PREVIEW: Phantoms vs. Islanders, Game #42

Lehigh Valley Phantoms (19-15-6) vs. Bridgeport Islanders (10-26-4)
PPL Center, Allentown, PA
Saturday, January 25, 2025 (7:05 p.m.) – Game #42

TONIGHT – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms welcome the Bridgeport Islanders to PPL Center for the first time this season. Tonight is Game 2 out of 6 in the season series between the two clubs.

Lehigh Valley (19-16-6) had accumulated points in seven out of eight games (6-1-1) but is now looking to get back on track following consecutive losses.

Bridgeport (10-26-4) has the worst record in the AHL and is allowing a league-worst four goals per game but the Islanders have been putting it together lately and have won two of the last three.

Tonight is meLVin Youth Jersey Night for the first 2,500 kids in attendance and it is also Saturday Night Hockey Live with D.J. Freezie.

LAST TIME – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms welcomed back Olle Lycksell, Cooper Marody and Alexei Kolosov to the lineup but the visiting Springfield Thunderbirds thrived on the special teams with one shorthanded goal and two power-play goals in downing the Phantoms 5-1 at PPL Center. Lycksell (10th) returned to the lineup after a month-long stay with the Philadelphia Flyers and scored the team’s lone goal on a strong set up by Zayde Wisdom.

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

HOT ROD AND RITCHIE! – Rodrigo Abols and Anthony Richard have been recalled to the Philadelphia Flyers.
Abols, 29, made his NHL debut on Tuesday against Detroit. The big center from Latvia made it to the show after 266 pro games in Sweden and 70 games in the AHL. He has scored 9-10-19 in 36 games with the Phantoms and becomes the third Lehigh Valley Phantom to make his NHL debut with the Flyers this season joining Aleksei Kolosov and Olle Lycksell.
Richard, 28, heads back to the Flyers where he played in seven games in November scoring 2-4-6. With the Phantoms this season, he has scored 8-11-19 in 18 games. The Trois Rivieres, Quebec native recently returned to the lineup following a month-long layoff due to injury.

OLLE AND KOLIE – Goaltender Alexei Kolosov and forward Olle Lycksell have been assigned to the Phantoms from the Philadelphia Flyers.
Kolosov, 23, returns to the Phantoms after playing in 15 games with the Philadelphia Flyers where he went 4-8-1, 3.45, .870. He played in four games with the Phantoms in October and returned to the lineup on Friday against Springfield. Kolosov made his NHL debut on October 27, 2024 against Montreal and recorded his first NHL win on November 23, 2024 with an overtime decision against Chicago.
Lycksell, 25, rejoins the Phantoms as an All-Star having been selected to represent the team at the AHL All-Star Classic taking place February 2-3 in Coachella Valley, Cal. He has played in six games with Philadelphia recording zero points and has also been almost a point-per-game player with Lehigh Valley this season scoring 10-15-25 in 26 games played.

ADDITIONAL TRANSACTIONS – The Phantoms have recalled defenseman JoJo Cassaro from the Reading Royals. The R.I.T. product has scored 6-17-23 in 39 games in the ECHL.
Goaltender Keith Petruzzelli has been loaned to Reading.

PHANTASTIC – 

– Cooper Marody made his belated season debut in Friday night’s game against Springfield. The elite play-maker and goal-scorer led the Phantoms last season with 56 points on 19 goals and 37 assists. But this year had been sidelined since taking an injury during the preseason in September. Marody missed the first 40 games of the season.

– Olle Lycksell is on a three-game goal streak that is also over a month long. Lycksell’s last game with the Phantoms had been on December 20 when he recorded a hat trick against Toronto after which he received a recall to the Flyers. Lycksell is also currently on a five-game point streak which dates back to December 8.

– Garrett Wilson is second all-time in Lehigh Valley history with 260 career games. The 33-year-old captain is just 17 games away from equaling the team record of 277 games held by Greg Carey. Wilson is approaching another impressive career milestone as he currently stands at 396 pro points.

