Friday, December 23 at 7:05 p.m.
Lehigh Valley Phantoms (12-11-3) at Springfield Thunderbirds (11-12-5)
MassMutual Center, Springfield, MA
TONIGHT
The Lehigh Valley Phantoms play their last game before the Holiday Break with a road game in New England against the Springfield Thunderbirds, AHL affiliate of the St. Louis Blues. After tonight’s game, the players get a few days away from the rink to spend with family.
Lehigh Valley (12-11-3) and Springfield (11-12-5) are even in the season series at 1-1. This is the Phantoms’ last visit to Western New England this season.
LAST TIME
Wednesday, December 21, 2022
Bears 4 – Phantoms 2
Artem Anisimov (9th) and Elliot Desnoyers (11th) had quick-strike goals just 24 seconds apart late in the first period but Hershey’s Hunter Shepard stuffed the Phantoms the rest of the way in Hershey’s 4-2 victory at PPL Center on Wednesday night. Ethen Frank led Hershey with a pair of goals while Washington first-rounder Connor McMichael scored for the third time in three appearances against Lehigh Valley.
HONOR FOR CONNAUTON
Veteran defenseman Kevin Connauton has joined Team Canada for the upcoming Spengler Cup tournament in Davos, Switzerland. The oldest hockey invitational in the world pits various European teams and Canada against each other from December 26-31. Connauton, 32, has never represented his country in an international tournament before. The Lehigh Valley alternate captain will rejoin the Phantoms in January.
ERSSON TO PHILLY
Goaltender Sam Ersson was recalled to the Philadelphia Flyers for their current road-trip to Toronto and Carolina while Felix Sandstrom is under the weather. Ersson was recalled at the beginning of the season as well but has yet to appear in an NHL game. The team’s everyday goaltender has gone 9-8-1, 2.72, .910 with Lehigh Valley this year after an injury-hampered debut season in North America in 2021-22 in which he completed only three games.
PHANTASTIC!
– Anisimov and Desnoyers scored the fastest consecutive goals of the season on Wednesday. Their markers at just 24 seconds apart beat the first season standard of 1:11 by Anisimov and Bellows on December 10 vs. Charlotte. The all-time Phantoms record with goals just SIX seconds apart was achieved by Mark Zengerle and Danick Martel on February 8, 2017 against the Binghamton Senators.
– Bellerive’s two-goal game on Sunday at Hershey was his fourth as a pro and his first since his rookie season two years ago.
– The Phantoms’…
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