Phantoms Power Play Presented by Provident Pank
May 6, 2025 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Lehigh Valley Phantoms News Release
Allentown, PA - The Lehigh Valley Phantoms have taken a 2 games to 1 lead over the Hershey Bears in the Best of 5 Atlantic Division Semifinals and are aiming to advance at home on Friday night in Game 4. The Phantoms in the Playoffs is presented by PenTeleData.
After falling in the opener at Hershey last Wednesday, the Phantoms have surged back with a trio of shorties to take Game 2 at Hershey on Friday and then Game 3 in Allentown on Sunday before an electric and raucous PPL Center crowd.
The series continues on Friday at PPL Center with the Phantoms looking to eliminate the Bears and move on the Atlantic Division Finals against either Charlotte or Providence. The Charlotte Checkers lead 2-0 in the other Atlantic Division semifinal series.
The Phantoms went 5-4-1 against Hershey in 2024-24 and are now 7-5-1 against the Bears in the regular season and postseason combined. Lehigh Valley entered the Calder Cup Playoffs as the 5-seed while the Hershey Bears again won the Atlantic Division and have won the last two Calder Cup Championships.
The Phantoms are also red-hot winning seven of their last eight in the regular season and postseason combined.
The intensity and noise levels have reached a fever pitch already through just two home playoff games. Friday is another Orange Out for the possible series-clincher and tickets are already in high demand!
PLAYOFF SERIES SCHEDULE
Game 1 - Wednesday, April 30 - Phantoms 0 at Hershey Bears 3
Game 2 - Friday, May 2 - Phantoms 3 at Hershey Bears 1
Game 3 - Sunday, May 4 (5:05) - Hershey Bears 2 at Phantoms 4
Game 4 - Friday, May 9 (7:05) - Hershey Bears at Phantoms
Game 5 - Sunday, May 11 (5:00) - Phantoms at Hershey Bears
TV COVERAGE - The Lehigh Valley Phantoms and Service Electric Network are excited to announce that all games of the upcoming series against Hershey, home and away, can be seen on Service Electric Network, the exclusive home of Phantoms hockey all season long.
Home games at PPL Center on Service Electric Network feature veteran announcer Steve Degler and Phantoms' alum Steven Swavely on the call from the booth. Kristi Fulkerson reports from ice level and also from the Chickie's and Pete's studio with Dan Fremuth for pregame, intermission and postgame show analysis.
Away games for the series will be carried on Service Electric Network thanks to a cooperative agreement with the Hershey Bears and Fox-43 television in Harrisburg.
WEEKLY RECAP
Wednesday, April 30, 2025
Hershey Bears 3 - Phantoms 0
Hershey got the early jump in the series via Hunter Shepard's 26-save shutout in a 3-0 decision on Wednesday at GIANT Center. Trailing 1-0 early in the third period, Lehigh Valley had a glorious opportunity to tie with 1:19 of 5-on-3 power play. Alex Bump was barely denied on the doorstep by Shepard's right pad and Hershey translated the momentum boost into a 2-0 advantage on Spencer Smallman's snipe from the right circle with 13:00 remaining. Chase Priskie gave Hershey a 1-0 lead midway through the first with his 6-on-5 goal during a delayed penalty call. Shepard made a number of strong saves on Bump, Wilson, Gardner, Lycksell and Samson among others. Bogdan Trineyev finished the victory with an empty-netter.
Friday, May 2, 2025
Phantoms 3 - Hershey Bears 1
Shorthanded Wizard Zayde Wisdom scored a pair of goals in the third period as the Lehigh Valley Phantoms evened the series in a thrilling 3-1 win at Hershey on Friday night. But 2-on-1 plays featured nice setups by Jacob Gaucher and Elliot Desnoyers. Anthony Ricahrd scored late in the second period on a strong assist from Nikita Grebenkin (on his birthday!) to break a scoreless tie. Parker Gahagen was tremendous in a 19-save gem that featured several quality and on breakaways. The Phantoms only had 15 shots on goal but made the most of their chances against Hunter Shepard. Lehigh Valley's penalty kill held Hershey to 1-for-6 on the power play including a 3:00 man advantage in the second period and also an extended man-up situation in the last four minutes straight with a power play followed by a 6-on-5 push with a pulled goalie.
