Preview: Phantoms vs. Laval Rocket, Game 20
AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms

Preview: Phantoms vs. Laval Rocket, Game 20

Published on November 29, 2025 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Lehigh Valley Phantoms News Release


TONIGHT - The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (11-6-2) return to PPL Center over this Thanksgiving Weekend to host the Laval Rocket (12-6-0), AHL affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens. It is Lehigh Valley's second straight game against a first-place team as the Rocket are currently tops in the North Division. Lehigh Valley is in third place in the Atlantic Division but dropped a 4-1 decision at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Black Friday.

Laval won the previous meeting on October 29 by a 3-0 count. This is the final time the Phantoms and Rocket will see each other in the 2025-26 season. Tonight is also Game 20 of the season.

The Phantoms are 5-2-0 at PPL Center this season while Laval is 5-4-0 as the visiting team.

Fans can browse rosters and Media Materials for tonight's game at www.phantomshockey.com/media/media-materials/

LAST TIME - Sergei Murashov (31 saves) was just too good. The top goaltender in the AHL, with a 1.64 goals-against average, repelled several point-blank and grade-A chances as the Penguins weathered a fierce third-period surge from Lehigh Valley to hang on for a 4-1 win. Anthony Richard (6th) broke Murashov's shutout bid with just over 13 minutes remaining but a late Lehigh Valley power play and pulled goaltender for an extra attacker provided no more success. Alexis Gendron had four shots on goal in the first period and Denver Barkey was robbed point-blank. Alex Bump had five shots on goal and Lehigh Valley kept coming but to no avail.

Rafael Harvey-Pinard (4th, 5th) sniped on the rush in the second period and sealed the win with an empty-netter. Gabe Klassen (1st) opened the scoring on a breakaway in the first and Rutger McGroaty (4th) blasted home a key blast on the power play in the second period to boost the Baby Pens' advantage to 3-0. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton improved to 3-0-0 against the Phantoms with all three games being decided by identical 4-1 scores.

TRANSACTIONS -

11/26/25 Del Sawyer Boulton (F) - Loaned by LV to Reading

11/26/25 Del Vincent Sevigny (D) - Released from PTO, Returned to Reading

HE'S DOG GONE GOOD - Phantoms rookie Denver Barkey never stops working. And the points and goals have been piling up for the rookie forward. The 20-year-old from Newmarket, ONT scored a pair of game-winning goals last week coming through exactly when the Phantoms needed him most. He now leads the Phantoms with seven goals. Barkey scored a pivotal goal last Wednesday against Rochester right after the Americans had made it a one-goal game to gain momentum in the third period. His conversion in the slot on a setup by Christian Kyrou propelled the Phantoms to a 4-2 win. On Saturday, it was another third-period goal, this time to break a 2-2 tie at Hartford. With Alex Bump muscling his way up the right boards, Barkey drove to the net and knocked in the game-winner while being hauled down by a defender. The scrappy, undersized winger was a Round 3 selection of the Philadelphia Flyers in 2023 and was the leading scorer for the London Knights during last year's Memorial Cup championship run.

In just the last eight games since November 5, Barkey has six goals and four assists for 10 points.

WHO'S HOT -

Denver Barkey - 6-3-9 in Last 9 games. 5 goals in last 7 games

Alex Bump - 3-7-10 in Last 9 games

Alexis Gendron - Had 6 game point streak ended on Friday. 3-3-6 in last 7 games

Carl Grundstrom - 4-9-13 in Last 10 games

Christian Kyrou - 3-9-12 in 11 games since joining Phantoms on Oct 30

Lane Pederson - 5-7-12 in Last 11 games

Anthony Richard - 4-6-10 last 10 games

PHANTASTIC -

- The Phantoms are 7-0 when scoring four or more goals

- The Phantoms are 8-0-2 when scoring the first goal of the game

- Garrett Wilson played in his milestone 900th pro game on November 21

- Lane Pederson played in his 400th pro game on November 22

- Adam Ginning is currently with Lehigh Valley on a conditioning loan and will play in his 200th game with the Phantoms tonight

IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE - Lehigh Valley is 11-1-2 when playing any team that is NOT in the Top 3 in the conference. But the Phantoms are a combined 0-5-0 against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Providence and Laval.

ROCKET MEN - The Phantoms take on a first-place team for a second consecutive evening when the North Division frontrunning Laval Rocket (12-6-0) pay a visit to PPL Center. The AHL affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens bested the Phantoms 3-0 on October 29 via a 17-save shutout from third-rounder Jacob Fowler (7-4-0, 2.10, .918) for one of his league-leading three shutouts this season. The Rocket swept Belleville last week 4-3 (OT) and 7-2. Veteran Laurent Dauphin (9-12-21) had 26 goals in his return to Laval last year. Alex Belzile (4-8-12) is one of the most popular players in franchise history and is back with Laval following a two-year stint in Hartford. Third-rounder Adam Engstrom (5-9-14) is getting it going. And Austria product David Reinbacher is drawing a lot of attention from Montreal fans as the #5 overall selection in the 2023 NHL Draft has joined the Rocket following an injury in the preseason. 21-year-old Slovakian Filip Mesar (3-6-9) is another Montreal first-rounder as the #26 overall selection in 2022. Head coach Pascal Vincent won the Louie A.R. Pieri award as AHL Coach of the Year after leading Laval to a regular season crown and Kilpatrick Trophy with a dominating 48-19-5 performance.

SCORING LEADERS

Phantoms Scoring Leaders

Alex Bump 4-11-15

Carl Grundstrom 5-9-14

Denver Barkey 7-6-13

Lane Pederson 6-7-13

Anthony Richard 6-8-14

Christian Kyrou 3-9-12

Laval Scoring Leaders

Laurent Dauphin 9-12-21

Sean Farrell 4-11-15

Adam Engström 5-9-14

Alex Belzile 4-8-12

Owen Beck 3-7-10

Special Teams PP / PK

LV 20.3%, 14th / 75.6%, 28th

Laval 23.8%, 10th / 81.0%, 15th

LOOKING AHEAD - Next weekend includes a return visit to Wilkes-Barre on Friday and then a home game against the Utica Comets on Saturday with meLVin's Holiday Party including Winter Youth Knit Caps for the first 2,500 kids from Reilly Children's Hospital plus all kinds of great festive fun!

Check out the Lehigh Valley Phantoms Statistics

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American Hockey League Stories from November 29, 2025


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