Phantoms Weekly - Phantoms Host Rival Penguins at PPL Center this Friday
March 1, 2016 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Lehigh Valley Phantoms News Release
Lehigh Valley Phantoms Goaltender Anthony Stolarz Faces a Hartford Wolf Pack Shot
(Lehigh Valley Phantoms, Credit: JustSports Photography)
This Week
Wednesday, March 2 (7:05 p.m.) - Lehigh Valley Phantoms @ Syracuse Crunch
Friday, March 4 (7:05 p.m.) - WB/Scranton Penguins @ Lehigh Valley Phantoms
("20 Years of Phantoms" Night. Commemorative Poster Giveaway.)
Saturday, March 5 (7:05 p.m.) - Lehigh Valley Phantoms @ Binghamton Senators
Upcoming
With standings points in 11 of their last 16 games, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (26-26-5, 57 pts., 7th Atlantic Division) return to action this week with a trio of Eastern Conference showdowns.
First, on Wednesday, March 2, the Phantoms invade the Onondaga County War Memorial Arena in Syracuse for a 7:00 p.m. showdown with the Crunch. Syracuse (22-23-11, 55 pts., 6th North Division) split a pair of games last week earning a 5-4 shootout win at the Binghamton Senators on Saturday after being handed a 5-1 setback at home to the St. John's IceCaps on Friday. The Crunch enter the week having dropping 11 of their last 14 games overall going just 3-8-3 during their recent slide.
Wednesday's contest marks the third of four meetings during the 2015-2016 regular season between Lehigh Valley and Syracuse with the Crunch having claimed each of the first two collisions. The Phantoms and Crunch haven't faced off in nearly four months as Syracuse hung on for a 2-1 win over Lehigh Valley back on November 7 in their most recent meeting.
The Phantoms then return home on Friday, March 4 when they welcome the rival Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to PPL Center. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (33-18-5, 71 pts., 2nd Atlantic Division) dropped three of four games in a busy week last week. After a 4-1 loss at home to the Hershey Bears on Tuesday, the Penguins picked up their only win of the week with a 3-2 shootout triumph at the Portland Pirates on Friday. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton then dropped a 5-2 decision at the Springfield Falcons on Saturday before closing its week with a 3-2 loss at the Providence Bruins on Sunday.
Friday's game will be the ninth of 12 total meetings this year between the Phantoms and Penguins with the two sides having split the first eight collisions. Lehigh Valley has controlled the rivalry series recently though having won two straight tilts with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and three of the last four head-to-head meetings. Most recently, the Phantoms swept a home-and-home series with the Penguins with a 4-3 overtime triumph at PPL Center on January 29 followed by a 5-3 victory at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton the following night.
Friday's game is another "20 Years of Phantoms" Night as the team will be wearing its specialty throwback jerseys and the first 3,000 fans in attendance will receive a free commemorative poster. A limited number of tickets remain for Friday's game and can be secured now at pplcenter.com, by calling 610-347-TIXX [8499] or in-person at the Mealey's Furniture Box Office at PPL Center [701 Hamilton Street].
The Phantoms then conclude this week's action on Saturday, March 5 when Lehigh Valley heads to the Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena in Binghamton for a 7:05 p.m. tilt with the Senators. Binghamton (21-30-4, 46 pts., 7th North Division) dropped all three games last week suffering a 3-1 loss at the Toronto Marlies on Wednesday before being swept in a home-and-home series with Syracuse over the weekend. The Senators' three-game slide snapped a four-game winning streak for Binghamton.
Saturday's contest will mark the eighth and final meeting of the 2015-16 season between the Phantoms and Senators. Lehigh Valley is 3-3-1 against Binghamton this season and claimed the last two head-to-head meetings in convincing fashion outscoring the Senators 13-5.
Phantoms By The Numbers
Winger Chris Conner enters the week in the midst of a season-high nine-game point streak during which he's tallied two goals, 10 assists and 12 points. The 32-year-old forward currently leads all Phantoms in scoring with 41 points and has notched at least one point in 17 of his last 18 games.
Winger Taylor Leier enters the week second among all Phantoms with 18 goals and 39 points. Lehigh Valley's leader with 10 power play goals and two shorthanded markers, he enters the week fourth among all AHLers with 151 shots on goal.
Goaltender Anthony Stolarz was outstanding between the pipes last weekend posting a 1.63 goals-against average coupled with a .952 save percentage in three straight starts. The All-Star netminder enters the week having started seven consecutive games in goal for Lehigh Valley.
Entering this week's action, the Phantoms have skated in six straight one-goal games. Lehigh Valley is 3-1-2 over that stretch and 10-11-5 in one-goal decisions this year.
Last Week
Friday, February 26: Hartford Wolf Pack 3 - Lehigh Valley Phantoms 2 (SO)
Danick Martel scored his team-leading 19th goal of the season and Colin McDonald (11th) added a power play conversion as the Phantoms erased a third period deficit en route to claiming a critical standings point in a 3-2 shootout setback to the Hartford Wolf Pack in front of 8,429 fans at PPL Center. All-Star goaltender Anthony Stolarz backstopped the gutsy performance with 36 saves on 38 Hartford shots while Lehigh Valley's man advantage connected for the fourth straight game.
Saturday, February 27: Utica Comets 2 - Lehigh Valley Phantoms 1
Anthony Stolarz registered his second 40-save performance of the season and Phil DeSimone landed his fourth goal of the year but the Utica Comets were able to hold off a late Phantoms surge in earning a 2-1 win in front of 8,727 fans at PPL Center. Saturday's standing room-only crowd marked the sixth straight capacity crowd in Lehigh Valley and the team's 17th standing room-only sellout this season.
