PREVIEW: Phantoms vs. Rocket, Game #19
Lehigh Valley Phantoms (8-6-4) vs. Laval Rocket (13-5-1)
PPL Center, Allentown, PA
Saturday, November 30, 2024 (7:05 p.m.) – Game #19
TONIGHT – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (8-6-4) look to keep it rolling over the Thanksgiving Week as they host the Laval Rocket (13-5-1), AHL affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens.
Lehigh Valley has won back-to-back overtime thrillers to move within one point of second place in the Atlantic Division standings. The Laval Rocket have dropped back-to-back games on their Pennsylvania road trip to recently fall out of the top spot in the North Division.
LAST TIME – Another game, Another overtime. Olle Lycksell struck for a pair of goals, including the overtime winner, as the Lehigh Valley Phantoms persevered and knocked off the first-place Hershey Bears on Black Friday at PPL Center. Cal Petersen backstopped the triumph with a 29-save performance as the Phantoms improved to 2-1 against the Chocolate and White and did it with only five defensemen following an injury to Xavier Bernard in the first period. Ethen Frank’s power-play goal in the third period was the lone mark for the Bears.
MEDIA MATERIALS – Fans can browse rosters and Media Materials for both teams and the AHL at the following link. https://www.phantomshockey.com/media-materials/
WORKING OVERTIME – The Phantoms have gone to overtime in half of their games this season, 9 out of 18, as well as the last three games in a row. Lehigh Valley leads the league in overtime games and also has four overtime victories to tie for the AHL lead with Cleveland and Hartford.
The Phantoms are 4-3 in overtime games and are also 1-1 in shootouts.
Lehigh Valley has won consecutive overtime games for just the fifth time in team history and also the second time this month.
This is the second time in team history that Lehigh Valley has racked up four overtime wins in the same month. It first happened in November 2019. The Phantoms are now halfway to last year’s team record of eight OT wins in a single season.
Lehigh Valley Back-to-Back Overtime Wins:
Nov 29-30, 2019 – Brennan vs. WBS, Welinski vs. HFD
Dec 31 2021 – Jan 1 2022 – O’Reilly at UTC, Clendening vs. BRI
Feb 21-24 2024 – Maordy at WBS, Brink at CLT
Nov 9-13 2024 – Gardner vs. UTC, Lycksell vs. WBS
Nov 27-29 2024 – Tuomaala at HFD, Lycksell vs. HER
PHANTASTIC
– Second-year defenseman Ethan Samson has scored goals in back-to-back games and has three goals in the last four games including a pair of power-play markers. Samson did not play in Friday’s game against Hershey. The 21-year-old right-handed shooter has taken on extra duties this season with his power-play time and it’s paying off. The product of the WHL Prince George Cougars was a sixth-round selection of the Philadelphia Flyers in 2021.
– Olle Lycksell leads the AHL with 78 shots on goal. Lycksell (5-10-15) has moved up to second on the team in scoring. After scoring zero goals among his first 49 shots, Lycksell has lit it up for five goals on 29 shots including going 2-for-2 in Friday’s overtime win against Hershey. Last year, he averaged over a point-per-game while tying for the team in goals when he scored 19-20-39 in just 38 games played with the Phantoms while also playing in 18 NHL games with the Flyers last year.
– Defenseman Hunter McDonald is first among AHL rookies with a +11 rating. The Round 6 selection in 2022 out of Northeastern University has also shown his toughness with three fighting majors this season.
LOOKING OUT FOR LAVAL – The Phantoms tangle with a top-tier team for a second consecutive night when Laval (13-5-1) makes its only appearance of the season at PPL Center. The AHL affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens has just fallen out of first place in the North Division following Pennsylvania road-trip losses at Hershey and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this week in consecutive 5-3 decisions. 21-year-old leading scorer Joshua Roy (8-8-16) has been recalled to Montreal. Veteran Alex Barre-Boulet (6-10-16) returns to his home area after six strong seasons with Syracuse and Tampa Bay where the two-time AHL All-Star and 2018-19 All-Rookie Team member racked up 113 goals and 302 points for the Crunch while also playing 70 NHL games with the Lightning. 21-year-old first-rounder Logan Mailloux (5-9-14) has been strong from the blueline. 20-year-old Owen Beck (3-11-14) was a Round 2 (#33 overall) selection in the 2022 NHL Draft and won an OHL title with the Peterborough Petes in 2023 where he was teammates with Lehigh Valley’s J.R. Avon
The Rocket are allowing just 2.6 goals per game but have slipped from second to sixth in team defense after allowing 10 goals so far this week. 6’5″ Czechia product Jakub Dobes (7-2-1, 2.36, .911) tied for the AHL lead last year with 51 games played. 28-year-old Connor Hughes (6-3-0, 2.33, .915) has been outstanding in his first season in North America after nine seasons playing in Switzerland.
SCORING LEADERS
Lehigh Valley
Samu Tuomaala 8-10-18
Olle Lycksell 5-10-15
Anthony Richard 4-7-11
Jacob Gaucher 6-4-10
Oscar Eklind 4-5-9
Laval
x Joshua Roy 7-7-14
Alex Barre-Boulet 6-10-16
Jared Davidson 9-5-14
Logan Mailloux 5-9-14
Owen Beck 3-11-14
Special Teams:
Lehigh Valley – PP 22.8%, 2nd / PK 82.6%, 16th
Laval – PP 18.8%, 14th / PK 82.9%, 15th
COMING UP – The Phantoms continue their homestand on Wednesday, December 4 against the Rockford IceHogs, AHL affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks. And the Phantoms are back at home on Saturday, December 7 against the Hershey Bears in the team’s annual Teddy Bear Toss presented y Big Woody’s
UPCOMING
Saturday, November 30 – Phantoms vs. Laval Rocket – Flyers Night with GRITTY!
Wednesday, December 4 – Phantoms vs. Rockford IceHogs – Pregame Happy Hour with $2 Draft Specials
Saturday, December 7 – Phantoms vs. Hershey Bears – Teddy Bear Toss presented by Big Woody’s
Sunday, December 8 (5:00) – Phantoms at Hershey Bears
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