PREVIEW: Phantoms at Syracuse, Game 57

Taking on the Crunch in Weekend Opener

TONIGHT – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (24-26-6) continue their Push for the Playoffs as they travel to Syracuse (35-18-4) to take on the Crunch, AHL affiliate of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Phantoms are in sixth place in the Atlantic Division, occupying the final playoff spot. With 16 games remaining in the regular season, Lehigh Valley’s Magic Number is 29 points to punch its ticket for the postseason. Syracuse is in second place in the North Division and just three points behind Laval for first. The Crunch have a Magic
Number of eight points for a Calder Cup Playoffs berth. Tonight is Game 57 of the regular season and is also the fourth, and final, meeting against Syracuse. The Crunch lead the season series 3-0.

Fans can browse rosters and Media Materials for tonight’s game at www.phantomshockey.com/media/media-materials/

LAST TIME – Jacob Gaucher (14th, 15th) knocked home two more to extend his goal streak to three games but Liam Foudy (20th, 21st) paced the Bridgeport Islanders’ attack who held off a late rally for a 5-4 decision on Sunday afternoon. Lehigh Valley trailed 5-3 when the Phantoms pulled Carson Bjarnason with 4:10 remaining. After that it was chance after glorious chance for the Orange and Black but somehow Henrik Tikkanen hung in there to make his best stops of the day and preserve the win. Boris Katchouk scored his first with Lehigh Valley with just 1:06 left to make it a one-goal game. Zayde Wisdom (10th) also scored for the Phantoms who simply ran out of time in their rallying efforts.

POWELL SIGNS – The Philadelphia Flyers have signed forward Noah Powell to a three-year entry-level contract beginning with the 2026-27 season. Powell will join Lehigh Valley Phantoms for the remainder of the 2025-26 season on a Professional Try Out (PTO).
Powell, 21, is a 6-foot-2, 205-pound forward who recorded seven goals and five assists for 12 points in 34 games this season as a freshman with the Arizona State Sun Devils. He was chosen in the fifth round of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. The Northbrook, Illinois product led the USHL with 43 goals playing for Dubuque in 2023-24. Powell was born with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. He uses hearing aids and reads lips to communicate.

MARODY TRADED – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms have traded forward Cooper Marody to the Coachella Valley Firebirds in exchange for future considerations. Marody, 29, has scored eight goals with 17 assists for 23 points with the Phantoms this season in 41 games. He has played in parts of four seasons for the Phantoms amassing 162 career games and scoring 43 goals with 79 assists for 122 points. He is ninth all-time in Lehigh Valley history in points and is seventh all-time.

GINNING RECORD – Adam Ginning is closing in on Reece Wilcox’s Lehigh Valley record of 232 games by a defenseman. Ginning has played in 228 games with the Phantoms and can potentially tie the record on Wednesday against Providence. Drafted by the Flyers in the second round in 2018, the 6’4″ lefty shot has been a blueline mainstay with Lehigh Valley for four seasons scoring nine goals with 48 assists for 57 points. Ginning has also played in 16 career NHL games with the Philadelphia Flyers including five games this year when he made the team’s Opening Night roster out of training camp.

TRANSACTIONS –
3/7/26 Add Carson Golder (F) – Recalled by LV from Reading
3/7/26 Del Alex Bump (F) – Recalled to PHI
3/11/26 Add Noah Powell (F) – Signed ATO with Phantoms
3/12/26 Del Cooper Marody – Traded to Coachella Valley for future considerations

LET’S GET CRUNCHY – Syracuse (35-18-4) has been on the rise and recently had a five-game win streak while also going 12-2 in its last 14 games. However, they were tripped up on Wednesday in a 5-1 loss to Toronto. The Crunch are just three points behind Laval for first place in the North and also have two games in hand. Former Flyer Jakob Pelletier (22-40-62) leads the AHL in scoring while Brandon Halverson (21-7-3, 2.22, .910) was AHL Goaltender of the Month for February going 6-0-0, 1.67, .934. University of Michigan product Dylan Duke (29-20-49) is second in the AHL in goals and has three in the season series which Syracuse leads 3-0. And now the Crunch have added former Springfield captain Matthew Peca (8-26-34) who returns to Syracuse in a trade for Wyatt Newpower. The 32-year-old veteran played three seasons with Syracuse at the beginning of his career and has 530 games and 391 points under his belt at the AHL level. Former Phantom Brendan Furry (14-14-28) is having an especially strong season while defenseman Ethan Samson (2-10-12) has also taken well to his new environs since departing Lehigh Valley via trade in December.

SCORING LEADERS
Phantoms Scoring Leaders
Lane Pederson 18-20-38
Anthony Richard 16-20-36
Christian Kyrou 8-24-32
Jacob Gaucher 15-14-29
x – Alex Bump 11-15-26
Tucker Robertson 11-13-24

Syracuse Scoring Leaders
Jakob Pelletier 22-40-62
x – Conor Geekie 14-37-51
Dylan Duke 29-20-49
Mitchell Chaffee 19-28-47
Nick Abruzzese 9-29-38

Special Teams PP / PK
LV 19.4%, 16th / 76.1%, 30th / PP vs. SYR, 2-15, 13.3%
SYR 22.1%, 6th / 82.7%, 10th / PP vs. LV 3-15, 2.0.0%

Season Series vs. Syracuse Crunch: (0-3-0)
12/12/25 Away L 1-3
1/17/26 Home L 1-4
2/15/26 Home L 1-3
3/13/26 Away

LOOKING AHEAD – The Phantoms’ road trip continues this Friday and Saturday at Syracuse and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

The Phantoms return to PPL Center for a pair of home games on Sunday, March 15 against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Wednesday, March 18 against the first-placce Providence Bruins.

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