The Phantoms won both of their contests this weekend, downing the Springfield Thunderbirds 2-1 on Friday, and holding on against the Laval Rocket 3-2 on Saturday.
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Samuel Ersson
Ersson had 21 saves on 22 shots Friday, and followed that up with 31 saves on 33 shots Saturday. The 23-year-old has been an absolute beast the last few weeks as he continues to get comfortable in his return from surgery that kept him out most of last season. He owns a 3-4-1 record right now, which speaks more to the mediocre state of the team around him, but Ersson has been absolutely phenomenal between the pipes in Lehigh picking up three straight wins and a .945 save percentage in that time.
Cam York
After York failed to make the team out of training camp, he was sent down with a clear mission from John Tortorella- earn your way back up. And he is certainly starting to turning some heads. He now leads the team with nine points in 11 games, has been a top-end PP QB and has multiple game-winning goals. The confidence is oozing from York right now and if this play continues for a little while longer, the Flyers’ brass may have no choice but to acknowledge him.
Ronnie Attard
Attard still has some development in front of him, but it’s hard to not get excited about some of the early returns on investment the 23-year-old has shown. He’s got an amazing shot and is proving he can hold his own defensively as well. He’s playing in all situations for the Phantoms, which is the main reason he’s down there, and if he can hone in on the consistency just a bit more there is a bright future ahead for Attard.
Elliot Desnoyers
Considering the lofty expectations Desnoyers had coming out of juniors, you would think his transition to the AHL would leave something to be desired, but that just isn’t the case. He’s excelling at five-on-five, been part of a strong powerplay until with Foerster and York, as well as scoring a shorthanded goal on Saturday. It was his first tally in the goal column in nine games, but he’s bringing so much more to the table than his offense. If and when the scoring flood gates open- look out for The Destroyer.
Sideways Trending
Zayde Wisdom
Wisdom spent the first few weeks of the season stapled to the fourth line and was limited because of it. He’s been promoted to the second line with Olle Lycksell and Jackson Cates and the trio has been a lot of fun since. He’s got four assists in four games since the promotion and his on-ice confidence is growing immensely. Provided he stays in the top six, there’s no reason to think he won’t continue to improve as the season rolls on.
Olle Lycksell
Lycksell didn’t play Saturday, but he continues to be an under-the-radar solid player both offensively and defensively. He’s been working wonders with Wisdom and Cates and could be high on the recall list if the main roster injuries persist.
Cooper Marody
At 26 years old, it’s hard to consider Marody a prospect anymore, but considering he’s finally playing for the team that drafted him in 2015, posting three points in his first two games is a nice payoff after an injury held him out of the start of the season. The Phantoms’ offense could badly use a jumpstart and if Marody is the guy to ignite it, it’s well within reason he could see an NHL recall at some point.
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Tyson Foerster
We’re patiently waiting for the puzzle pieces to come together for Foerster, who hasn’t necessarily been bad, but he hasn’t been the dominant force everyone was hoping for either. There’s plenty of time for things to start to click, and he does have seven points in 11 games, but until he takes his game to the next level, it’s ok getting a little antsy for his early mixed results.
Adam Ginning
Ginning hasn’t been nearly as bad as advertised, but he certainly isn’t moving the needle either.
Isaac Ratcliffe
Another weekend, another snoozefest for a 6’6 oaf.
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By: Dan Esche (@DanTheFlyeraFan)
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