PREVIEW: Phantoms at Islanders, Game #37

Lehigh Valley Phantoms (17-13-6) at Bridgeport Islanders (7-22-4)
Total Mortgage Arena, Bridgeport, CT
Sunday, January 12, 2025 (5:00 p.m.) – Game #37

TONIGHT – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms enter the second half of the season on a roll as they visit the last place Bridgeport Islanders in a Sunday evening clash.

Lehigh Valley (17-13-6) are on a five-game point streak to start 2025 with a 4-0-1 record and the Phantoms have also won four consecutive away contests to move four games above .500 for the first time this season. In the process, the Phantoms have also climbed into a fourth-place tie with the Providence Bruins in the Atlantic Division standings.

Bridgeport (7-22-4) is having significant difficulties and have dropped 12 consecutive home contests, a franchise record. The Islanders are the worst team in the AHL with a league-low seven wins and also a league-worst .273 points percentage.

Tonight is the first of six matchups between the Phantoms and Islanders.

LAST TIME – Parker Gahagen (26 saves) recorded his first career AHL shutout as the visiting Phantoms spoiled the party on the 50th birthday of pro hockey in Hartford. Lehigh Valley’s 3-0 win at the Wolf Pack was backed by Gahagen’s stellar goaltending as the 31-year-old Army Captain won his third consecutive start. Garrett Wilson (8th) broke a scoreless deadlock late in the second period with an unassisted, shorthanded blast on a breakaway. Emil Andrae (2nd) and Rhett Gardner (5th) with an empty-netter also scored goals in the third period. The Phantoms improved to 3-0-2 against Hartford as the two teams met for a regulation decision for the first time this season after the first four meetings had all gone to overtime.

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

OLLE IS AN ALL-STAR – Olle Lycksell has been selected to represent the Phantoms at the AHL All-Star Classic in Palm Springs, CA taking place February 2-3.

Lycksell is tied with Samu Tuomaala for the team lead in scoring with 9-14-25. Lycksell recorded his 100th career point with the Phantoms on December 4 and notched his second career hat trick on December 20 in a 7-2 thrashing of the Toronto Marlies. That led to him winning  AHL Player of the Week honors for the second time in his career becoming the first player in Lehigh Valley history to win it twice. Lycksell has scored three overtime goals this season to lead the AHL and also tie for a Phantoms franchise record for most OT goals in a season.

OVERTIME IS PHANTOMS-TIME – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms lead the AHL with seven overtime wins and 14 overtime games this season. Lehigh Valley is 7-5 in overtime decisions and 1-1 in shootouts. Olle Lycksell has scored three overtime winners to lead the AHL. Other overtime goal-scorers for the Phantoms include Rhett Gardner, Samu Tuomaala, Louie Belpedio and Brendan Furry.

The Phantoms had won their last three straight overtime games before Friday’s setback and are 5-2 in overtimes dating back to Samu Tuomaala’s winner at Hartford on November 27. The Phantoms are also 7-3 in their last nine OT games since November 9 against Utica.

The franchise record for most overtime wins in a season is eight which has happened twice including last year in 2023-24 and also by the Philadelphia Phantoms in 2005-06.

PHANTASTIC – 

– The Phantoms are on a four-game point streak (4-0-1) to open 2025.

– Balanced Attack: 14 different players have scored Lehigh Valley’s 17 total goals in the five-game point streak. Alexis Gendron (3) and Emil Andrae (2) are the only players with multiple goals in the streak. Last Tuesday, the Phantoms were led by three defensemen who all scored goals: Hunter McDonald 93rd), Ethan Samson (6th) and Emil Andrae (1st) all found the back of the net while Helge Grans (3rd) scored last Saturday at Syracuse and Adam Ginning (1st) had an empty-netter at Utica.

– The Phantoms have killed 15 consecutive opponent power plays in their five-game point streak.

– Jacob Gaucher recorded his 100th career pro point with his team-leading 14th goal of the season on Tuesday at Hershey.

– Friday was Rhett Gardner’s 300th career AHL game. Tuesday was the 200th AHL game for Helge Grans.

– Alexis Gendron has three goals in the last five games and also four goals in the last seven games. He turned 21 years old on December 30.

– The Phantoms hit the midway mark of the season after Saturday’s game. The Phantoms have now played 36 games and have 36 to go.

– Lehigh Valley leads the AHL with 14 overtime games and seven overtime wins. The Phantoms are 7-5 in overtime decisions and 1-1 in shootouts.

– Lehigh Valley is second in the AHL in one-goal games with 23 trailing only Hershey. The Phantoms are 12-5-6 in the one-goal squeakers including 7-0-3 at home in one-goal games.

ISLANDS IN THE STREAM – It’s been a struggle for last-place Bridgeport (7-22-4) who broke out of a nine-game losing skid before the holiday break but are still having a hard time finding any success. The B-Isles lost last Sunday to Hartford 5-1 which was a franchise record 12th straight home game without a win as well as their eighth straight home regulation loss. Inexplicably, Bridgeport has only one win at home this season with an overall record of 1-13-2 at Total Mortgage Arena. But Rick Kowalsky’s team always puts up a good fight and gives opponents a tough battle even though the Islanders are surrendering a league-worst 4.0 goals per game. Former Hershey Bear Brian Pinho (16-9-25) is in his second year with the Islanders and had an impressive six-game goal streak early in the season. Pinho will also represent the Islanders at the AHL All-Star Class. 35-year-old scoring great Chris Terry (5-21-26) and has scored 316-450-766 lifetime in the AHL. Terry is the active career scoring leader in the AHL and rates 19th all-time in points and 17th all-time in goals. 31-year-old captain Cole Bardreau (3-6-9) is in his sixth season with Bridgeport following five years with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms from 2014-15 through 2018-19 where he played 226 games scoring 41 goals and 98 points.

Phantoms Scoring Leaders
Samu Tuomaala 8-17-25
x – Olle Lycksell 9-15-24
Jacob Gaucher 14-9-23
Rodrigo Abols 8-9-17
Anthony Richard 6-10-16
Alexis Gendron 11-5-16
Garrett Wilson 8-8-16

Bridgeport
Chris Terry 5-21-26
Brian Pinho 16-9-25
Alex Jefferies 8-13-21
Liam Foudy 9-8-17
Marc Gatcomb 9-7-16

Special Teams:
Lehigh Valley – PP 17.9%, 11th / PK 83.6%, 13th
Bridgeport – PP 15.4%, 26th / PK 74.8, 31st

COMING UP –  The Phantoms wrap up the weekend on Sunday evening at the Bridgeport Islanders. The Phantoms are back at PPL Center on Wednesday, January 15 hosting the Belleville Senators with Pregame Happy Hour.

UPCOMING

Sunday, January 12 (5:00) – Phantoms at Bridgeport Islanders

Wednesday, January 15 (7:05) – Phantoms vs. Belleville Senators, Pregame Happy Hour, $2 Beers

Friday, January 17 (7:05) – Phantoms at Rochester Americans

Saturday, January 18 (7:05) – Rochester Americans at Phantoms – Air Products Night, Children’s Book Donation Drive

Friday, January 24 (7:05) – Springfield Thunderbirds at Phantoms

Saturday, January 25 (7:05) – Bridgeport Islanders at Phantoms – meLVin Youth Jersey Night

Sunday, January 26 (3:05) – Phantoms at W-B/Scranton Penguins

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