Sunday, May 4, 2025
Phantoms 4 - Hershey Bears 2
Cal Petersen came through in the clutch in a terrific 15-save relief effort after entering midway through the game following an injury to Parker Gahagen. A pair of sensational denials at the end during a Hershey power play and 6-on-4 attack were the best of them all as he dove across to get a paddle on Alex Limoges on the backdoor and later sprawled across to nudge another backdoor try away with the blocker. Jacob Gaucher (SH), Garrett Wilson (PP), Nikita Grebenkin and Olle Lycksell all scored for the Phantoms while Emil Andrae and Anthony Richard had two assists apiece before a raucous and electric crowd on another Orange Out Night in downtown Allentown. The Phantoms penalty kill also came through when it needed to once again holding the Bears to 0-for-6 on the power play. Hershey has been limited to just 1-for-16 in the three games of the series.
THEY SAID IT
Ian Laperriere on Wisdom's successful season: "He's a kid who came to our camp and told me this summer that I'll make the team and you won't be able to take me out. A lot of guys tell me that but not too many guys walk the walk. And now he's one of the leaders in that room. I couldn't be happier and he's just a great kid."
Zayde Wisdom on his shorthanded goals in Game 2: "I can't even take credit for that. That was all Desy (Desnoyers) and Gauch (Gaucher). They put it in a good area for me. I just drove the net. Go to the net and good things happen, right?"
Ian Laperriere on Lehigh Valley's determined effort in Game 3 at home: "Team effort. Was it perfect? No. It's a helluva team we're playing. They're going to have their push which they did. I like our response. We went down a goal. We didn't panic. We stayed with it. Cal (Petersen) came in. Parker (Gahagen) went down. We talk about using everybody. Well, Cal was ready to go. He's a great pro and a great leader. I wasn't even worried about that. And he came out big and made a couple huge saves and we found a way to beat a helluva team."
Cal Petersen on his sensational relief effort: "Yeah, just like honestly any other game. I think you prepare the same way regardless if you're playing or not. So whenever a situation like that happens you can kind of just step in and be ready when you can. It's obviously hard to stay engaged when you're just watching the game on the jumbotron. But I was lucky to get a few early and get into the game and the boys played well in front of me."
Nikita Grebenkin on the atmosphere at PPL Center in Game 3: "The people at the rink today and nice energy. Thank you people who stay at the rink who like my team and (they cheer) 'Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go Phantoms' and thank you, guys!"
MEDIA MATERIALS - Fans can browse rosters and Media Materials for upcoming games at the following link: https://www.phantomshockey.com/media-materials/
PHANTOMS RECORD BOOK -
2 shorthanded goals same game
Zayde Wisdom 5/2/25 - LV at HER (Playoffs)
Cal O'Reilly 1/30/22 - LV vs. HER
Jason Akeson 3/21/14 - ADK at UTC
LEADING THE WAY - Jett Luchanko has five assists in five postseason games and rates tied for the AHL lead in playoff helpers (with Colin White of San Jose Barracuda). The #13 overall selection in the 2024 draft became the youngest player in Philadelphia Flyers history when he debuted on October 12 at 18 years and one month. After spending the remainder of the season with the Guelph Storm of the OHL, Luchanko joined the Phantoms on March 29 for his AHL debut where he became the second-youngest in Phantoms' franchise history at 18 years and seven months. Only Zayde Wisdom suited up for the Phantoms at a younger age. Luchanko got into the last nine games of the regular season with Lehigh Valley notching three assists.
Emil Andrae has four assists in the playoffs which is tied for first among AHL defensemen. Andrae, 23, was a Round 2 selection of the Flyers in 2020. He has scored 3-13-16 in 25 games with the Phantoms this season and also suited up in 42 games with the Flyers scoring 1-6-7.
Anthony Richard is tied for second in the Calder Cup Playoffs with three goals. The 29-year-old veteran has 11 career goals in the Calder Cup Playoffs, most of any Phantoms player. The 29-year-old speedster played in 15 games with the Flyers this season scoring 2-4-6 while also appearing in 42 games with the Phantoms scoring 17-19-36. In parts of 10 career seasons with Milwaukee, Chicago, Syracuse, Laval, Providence and Lehigh Valley, Richard has played in 523 games in the AHL 161-175-336.
