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Phantoms Gameday Preview: 5/15/21 vs. WB/S |
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Phantoms Gameday: May 15, 2021 vs. WB/S
Playing their penultimate game of the abbreviated 2020-21 American Hockey League season, Scott Gordon's Lehigh Valley Phantoms (18-7-4) will host J.D. Forrest's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (12-12-6) at the PPL Center in Allentown on Saturday evening. Game time is 7:05 p.m. EDT. The match will be streamed on AHL TV.
The Phantoms enter this game coming off a 2-1 road win against the Binghamton Devils. David Kase (3rd goal of the season) returned to the lineup for just his second game since March 27 and first since April 21 to put the Phantoms ahead 1-0. After the Devils' Brett Seney knotted the score at 7:02 of the third period, Chris Mueller (PPG, 6th) put the Phantoms back ahead to stay midway through the period. Rookie power forward Zayde Wisdom earned primary assists on both LV goals; he has five primary helpers in his last two games and 17 points (7g, 10a) in 26 games played this season.
The outcome of Wednesday's game was overshadowed by a frightening-looking injury to Phantoms rookie Tyson Foerster early in the first period. He was bumped from behind by Matt Hellickson, lost his balance and crashed into the lower part of the end boards. Foerster needed help leaving the ice. Hellickson was issued a boarding major and game misconduct. Foerster suffered a dislocated collarbone. He will miss both of the Phantoms' remaining games. The 19-year-old Foerster posted 10 goals and 17 points in 24 games played.
Wednesday's starting goalie, Felix Sandström, had to briefly take himself out of the game in the second period last night while he was working on a shutout at the time. However, he returned to finish the game and stopped 27 of 28 shots overall. Zane McIntyre stopped each of the two shots he faced with playing 7:34. In Sandström's first five starts for the Phantoms this season, he struggled to a 4.76 GAA and .838 save percentage. Now that he's healthy and playing regularly, he's posted a 1.85 GAA and .950 save percentage over his last five starts.
Reassigned to the Phantoms on Wednesday after the completion of the Flyers' season, neither rookie power forward Wade Allison nor rookie defenseman Cam York dressed in that evening's match. York and Allison are expected to play in at least one of the weekend games. At the AHL level this season, Allison has posted nine points (4g, 5a) in eight games while York has two goals and three assists in six games.
Second-year left winger Isaac Ratcliffe, who has dealt with all sorts of injury issues since the 2020 offseason, was also out of the Lehigh Valley lineup.
Entering the final weekend of the season, Phantoms' captain Cal O'Reilly leads the team with 21 points (4g, 17 assists) in 30 games played. Officially, the one-period tie against Binghamton on the March 10 game that was halted due to positive COVID-19 test on the Devils' roster counts as a separate game played, which is why the Phantoms have played 30 games but only 29 show up in their win-loss record.
Ryan Fitzgerald is second on the Phantoms in overall scoring with 18 points in 26 games played. He and Foerster are tied for the team goal scoring lead with 10 apiece. Max Willman, who will be on a two-way NHL contract next season, got off to a torrid offensive start for the Phantoms this season but has gone cold offensively. Nonetheless, he has posted 15 points (8g, 7a) in 28 games played and is, by far, the team leader in traditional plus-minus, at +11.
Last Sunday against the Pens, fourth-liner Brennan Saulnier enjoyed the most memorable day of his hockey career. He compiled a first-period natural hat trick and later won a fight in defense of Wisdom.
The Pens have not played since their 6-2 loss to the Phantoms last Sunday. Following tonight's game in Allentown, the WB/S season will wrap up on tomorrow afternoon with a road game against the Hershey Bears. The Phantoms will conclude tomorrow with a home tilt against Binghamton (3:05 p.m. EDT).
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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