Game 6 Preview: Bridgeport at Lehigh Valley

Editor's Note: *I'll have full coverage of tonight's Phantoms game against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, live from the PPL Center in downtown Allentown, Pa.

• The puck drops at 705 p.m. ET, but make sure you're following along on Twitter -> @TonyAndrock for live in-game updates
• Stay tuned here after the game for a full recap of the action. Don't forget to subscribe to Inside AHL Hockey's YouTube channel for post-game player interviews.

ALLENTOWN - The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (3-1-1) look to continue to push forward in their early-season schedule, beginning the weekend at home against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (1-2-0) Friday night in downtown Allentown, Pa.

The Phantoms finished with four out of a possible six standings points last weekend in the team's first three-in-three of the season, and they'll look to earn points in the Atlantic Division standings with a pair of games on the docket this weekend. Lehigh Valley will make their first trip up to Binghamton on the year Saturday and will face the New Jersey Devils' new AHL affiliate that relocated from Albany over the summer.

BY THE NUMBERS

LV: 5 games played, 3-1-0-1 = 7 points 3rd Place Atlantic Division Streak: 2-0-0-0 Last Ten Games: 3-1-0-1

BST: 3 games played, 1-2-0-0 = 2 points 6th Place Atlantic Division Streak: 0-1-0-0 Last Ten Games: 1-2-0-0

Special Teams

Power Play

LV: 1-for-26 = 3.8% (27th) BST: 2-for-13 = 15.4% (19th)

Penalty Kill

LV: 16-for-23 = 69.6% (30th) BST: 12-for-15 = 80.0% (T-19th)

LEADING SCORERS

LV: Danick Martel (5GP, 5G-2A), Mike Vecchione (5GP, 1G-4A), Nicolas Aube-Kubel (5GP, 2G-1A) and Greg Carey (5GP, 2G-1A)

BST: Scott Eansor (3GP, 4G-0A), Steve Bernier (3GP, 2G-0A), Sebastian Aho (3GP, 1G-1A) and Tanner Fritz (3GP, 1G-1A)

STARTING GOALTENDERS

LV: Dustin Tokarski (0-0-0, 2.43 GAA, .889 SV%, 0 SO) BST: Kristers Gudlevskis (1-1-0, 3.00 GAA, .857 SV%, 0 SO)

SEASON SERIES

This is the first of eight meetings between the Phantoms and Sound Tigers this season. Bridgeport won the season series last year, going 5-2-1 against Lehigh Valley.

Season Series Schedule

Friday, October 20th: Bridgeport at Lehigh Valley - 7:05 p.m. ET Wednesday, November 8th: Lehigh Valley at Bridgeport - 10:30 a.m. ET Saturday, November 25th: Bridgeport at Lehigh Valley - 7:05 p.m. ET Sunday, December 17th: Lehigh Valley at Bridgeport - 3:00 p.m. ET Tuesday, February 13th: Lehigh Valley at Bridgeport - 7:00 p.m. ET Friday, March 9th: Bridgeport at Lehigh Valley - 7:05 p.m. ET Saturday, March 10th: Lehigh Valley at Bridgeport - 7:30 p.m. ET Friday, April 13th: Bridgeport at Lehigh Valley - 7:05 p.m. ET

LEHIGH VALLEY PHANTOMS

Roster Notes

Dustin Tokarski appears to be getting his first start in a Phantoms uniform tonight against Bridgeport. Tokarski relieved Lyon last Friday night against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. If this is indeed the case, it is almost certain that Lyon will get the net Saturday in Binghamton.

Forward Matt Read was called back up to Philadelphia, leaving the Phantoms with 12 healthy forwards on the roster. Steven Swavely is expected to make his season debut tonight after sitting out the first five games as a healthy scratch.

Defenseman T.J. Brennan was said to be "banged up", according to head coach Scott Gordon, following his game misconduct for cross-checking Saturday night at home against the Penguins. After his cross-checking incident, Penguins enforcer Tom Sestito began throwing punches to the back of Brennan's head followed by a mostly-wrestling match with only one willing combatant. Brennan hasn't played since, and wasn't seen at practice with the team this week. Something worth keeping an eye on.

Forwards Cole Bardreau (upper body) and Colin McDonald (lower body) are not expected to be in tonight's opening lineup. Both are nearing returns to the lineup, and might not be too far off from returning to game action. Head coach Scott Gordon only said when word about the injured forwards' status entering the week and their impending return to action. "Soon."

Lines:

Greg Carey - Phil Varone - Steven Swavely Oskar Lindblom - Corban Knight (A) - Chris Conner (A) Danick Martel - Mike Vecchione - Nicolas Aube-Kubel Tyrell Goulbourne - Mikhail Vorobyev - Radel Fazleev

Will O'Neill - Mark Alt Mark Friedman - Reece Willcox Sam Morin - Phil Myers

Dustin Tokarski - Alex Lyon

Scratches: Anthony Stolarz (knee surgery - out indefinitely), Cole Bardreau (upper body), Colin McDonald (lower body) and Max Lamarche (healthy)

Bridgeport Sound Tigers

Michael Dal Colle - Tanner Fritz - Steve Bernier (A) Scott Eansor- Travis St. Denis - Casey Bailey Matt Gaudreau - Kyle Schempp - Ryan Bourque Ross Johnston - Connor Jones - Ben Holmstrom (C)

Mitchell Vande Sompe l- Kane Lafranchise Devin Toews - Kyle Burroughs Seth Helgeson (A) - Sebastian Aho

Kristers Gudlevskis - Christopher Gibson

Scratches: Patrick Cullity, Josh Holmstrom, Stephen Gionta, John Stevens and Parker Wotherspoon