PREVIEW: Phantoms at Penguins, Game #29

Lehigh Valley Phantoms (12-11-5) vs. W-B/Scranton Penguins (16-8-1)
Mohegan Arena, Wilkes-Barre, PA
Friday, December 27, 2024 (7:05 p.m.) – Game #29

TONIGHT – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms return from the holiday break with a rivalry rematch at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, AHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Phantoms and Penguins are meeting for the seventh time out of 12 scheduled meetings this year in a series that has only gotten feistier.

Tonight is also the final away game of calendar year 2024.

Lehigh Valley (12-11-5) had its three-game win streak come to a close last Saturday in a frustrating 7-2 setback at the Baby Pens in a game that was marred by 132 combined penalty minutes including both head coaches receiving game misconducts following a shouting exchange that probably was not related to their respective favorite holiday recipes.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (16-8-1) is tied for third in the division with the Providence Bruins but has four games-in-hand. The Phantoms are tied for fifth with Hartford and are only four points back of the Penguins who won their final game before the break in a 1-0 goaltenders duel at Hershey last Sunday.

After tonight’s game, the Phantoms have two more games in 2024 including Saturday night at PPL Center against the Charlotte Checkers featuring a postgame photograph session with the Phantoms players presented by NJM Insurance and a Tuesday night New Year’s Eve clash also against Charlotte including lightup sticks from Penn Community Bank followed by the World’s Largest Puck-Drop to ring in 2025.

LAST TIME – Saturday in Wilkes-Barre was the second consecutive 7-2 result for the Phantoms but this time Lehigh Valley was on the wrong side of the scoreboard. Massimo Rizzo (2nd) and Brendan Furry (1st) shorthanded scored for the Phantoms but it wasn’t nearly enough to overcome the Penguins’ onslaught. Emil Bemstrom (1oth) and Boris Katchouk (12th) each had one goal and two assists for the Baby Pens who also had three power-play goals.
No fewer than NINE individuals found themselves heading for the exits early via misconduct penalties stemming from various scraps and altercations which likely did NOT involve the sharing of their favorite holiday recipes! Both head coaches were also tossed with 3:30 left. Lehigh Valley’s 74 penalty minutes and the combined total of 132 PIM were both season-highs in the AHL.

MEDIA MATERIALS – Fans can browse rosters and Media Materials for tonight’s game here: https://www.phantomshockey.com/media-materials/

LYCKSELL AHL PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Olle Lycksell was named the Howie’s Hockey Tape AHL Player of the Week following his overtime winner vs. Providence and hat trick vs. Toronto. Lycksell had four goals and two assists for six points in two games played last week. He leads the Phantoms with 9-15-24 in 25 games played. Lycksell is the first Lehigh Valley Phantom to win AHL Player of the Week honors twice. Lycksell was recalled to the Flyers for Saturday’s game against Columbus making his NHL season debut and then was returned to the Phantoms on Sunday.

TRANSACTIONS – 
Dec 27 – Olle Lycksell – Del – Recalled to Philadelphia from Phantoms
Dec 21 – Olle Lycksell – Add – Loaned to Phantoms from Philadelphia
Dec 20 – Mason Primeau – Add – Recalled to Phantoms from Reading-ECHL
Dec 20 – Olle Lycksell – Del – Recalled to Philadelphia from Phantoms
Dec 20 – Emil Andrae – Add – Loaned to Phantoms from Philadelphia

LYCSKELL HEADING BACK UP – The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled forward Olle Lycksell from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Lycksell, 25, played for the Flyers on Saturday, December 20 against Columbus in his season debut with Philadelphia. He had also just been named AHL Player of the Week for a second time in his career after recording four goals with two assists for six points in two games including an overtime winner and a hat trick for the week ending December 22. Lycksell leads the Phantoms in scoring with nine goals and 15 assists for 24 points. His 103 shots on goal is most in the AHL and is eight more than the next closest player, Dryden Hunt of Calgary who has 95 shots.

PHANTASTIC – 

– The goals keep coming for Jacob Gaucher who now has five goals in the last six games and seven goals in the last 10 games. Gaucher’s 5-game point streak was halted on Saturday after scoring 5-4-9 during the streak. Gaucher leads the Phantoms with 13 goals and was signed by the Flyers to a two-year NHL contract on December 12.