PLAYOFF EXPERIENCE
Garrett Wilson - AHL 22 games, 2-7-9 and NHL 10 games, 1-1-2 (with Florida and Pittsburgh)
Louie Belpedio - AHL 39 games, 3-15-18 (with Iowa, Laval, Lehigh Valley)
Anthony Richard - AHL 26 games, 11-9-20 (with Milwaukee, Syracuse, Providence, Laval, Lehigh Valley)
Olle Lycksell - AHL 14 games, 5-7-12 (Lehigh Valley)
Cal Petersen - AHL 13 games (Ontario and Lehigh Valey, NHL 1 game (Los Angeles)
PHANTOMS PLAYOFFS PHAST PHACTS - The Lehigh Valley Phantoms have advanced to the second round of the Calder Cup Playoffs for a second consecutive season and also for a third time in the team's history.
The deepest Lehigh Valley has made it was the team's 2018 run to the Conference Finals which included a 3-1 series win over the Providence Bruins and then a 4-1 series win over the Charlotte Checkers before falling just short of a bid to make it to the Calder Cup Finals in falling to the Toronto Marlies.
This is the third time Lehigh Valley has faced Hershey in the Calder Cup Playoffs. Hershey eliminated the Phantoms 3 games to 2 in 2017 and the Bears got the better of the Phantoms last year as well 3 games to 1.
The Phantoms are in the Playoffs for the 15th time in franchise history and are also appearing for the fifth time since the team arrived in Allentown in 2014. The Philadelphia Phantoms have twice won the Calder Cup in 1998 and 2005.
REGULAR SEASON TEAM LEADERS
Goals: Alexis Gendron (20), Jacob Gaucher (20), Olle Lycksell (19)
Assists: Olle Lycksell (25), Louie Belpedio (23)
Points: Olle Lycksell (44), Jacob Gaucher (38), Anthony Richard (16)
Plus/Minus: Louie Belpedio (+15), Olle Lycksell (+12), Hunter McDonald (+12)
PIM: Garrett Wilson (134), Hunter McDonald (99)
PPG: Anthony Richard (6), Alexis Gendron (5)
SHG: Brendan Furry (5), Furry (2), Gaucher (2), Wilson (2), Wisdom (2)
Shots: Olle Lycksell (151), Ethan Samson (140)
THAT'S BEARY INTERESTING! - Hershey (44-20-8) won the Atlantic Division crown and is seeking to become just the second team ever to win three consecutive Calder Cups.
Veteran defenseman Ethan Bear (10-36-46) led the team in scoring but was recalled to the Washington Capitals for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Penn State product Alex Limoges (17-27-44) is having another strong season and is their active leading scorer. First-rounders Ivan Miroshnichenko (23-19-42) and Hendrix Lapierre (7-25-32) had stretches with Washington but have spent the second half of the campaign working on their abilities in the AHL.
Last year's Bastien Memorial Award winner as top goaltender in the league, Hunter Shepard (23-11-4, 2.80, .891), has not been the same as last year when he went 27-4-3, 1.76, .929. Elliot Desnoyers (1-5-6), Helge Grans (3-2-5), Olle Lycksell (2-3-5) and Jacob Gaucher (3-1-4) are among Lehigh Valley's scoring leaders in the season series while Cal Petersen (4-3-1, 2.19, .918) was especially strong against our I-78 rivals.
Phantoms Playoff Scoring Leaders
Anthony Richard 3-3-6
Jett Luchanko 0-5-5
Jacob Gaucher 2-2-4
Olle Lycksell 2-2-4
Helge Grans 1-3-4
Emil Andrae 0-4-4
Phantoms Regular Season Scoring Leaders
Olle Lycksell 19-25-44
Jacob Gaucher 20-18-38
Anthony Richard 17-19-36
Rodrigo Abols 15-17-32
Zayde Wisdom 17-15-32
Samu Tuomaala 11-21-32
Alexis Gendron 20-8-28
Garrett Wilson 14-14-28
Calder Cup Playoffs - Atlantic Division Semifinals
Best of 5 Series
Game 1 - Wednesday, April 30 - Phantoms 0 at Hershey Bears 3
Game 2 - Friday, May 2 - Phantoms 3 at Hershey Bears 1
Game 3 - Sunday, May 4 - Hershey Bears 2 at Phantoms 4
Game 4 - Friday, May 9 - Hershey Bears at Phantoms
Game 5 - Sunday, May 11 - Phantoms at Hershey Bears
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