Phantoms Weekly Report Week 2 (Oct. 8-14)
ALLENTOWN - The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (1-0-0) began another week-long slate of practice in the second week of the regular season, but with a pair of games back-to-back (with travel) on the docket this weekend - a home-and-home series with a revamped Springfield Thunderbirds (0-0-1) team coming off a 3-2 shootout loss to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in their lone contest last week.
The Phantoms had an early 8:30 am skate scheduled Monday - two hours earlier than their normal start time - due to the team's annual charity golf tournament. Inside AHL Hockey was told that Greg Carey's group took home first place, with T.J. Brennan's group finishing second and Cole Bardreau's camp placing third - though those results are unconfirmed.
The team was back at it at PPL Center Tuesday morning, with 14 forwards, seven defensemen and three goaltenders taking part on the on-ice session that lasted nearly 90 minutes.
Phantoms Weekly Report - Week 2 (Oct. 8-14)
Tuesday's practice update
There were three goalies at Phantoms practice Tuesday, as Carter Hart and Anthony Stolarz - who cleared waivers and was assigned to Lehigh Valley over the weekend - were each manning a net.
The surprise was the third goalie at practice was. None other than Alex Lyon, who is working his way back from a lower body injury sustained in the preseason. Lyon has been with the Phantoms as of late, sitting with the scratched players during last Saturday night's home opener. As of Tuesday afternoon, he had not yet been placed on waivers to be officially assigned to Lehigh Valley.
The Phantoms had released goaltender Jason Kasdorf from his PTO after backing up Hart in net last Saturday night, following the news that Stolarz cleared waivers and would be assigned to Lehigh Valley.
Defenseman Philip Samuelsson skated with the team at practice for the first time on Monday and caught up with Inside AHL Hockey after Tuesday's practice to talk about how joining the Phantoms on an AHL deal came to be, his familiarity with the Phantoms from an outside perspective and his excitement about joining the Flyers organization. More on that later today for Inside AHL Hockey subscribers.
Inside AHL Hockey also caught up with a forward that head coach Scott Gordon plans to place in a more offensive role this year. He happens to be the last AHL player to score 40 goals in a season. That story also coming this week for our subscribers.
The only non-participant at practice today was injured defenseman Reece Willcox, who left the Phantoms' preseason home opener on September 28th against Charlotte. Willcox was in attendance, but off-ice as he remains out with an undisclosed injury that head coach Scott Gordon later told Inside AHL Hockey is "quote similar to an injury he had last year" and initially wasn't expected to prevent him from missing last Saturday's regular season opener. Later in the week when he had not skated at practice with the team, Gordon said the team was erring on the side of caution and there was no need to rush Willcox back into the lineup. The fact he's not skating with the team at practice yet this week doesn't bode well for his status moving into this weekend's home-and-home series with the Springfield Thunderbirds.
Tuesday's Practice Lines
Greg Carey - Phil Varone - Nicolas Aube-Kubel Carsen Twarynski - Mike Vecchione - Chris Conner - Radel Fazleev Taylor Leier - Cole Bardreau - Tyrell Goulbourne David Kase - German Rubtsov - Connor Bunnaman - Colin McDonald
T.J. Brennan - Mark Friedman James de Haas - Phil Myers Zack Palmquist - David Drake - Philip Samuelsson
Carter Hart - Anthony Stolarz - Alex Lyon
The Week Ahead
Friday, October 12th: Springfield at Lehigh Valley - 7:05 p.m ET Saturday, October 13th: Lehigh Valley at Springfield - 7:05 p.m. ET
Last Week
***Saturday, October 6th: Bridgeport - 3 at Lehigh Valley - 6 (Post-Game EXTRA!)
The Phantoms opened the season with a bang, jumping out to a 5-1 lead on a new-look Bridgeport Sound Tigers team and never really looking back. Nicolas Aube-Kubel and Greg Carey tallied two goals and an assist each to lead Lehigh Valley's attack, while
If Aube-Kubel stays on the top line on the right side with the dynamic duo of Carey and 2017-18 AHL MVP Varone, then the intriguing forward prospect might be able to breakout offensively and vault himself into the NHL with the Flyers at some point this season. That was one of my "Five Things" takeaways from the season opener. (Also linked in the Post-Game EXTRA! with game score)
In Case You Missed It Last Week
New this season, Inside AHL Hockey launched it's first Lehigh Valley Phantoms 'GAMEDAY LIVE' for the team's season-opener. The running live blog that will appear for each of the 76 regular season games (as long as it continues to be successful) will have all the latest news, updates and information from injuries and expected lineups before the game to period-by-period recaps & insights updated throughout the game. And Post-Game EXTRA! (linked above) with all of the player reaction and video interviews, along with five takeaways and a place for final thoughts/observations.
(SUBSCRIBERS) Taylor Leier spoke with Inside AHL Hockey last Friday about a tough first week of October to begin his 2018-19 season. "I'm really excited for that feeling again. Helping out the guys to win. I'm just raring to go. I want to score. I want to win. I want to play with the guys. I literally just want to play."
(SUBSCRIBERS) Sometimes it's hard to forget that Mike Vecchione is entering just his second full year of hockey at the pro level, and despite his hot start in October 2017 injuries slowed his development and offensive production throughout his rookie season.
(SUBSCRIBERS) Signed to an AHL contract by the Phantoms over the summer, goaltender Branden Komm had quite a roller coaster season in 2017-18 - traveling around in the ECHL and moving between four different teams over the course of the season, the first shortly after he had gotten engaged. "It's one of those things where you kind of look in the mirror and find out what kind of man you are when you're tested with adversity like that." - Branden Komm
(SUBSCRIBERS) Carsen Twarynski is saying and doing all the right things as he enters his first full-year of pro hockey. It seems the extra year in junior hockey, and the taste of pro hockey last spring with the Phantoms in the playoffs has jump-started his development. Flyers GM Ron Hextall and head coach Dave Hakstol both publicly commended Twarynski for his efforts during training camp and the preseason.