– Massimo Rizzo scored his first career pro goal on December 18 against Providence. The University of Denver product quickly followed that up just two games later with his second career goal on Saturday against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

– Mason Primeau made his Phantoms debut on Saturday at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The nephew of former Flyers captain Keith Primeau began the season on the shelf with an injury sustained in the preseason. The former Vegas Golden Knights fifth-round selection in 2019 had played in seven games with Reading scoring 3-1-4 and had previously played in 133 career AHL games with the Henderson (NV) Silver Knights.

– Lehigh Valley leads the AHL with 12 overtime games and six overtime wins. The Phantoms are 6-4 in overtime decisions and 1-1 in shootouts.  Lehigh Valley is second in one-goal games with 18 trailing only Hershey (19). The Phantoms are 9-4-5 in the squeakers including 6-0-2 at home in one-goal games.

MARCH OF THE PENGUINS – The Phantoms and Penguins were not exactly filled with Holiday Cheer when they met on Saturday before the holiday break racking up an AHL season-high 132 penalty minutes. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (16-8-1) blew past the Phantoms 7-2 in the blowout decision but the various scraps and altercations leading to NINE early exits, including both teams’ head coaches, were what had everyone talking.

The Penguins continued the momentum with a 1-0 win at first-plce Hershey on Sunday led by Filip LArsson’s third shutout. Emil Bemstrom (10-15-25) had a hat trick two Saturdays ago against Springfield in a 5-4 win while Boris Katchouk (12-7-19) racked up a four-goal game during a 6-4 victory the previous week against Charlotte. The Phantoms are 2-3-1 against the Penguins this year while Wilkes-Barre/Scranton has a 4-1-1 record against Lehigh Valley. Olle Lycksell struck for the overtime winner against the Penguins on November 13 at PPL Center after Alexis Gendron scored a pair of goals including the game-tying strike with just 1:33 left in the third. Gendron has scored four of his seven goals this season against the Penguins. This is Game 7 out of 12 in the season series.

SCORING LEADERS
Lehigh Valley
x – Olle Lycksell 9-15-24
Samu Tuomaala 8-14-22
Jacob Gaucher 13-9-22
Anthony Richard 6-10-16
Alexis Gendron 7-5-12
Rhett Gardner 4-8-12
Oscar Eklind 4-8-12

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
Emil Bemström 10-15-25
Ville Koivunen 5-16-21
Boris Katchouk 12-7-19
Tristan Broz 10-7-17
Mac Hollowell 0-16-16

Special Teams:
Lehigh Valley – PP 21.6%, 6th / PK 80.6%, 22nd / PP vs. WBS 5-19, 26.3%
W-B/Scranton – PP 24.0%, 2nd / PK 82.4%, 15th / PP vs. LV 6-26, 23.1%

Series Leaders
Lehigh Valley
Alexis Gendron 4-0-4
Samu Tuomaala 0-4-4
Oscar Eklind 3-0-3
x – Olle Lycksell 1-2-3
Rhett Gardner 0-3-3
Louie Belpedio 2-0-2

W-B/Scranton 
Emil Bemstrom 3-4-7
Boris Katchouk 4-2-6
Joona Koppanen 1-4-5

Marc Johnston 3-1-4

SEASON SERIES
10/18/24 Away – Loss – 3-4
10/19/24 Home – Loss – 0-3
11/6/24 Away – OT Loss –  1-2 (OT)
11/8/24 Home – Win – 5-3
11/13/24 Home – Win – 4-3 (OT)
12/21/24 Away – Loss – 2-7
12/27/24 Away
1/26/25 Away
2/14/25 Away
2/16/25 Home
3/14/25 Home
3/16/25 Home

COMING UP –  The Phantoms return to PPL Center to take on the Charlotte Checkers on Saturday, December 28 featuring postgame photos with the Phantoms players presented by NJM Insurance.

UPCOMING

Friday, December 27 (7:05) – Phantoms at W-B/Scranton Penguins

Saturday, December 28 (7:05) – Charlotte Checkers at Phantoms – Postgame Photographs with the Phantoms players presented by NJM Insurance

Tuesday, December 31 (7:05) – Charlotte Checkers at Phantoms – Light-up glow sticks from Penn Community Bank. World’s Largest Puck-Drop at Midnight!

Friday, January 3 (7:00) – Phantoms at Utica Comets

Saturday, January 4 (7:00) – Phantoms at Syracuse Crunch

Tuesday, January 7 (7:00) – Phantoms at Hershey Bears

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