Jan 10 at Lehigh Valley
Jan 11 at Hartford
Feb 8 at Lehigh Valley

COMING UP –  The Phantoms return to PPL Center on Saturday and Sunday (3:05) with a pair of games against the Grand Rapids Griffins (DET) who are visiting PPL Center for the first time ever. Sunday’s game featured Haunted on Hamilton for Sppoky Fun including a costume parade during the intermission, trick or treating and pumpkin painting.

UPCOMING

Friday, October 25 – Phantoms at Hartford Wolf Pack

Saturday, October 26 – Grand Rapids Griffins at Phantoms

Sunday, October 27 (3:05) – Grand Rapids Griffins at Phantoms (Haunted on Hamilton, Spooky Fun!)

Wednesday, October 30 – Phantoms at Hershey Bears

Saturday, November 2 – Phantoms at Springfield Thunderbirds

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