USHL Youngstown Phantoms

Balanced Scoring Gives Phantoms Boost as They Hit Road

Published on January 30, 2013 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Youngstown Phantoms News Release


YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - Every coaching staff in the United States Hockey League strives to put out its most competitive lineup night in and night out, and the Youngstown Phantoms are no different. However, it's not as simple as picking out the top three players, sticking them on a line together and watching as fill the opposing net with pucks.

Coaches look for players with complementary skill sets, who play at the same pace, but fulfill different roles on the ice. At the same time, they have to account for, and do their best to minimize, the drop-off in offensive ability from line to line. After all, a typical shift only lasts 45-60 seconds.

To win consistently a team needs both depth and balance up front.

"It's probably the biggest thing we were lacking in the first part of the season," head coach Anthony Noreen said. "It seemed like we were relying on a lot of the same guys and same lines scoring. We weren't getting a lot of scoring depth."

Noreen said selecting the top lineup is not a perfect science. But as the Phantoms (19-17-0, 38 points) prepare for a crucial three-game road trip, which will pit them against Team USA (9-23-4, 22 points) Thursday; the Muskegon Lumberjacks (22-13-7, 51 points) Friday; and the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (15-19-5, 35 points) Saturday, he appears to have found a formula that works.

Though the line of left wing Kyle Connor, center Austin Cangelosi and right wing John Padulo has been a mainstay since the Phantoms began their steady climb back up the Eastern Conference standings in mid-November, Youngstown was without a consistent secondary scoring threat.

That changed Jan. 12 in Lincoln, Neb. Before puck drop against the Stars, Noreen slid Australian standout Nathan Walker, who had joined the team just two days prior, into the left wing slot on a line with center Cam Brown and right wing Sam Anas. They clicked immediately.

The Phantoms won 5-2 that night, with Anas leading the way with a pair of goals, and in five games together, the trio have combined for 10 goals, 10 assists and 20 points.

"We seem to be in the right spots at the right time and we find each other," Anas said. "We don't have to argue about anything out on the ice. We just trust each other."

It's not just Anas, Brown and Walker who've benefitted. The Phantoms are 4-1-0 over span and have averaged 4.6 goals a game with nearly 10 different players figuring in on the scoring each night. Since the move Noreen said that he has seen steady improvement across the board, especially from first-year forwards JJ Piccinich and Luke Stork.

Even Youngstown's top line has been buoyed by the emergence of a legitimate secondary threat, as illustrated in part last Friday when Cangelosi, the team's leading scorer, snapped a nine-game goalless - the longest of his USHL career. Noreen said that a deeper, more dynamic lineup can limit an opponent's ability to single out and match up against an individual line, which is all the more important on the road, where the home team can make the last change.

"We feel like we're in a position right now where, probably for the first time all year, there's no situation that we wouldn't want one of our lines out on the ice for," Noreen said. "Whether it's an offensive situation, defensive situation, or up against another teams' top line, we feel comfortable with each of our four lines."

Game Schedule (Times EST)

Thursday, Jan. 31: Phantoms at Team USA at 7:05 p.m. - FASTHockey.com

Friday, Feb. 1: Phantoms at Muskegon at 7:15 p.m. - FASTHockey.com

Saturday, Feb. 2: Phantoms at Cedar Rapids at 8:05 p.m. - FASTHockey.com

Phantoms Flex Packages are on sale now starting at the low price of just $75. Flex Packages include 10 undated ticket vouchers that can be redeemed at any game and in any increment throughout the rest of the season. Call 330.747.PUCK (7825) for more information or to reserve a Phantoms Flex Package today. For all the latest news, visit www.YoungstownPhantoms.com, follow the Phantoms on Twitter ( @YtownPhantoms ) and "˜like' them on Facebook ( www.Facebook.com/YoungstownPhantoms ).

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United States Hockey League Stories from January 30, 2013


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