– Brendan Furry is tied for second in the AHL with three shorthanded goals all of which have been scored since December 21. Furry’s other goal this season was a 3-on-3 overtime winner at Syracuse on January 4. The Toledo, Ohio native has scored all four of his goals this season on backhand shots.

– Lehigh Valley leads the league in overtime games, overtime wins and one-goal games. The Phantoms have played 15 overtime games and are 7-5 in OT decisions and 2-1 in shootouts. The Phantoms are 14-6-6 in one-goal games including 8-1-3 at home. Last Saturday against Rochester was the first regulation one-goal loss at home this season.

IMPENDING MILESTONES
– Garrett Wilson, 396 pro points
– Louie Belpedio, 396 pro games

ISLANDS IN THE STREAM – Last place Bridgeport (10-25-4) has the fewest wins and worst points percentage in the AHL. But that didn’t stop the Islanders from slamming the door on a road-fatigued Phantoms team two Sundays ago via Henrik Tikkanen’s 21-save shutout on January 12 in a 5-0 Bridgeport win. That one ended a 12-game home losing skid for the Islanders and was only their second win at home this season. The Islanders are a far-more respectable 8-10-2 on the road. Bridgeport has also won two of its last three including a 5-2 pasting of Syracuse last night led by Chris Terry’s two goals and one assist. Islanders captain Cole Bardreau (3-7-10) missed the previous matchup against the Phantoms with an injury but the popular former Phantom has since returned to the Isles’ lineup. 35-year-old sniper Chris Terry (11-24-35) leads the team and had two goals against Lehigh Valley in the first matchup. He is also the AHL’s active career-scoring leader with 322 goals and 776 points. Former Hershey Bear Brian Pinho (17-10-27) had a six-game goal streak early in the season and will represent the Islanders at the AHL All-Star Classic. The Islanders are surrendering just under four goals per game, worst in the AHL, and their 75.0% penalty kill, which rates 31st out of 32, isn’t exactly helping their cause. This is Bridgeport’s first visit to PPL Center and is Game 2 out of 6 in the season series.

Scoring Leaders
Phantoms
Samu Tuomaala 8-18-26
Jacob Gaucher 14-11-25
Olle Lycksell 10-15-25
x – Rodrigo Abols 9-10-19
x – Anthony Richard 8-11-19
Alexis Gendron 11-7-18

Bridgeport
Chris Terry 11-24-35
Brian Pinho 17-10-27
Liam Foudy 15-12-27
Alex Jeffries 8-15-23
Samuel Bolduc 4-14-18

Special Teams:
Lehigh Valley – PP 17.4%, 17th / PK 81.8%, 19th
Bridgeport – PP 17.8%, 16th / PK 75.0, 31st

SEASON SERIES
Jan. 12 – Lehigh Valley 0 at Bridgeport 5
Jan. 25 – Bridgeport at Lehigh Valley
Jan. 29 – Lehigh Valley at Bridgeport
Feb. 28 – Bridgeport at Lehigh Valley
Mar. 1 – Bridgeport at Lehigh Valley
Apr. 2 – Lehigh Valley at Bridgeport (10:30 a.m.)

COMING UP –  The Phantoms are back at it tomorrow afternoon with a Sunday matinee rivalry clash at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at 3:05. Lehigh Valley’s last game before the AHL All-Star Break is Wednesday, January 29 at the Bridgeport Islanders.

UPCOMING

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

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

Wednesday, January 29 (7:00) – Phantoms at Bridgeport Islanders

Monday, February 2 – Tuesday, February 3 – All-Star Break. AHL All-Star Classic at Coachella Valley

Friday, February 7 (7:05) – Cleveland Monsters at Phantoms – Berks $1 Hot Dogs

Saturday, February 8 (7:05) – Hartford Wolf Pack at Phantoms – Postgame Autographs with Team presented by NJM Insurance

 

 

 

 

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