Phantoms Post-Game EXTRA! (2/27/21)

ALLENTOWN, Pa. - In a back-and-forth game that featured several lead changes, it was the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (4-2-1) getting the last goal in a highly-entertaining 5-4 overtime decision over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (4-1-2) Saturday night in the rematch between these two in-state rivals.

The offensive hot streaks continued for both Max Willman (two goals, goals in four straight games) and Zayde Wisdom (one goal, one assist). The two are in a three-way tie with Chicago's Seth Jarvis for the rookie goal scoring lead with six goals apiece.

Ryan Fitzgerald (one goal, one assist) got the Phantoms' power play on the board in the second period, and set up Wisdom for a power play tally in the final three minutes to force overtime.

Mason Millman (two assists) recorded his first points as a pro.

Saturday night's game story -> https://insideahlhockey.com/article/game-story-w-bscranton-5-at-lehigh-valley-4-ot22721

Three Things

1. Willman, Wisdom Continue Offensive Surge

Really starting to sound like a broken record, but Max Willman and Zayde Wisdom continue to lead the way offensively for the Phantoms.

Willman's two goals Saturday marked four straight games with a goal for him, and he's got six tallies during this four-game streak.

"I think the main thing is I'm playing with confidence," Willman said after Saturday's game. "I feel good, my body feels good - I feel like I'm in good shape. I feel like I can go out each night and have an impact on the game."

Wisdom continues to impress, and he and Willman have been neck-and-neck in terms of the team's goal-scoring lead. Wisdom's third period power play tally that forced overtime was also his 6th of the season.

Though Willman is 24 and Wisdom is 18, they're both considered rookies by AHL standards because the requirements are that players who haven't appeared in 25 AHL games in prior seasons are considered first-year players. Willman appeared in 24 games with the Phantoms last season.

Willman and Wisdom are in a three-way tie with Chicago's Seth Jarvis for the rookie goal-scoring lead with six goals apiece.

2. Phantoms' Power Play Beginning To Click?

Entering Saturday's game, the Phantoms' power play was dead-last in the AHL - converting just 1 of their 25 opportunities for a 4% success rate. Still, head coach Scott Gordon said after Saturday's game that they've liked - for the most part - what they've been doing on the man advantage. They just weren't getting the results until a 2-for-5 performance on the man advantage Saturday night helped earn them a point in the overtime loss.

"To this point, we've been able to snap it around quite a bit," Ryan Fitzgerald, a member of the Phantoms' top power play unit told InsideAHLHockey.com after the game. "It's just been execution and putting the puck in the net. I think tonight we were rewarded a bit, and we just have to keep it going."

Fitzgerald scored on the power play in the middle frame, winning a board battle along the wall and getting it down low to captain Cal O'Reilly before taking a return feed in tight at the side of the net and sneaking one past Penguins' goaltender Shane Starrett. He also forced a turnover in the offensive zone late in the third period, setting up Wisdom for the power play tally that forced overtime.

Now 3-for-30, the Phantoms are back to a double-digit success rate (10%, 25th in AHL) on the man advantage and hope to have built some confidence amongst the units as the game schedule gets busy heading into March.

3. Rookie Defensemen Stepping Up

The Phantoms' veteran presence on the blue line has taken a hit recently due to the injury bug.

Chris Bigras (lower body) has been out since leaving the February 10th game in Newark after a high hit in the neutral zone caused an awkward fall.

Tyler Wotherspoon (undisclosed) missed both games against the Penguins this weekend.

In the second period Saturday, Logan Day went down hard in the corner and play was stopped. Day exited the game and didn't return. Head coach Scott Gordon said after the game that Day would likely be seeing the doctor on Monday depending on how he felt.

That left the Phantoms with five defensemen for the remainder of the game, with four of those five being rookies Linus Hogberg, Mason Millman, Wyatte Wylie and Egor Zamula.

And here comes an excellent analogy from Scott Gordon:

"I tell our defensemen all the time... I ask them, who is Tom Brady's favorite receiver? Sometimes it's tough when you're talking to a Russian player because they might not know who Tom Brady is. But that being said, everybody throws out one receiver or another - Gronkowski, Edelman or whoever it may be. My response to that is... it's the guy that's open. It's a hard thing for players who think that there has to be a little more sex appeal to all the plays they make for it to be a good play. The reality is it's whatever is available, and what works.

Overall, Gordon has been extremely pleased with how the four rookies have played on the blue line.

Post-Game Reaction

Head coach Scott Gordon

On the overall process:

I thought tonight was a more entertaining game, I guess. When you say that, entertaining for a fan who just came to watch the game and didn't care who wins because there were nine goals scored and some opportunities that weren't created last night. I liked our first period a lot. I thought we were really moving the puck well and then we started to slow things down in the 2nd. Third period was kind of hit or miss.

On the rookie defensemen stepping up:

Logan Day goes out halfway through the game and we're playing with four first-year defensemen out of our five D. There's going to be some things that they are going to do that aren't expected that aren't by design, but that's part of the learning process. That being said, overall I'm pleased with how they're playing. To be able to jump into the lineup and be able to compete at the professional level is huge for us. There's a lot of positive things there.

Forward Max Willman

On another two-goal game:

"Second one was pretty luck there. You just kind of laugh. You don't expect that one to go in but I guess when they're falling in you get those bounces."

On the overall process:

"Yeah a little bit. It felt a little up and down. I felt like we had good stretches where we were playing pretty well and moving it quick and with pace. And then other times I felt like we were fighting it a little bit. Definitely not the result we wanted and definitely a pretty poor play on my behalf there at the end but that comes with trying to make plays. Mistakes are going to happen. That's just the way it goes."

On the highs and lows:

"That's hockey. Yeah it's frustrating, I'm frustrated in the moment, but what are you going to do now? Can't really do anything now. You just have to park it, and it's on to next week already."