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Quick Hits: Phantoms Playoff Series Set |
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Phantoms Playoff Series Schedule
1) The Lehigh Valley Phantoms announced the schedule for their first-round playoff mini-series (best-of-three) against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The schedule is as follows:
Wed April 24 at WBS -- 7:05 p.m. EDT
Fri April 26 at Lehigh Valley -- 7:05 p.m. EDT
Sun April 28 at WBS -- 5:05 p.m. EDT (if necessary)
The winner of the series will move on to play the top-seeded Hershey Bears in the best-of-five division semifinals. The Divisional final is also a best-of-five. The Eastern Conference Final and Calder Cup Final are both best-of-seven series.
2) Last night at the PPL Center, the Penguins shut out the Phantoms by a 2-0 score. The Phantoms rested much of their projected starting lineup for the start of the playoff series, featuring a lineup on Saturday with a lot of ECHL c
Goalie Alexei Kolosov stopped 22 of 24 shots in a losing cause. The Penguins' Ludovic Waeber stopped all 21 shots he faced. Sam Pouiin (16th) and Radim Zahorna (10th) scored for W-B/S, while Valtteri Puustinen collected two assists. Jagger Joshua and veteran Vinnie Hinostroza chipped in one assist apiece.
3) The Phantoms starting lineup on Friday was as follows:
28 Olle Lycksell - 91 Elliot Desnoyers - 25 Matt Miller
46 Matthew Brown - 56 Jacob Gaucher - 13 Brendan Furry
10 Evan Polei - 16 J.R. Avon - 14 Zayde Wisdom
18 Tyler Gratton - 39 Jacques Bouquot - 3 Adam Karashik
19 Hunter McDonald - 2 Helge Grans
6 Emil Andrae - 5 Ethan Samson
4 Will Zmolek - 8 Mason Millman
35 Alexei Kolosov
[32 Felix Sandström]
Earlier in the day, it was officially announced that Massimo Rizzo, who signed an NHL entry-level contract with the Flyers on Friday (starting in the 2024-25 season), signed an AHL tryout contract with the Phantoms. He is eligible to play in the Calder Cup playoffs.
The Phantoms list of players who did not dress for Saturday's game is perhaps more notable than the limited group of regulars who played. Apart from the yet-to-debut Rizzo (who will wear No. 15 for Lehigh Valley), the Phantoms rested all of the following players: forwards Bobby Brink, Tanner Laczynski, Adam Brooks, Samu Tuomaala, and Rhett Gardner, defensemen Louie Belpedio, Ronnie Attard, Adam Ginning, and Victor Mete, plus goaltenders Cal Petersen and (now fourth on the depth chart) Parker Gahagen.
4) Flyers general manager Danny Briere attended Saturday's game. Flyers head coach John Tortorella was also slated to attend with the rest of the organization's Hockey Operations contingent.
5) On Sunday, the Phantoms will conclude their regular season schedule with one final tune-up game before the start of the playoff series. Ian Laperriere's team will host the Charlotte Checkers at the PPL Center. Game time is 3:05 p.m. EDT.