Sunday, February 28: Lehigh Valley Phantoms 2 - Hartford Wolf Pack 1
Taylor Leier (18th) and Kevin Goumas (5th) both recorded third period markers as the Phantoms erased another third period deficit en route to a 2-1 regulation triumph over the Hartford Wolf Pack in front of 3,782 fans at XL Center. Making his third straight start of the weekend, Anthony Stolarz denied 24 of Hartford's 25 total shots in earning his 18th win of the season.
Broadcast Coverage
Service Electric's TV2 Sports will be broadcasting live all of the Phantoms' eight remaining regular season home games. If you can't make it out to the rink, be sure to catch all the exciting action live in HD quality with Steve Degler, Peter Zingoni, Doug Heater and Kristi Fulkerson! Pre-game coverage begins with "Phantoms Front and Center" 30 minutes before puck drop. And don't miss "Phantoms - Breaking the Ice" every Monday from 7:00 - 7:30 p.m. throughout the season live at Chickie's & Pete's at PPL Center!
Be sure to also catch each and every Phantoms game this season live on Fox Sports 1470 AM, online at Fox1470.com or via the iHeartRadio app! Join Voice of the Phantoms, Bob Rotruck, for all of the heart-pumping action of Lehigh Valley Phantoms hockey whether the team is at home or on the road. "Countdown to Faceoff" begins 45 minutes prior to puck drop.
Ticket Information
Tickets for all of the Phantoms' eight remaining regular season home games are available now online at pplcenter.com, by calling 610-347-TIXX [8499] or in-person at the Mealey's Furniture Box Office at PPL Center (7th & Hamilton).
RISE UP! Don't miss the action and fun of Lehigh Valley Phantoms hockey at PPL Center in downtown Allentown! Contact the Phantoms Front Office for information on season tickets and groups for the 2015-2016 season of Phantoms hockey by calling 610-224-GOAL [4625].
In the midst of their 20th season of operation, the Phantoms are coming off their Inaugural Season as the Lehigh Valley Phantoms playing at the state-of-the-art PPL Center. Established in 1996, the Philadelphia Phantoms spent their first 13 seasons at the Spectrum before re-locating to Glens Falls, New York in 2009 where the team spent the next five seasons as the Adirondack Phantoms. A new era of Phantoms hockey began in the fall of 2014 when the Lehigh Valley Phantoms began play at the state-of-the-art PPL Center. Through 18 incredibly successful campaigns, the Phantoms have captured two Calder Cup Championships (1998, 2005), two Conference Championships (1998, 2005), two Regular Season Titles (1996-97, 1997-98) and four Division Championships (1996-97, 1997-98, 1998-99, 2003-04).
Images from this story
 Lehigh Valley Phantoms Right Wing Aaron Palushaj Celebrates a Goal (JustSports Photography) |
 "20 Years of Phantoms" Commemorative Poster |
 Lehigh Valley Phantoms Left Wing Taylor Leier (JustSports Photography) |
 Lehigh Valley Phantoms Goaltender Anthony Stolarz Turns away a Hartford Wolf Pack Shot (JustSports Photography) |
 Lehigh Valley Phantoms Goaltender Anthony Stolarz Faces a Hartford Wolf Pack Shot (JustSports Photography) |
• Discuss this story on the American Hockey League message board...
American Hockey League Stories from March 1, 2016
- Monsters Win Fourth Straight, Top Admirals 2-0 - Cleveland Monsters
- Syracuse Crunch Weekly - Syracuse Crunch
- Admirals Come up Empty in Cleveland - Milwaukee Admirals
- Columbus Blue Jackets Sign Defenseman John Ramage to Two-Year, Two-Way NHL/AHL Contract Extension - Cleveland Monsters
- Canucks Recall Centre Brendan Gaunce from the Comets - Utica Comets
- Popular Amerks Theme Nights Return Throughout the Month of March - Rochester Americans
- Griffins Look Ahead to Wednesday Visit from Rockford, Weekend Trip to Charlotte - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Flames Assign Tyler Wotherspoon to Stockton - Stockton Heat
- Falcons Present Six Flags Night to Benefit Square One - Springfield Falcons
- American Hockey League Announces Suspension - AHL
- Phantoms Weekly - Phantoms Host Rival Penguins at PPL Center this Friday - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- Toronto Marlies Post Game Notes - Toronto Marlies
- Conference's Top Teams Toppled, New-Look Bears Roll into March - Hershey Bears
- Wolf Pack Return Forward Jack Combs to ECHL Greenville - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Riley Barber Named CCM/AHL Rookie of the Month - Hershey Bears
- Thiessen Named CCM/AHL Goaltender of the Month - Cleveland Monsters
- Sislo Named CCM/AHL Player of the Month - Albany Devils
- Moose Recall Ben Walker from Tulsa - Manitoba Moose
- Sislo, Barber, Thiessen Named CCM/AHL Award Winners for February - AHL
- Toronto Marlies Blank Albany Devils 4-0 - Albany Devils
- San Diego Gulls Release Larraza from PTO - San Diego Gulls
- Heat Kick off Busy Month of March with Three-Game Road Trip Starting in San Jose - Stockton Heat
- Heat Sign Orlando Solar Bears Captain Eric Baier - Stockton Heat
- Tom Kostopoulos on the Verge of Hockey History - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Defensman Zach Leslie Returns to Reign from Manchester - Ontario Reign
- Manitoba Moose Weekly - Manitoba Moose
- Iowa Shuffles Roster, Brassart Returns - Iowa Wild
- Forward Scott Gomez Released from PTO - Hershey Bears
- Sabres Recall O'Reilly, Catenacci from Rochester - Rochester Americans
- IceCaps Release More FanFest Details - St. John's IceCaps
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
