Phantoms Sink the Admirals 6-3

Wilson 3 Points and Wisdom 2 Goals Drives Victory

March 19, 2025

Allentown, PA – Garrett Wilson (11th) had a goal with two assists and Zayde Wisdom (11th, 12th) knocked home a pair of goals in a 6-3 win for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms over the Milwaukee Admirals on Wednesday night at PPL Center.

Alexis Gendron (17th), Nikita Greenkin (11th) and Elliot Desnoyers (4th) with an empty netter at the end also scored for the Phantoms’ attack. For Grebenkin, it was his second power-play goal in two games since entering the Lehigh Valley lineup after beginning the season with nine goals as a member of the Toronto Marlies.

But it wasn’t just about the scoring. Head coach Ian Laperriere was pleased with the team’s overall performance and success in other aspects of the game.

“I thought it was our best game of the year,” Laperriere said. “We stayed above them all night. Overall the guys stepped up. Wiz, Desy, J.R., (Wisdom, Desnoyers, Avon)… that line was great. Gardner’s line was heavy. I liked everybody. Yeah, that was a team effort on D and the boys kept it simple. Those are the games that the coach likes.”

Lehigh Valley (31-23-7) trimmed its Magic Number to clinch a third consecutive playoff berth to 11 points with 11 games remaining in the regular season. The Phantoms are 2-1-0 on their current five-game homestand which is the longest of the season.

38-year-old Cal O’Reilly returned to PPL Center since his four-year stint as captain of the team. The future AHL Hall of Famer who recently celebrated his 1,000th career game in the AHL was honored and recognized midway through the first period during an in-game tribute. The former Phantoms’ captain enjoyed getting to recognize and acknowledge the fans who cheered for him for four seasons but he probably didn’t enjoy as much the result of his homecoming.

The high-scoring output also came against one of the AHL’s top goaltenders with 27-year-old Matt Murray entering the contest with a .928 save percentage, tops in the AHL (not the goaltender of the same name who currently plays for Toronto). But the Phantoms took him down a couple notches by torching him for five goals allowed on 26 shots.

Newcomer Grebenkin opened the scoring on a power-play tap-in that was strikingly similar to his goal in his Phantoms debut on Sunday. Wilson from the right side found Grebenkin at the net front behind goaltender Matt Murray at 12:03 to open a 1-0 lead with Anthony Richard also recording an assist on the play for his 34th point in his 34th game of the season. The Phantoms largely dominated the first period with a 13-6 shots advantage which also allowed goaltender Aleksei Kolosov (5-5-1) to practically ease into the game somewhat.

Milwaukee captain Kevin Gravel (4th) scored from the point at 4:13 into the second period to even the score at 1-1 but the Phantoms were quick to respond.

Wilson connected with Gendron who zoomed in and sniped a rocket on the rush from at 4:46 to put the Phantoms ahead again at 2-1. A pair of 21-year-old prospects had scored the first two goals for the Phantoms.

Cal O’Reilly briefly hoped he had equalized for the visitors but his deflection of a point shot was way too high making an easy decision for the officials to wave it off. Whew.

Enter Zayde Wisdom. The winger continued his resurgence with a pair of nice goals late in the second and early in the third. As part of the new self-proclaimed “Macgungie Line” with his housemates in Macgungie township, Elliot Desnoyers and J.R. Avon, it was clear that the trio had some strong chemistry.

The energetic 22-year-old had stolen the puck from the goaltender and almost had a chance to score on the play but Milwaukee recovered. Later, on the same shift, Avon connected with Wisdom down low who pushed one past Murray but off the post. The third try was the charm. Ethan Samson’s shot off the end-boards was collected by Wisdom who quickly converted from behind the cage with a bank off the side of the goaltender and in. His first goal of the night at 17:48 into the second period gave Lehigh Valley a 3-1 lead.

The Macgungie Line worked it again at 3:53 into the third period with Elliot Desnoyers weaving up the right wing and then making a move to the net from the side. Avon out in front had the first chance off Murray and then Wisdom was there at the left of the cage to put in the rebound for a 4-1 lead.

Wilson rocked it home from the slot on a quick and snappy connection from the left boards by Gendron to make it 5-1 at 9:24.

Milwaukee (31-20-10) made it interesting with back-to-back goals in the final five minutes. Jesse Ylonen (11th) scored on the power play from the right of the cage on a set up by former Phantom Mark Friedman at 15:01. And Jake Lucchini (17th) buried a shorthanded breakaway just 1:29 later to make it 5-3.

But the Phantoms overcame that little stretch and Desnoyers finished the night with an intercept at the blue line and an empty-netter with 44 seconds remaining to provide for the 6-3 final.

It was the most goals the Phantoms had scored since January 29 in a 9-2 win at Bridgeport and was the second-most goals scored at home this year trailing only a 7-2 win over Toronto on December 20.

The offense was good. But getting the puck in the first place by doing the right things on their own end of the ice was the trigger.

“It doesn’t matter what team you have,” Laperriere said. “Checking is how you win. Teams that are always on the go, it’s cute. But the teams that win are the teams that check well. If you have skills that you can add to that then that’s the right recipe.”

The Phantoms are now 19-1-1 when scoring four or more goals. Lehigh Valley is 18-10-2 since January 1 and improved to eight games over .500 overall (31-23-7) equaling their high-water mark of the season. The Phantoms are 17-9-3 at PPL Center.

The homestand continues on Friday night against the Syracuse Crunch and then concludes on Saturday against the Providence Bruins features the first ever Phan-Con at PPL Center.

SCORING SUMMARY
1st 12:03 – LV, N. Grebenkion (11) (G. Wilson, A. Richard) (PP) (1-0)

2nd 4:13 – MIL, K. Gravel (5) (G. Denisenko, J. Kemmell) (1-1)
2nd 4:46 – LV, A. Gendron (17) (G. Wiolson, E. Samson) (2-1)
2md 17:46 – LV, Z. Wisdom (11) (E. Samson) (3-1)

3rd 3:53 – LV, Z. Wisdom (12) (J. Avon, E. Desnoyers) (4-1)
3rd 9:24 – LV, G. Wislno (11) (A. Gendron) (5-1)
3rd 15:01 – MIL, J. Ylonen (11) (M. Friedman, J. Lucchini) (5-2)
3rd 16:30 – MIL, J. Lucchini (17) (SH) (5-3)
3rd 19:16 – LV, E. Desnoyers (4) (EN) (6-3)

Shots:
LV 27 – MIL 26

PP:
LV 1/3, MIL 1/3

Goaltenders:
LV – A. Kolosov (W) (5-5-1) (23/26)
MIL – M. Murray (L) (20-10-7) (21/26)

Records:
Lehigh Valley (30-23-7)
Milwaukee (31-20-10)

UPCOMING

Friday, March 21 (7:05) – Syracuse Crunch at Phantoms

Saturday, March 22 (7:05) – Providence Bruins at Phantoms – First ever PHAN-CON! Costumed Characters. Fans can come dressed up as well. Photo Stations and lots of fun!

Friday, March 28 and Sunday, March 30 – NCAA Hockey Allentown Regional hosted by Penn State Nittany Lions

Friday, March 28 (7:00) – Phantoms at Belleville Senators
Satruday, March 29 (7:00) – Phantoms at Laval Rocket

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