The Phantoms went 2-0 this weekend. They currently sit third in the Atlantic Division with a 37-23-3-3 record and clinched their first playoff berth since 2017-18!
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Olle Lycksell
Lycksell scored the game-winning and playoff-clinching goal during Saturday’s contest. He now has a goal in each of his last three games and five total points during that stretch. It’s nice to see Lycksell heat back up when they need him most. He was goalless with just three assists in his previous 12 games before last Sunday. He’s got 13 goals and 44 points in 50 games this season.
Tyson Foerster
Foerster notched a pair of assists over the weekend, one in each game. He’s now on a seven-game point streak (2G, 6A) and has failed to crack the score sheet in just a single outing over his last 13 games for a total of three goals and 10 assists. Foerster has finally taken that next step of his development and looks like a million bucks most nights. The ill-advised penalties and reckless play still need to be cleaned up a bit, but overall, it’s been a successful season of development for the 21-year-old.
Sam Ersson
Ersson allowed five goals on a combined 62 shots during both games over the weekend, earning a .935 save percentage on Friday and .917 save percentage on Saturday. It’s only the second time since the first week of February he’s posted plus-.900 save percentages in back-to-back games. His personal performances have not been nearly as strong as they were earlier in the season, but he’s still riding a five-game win streak and locked it down when it mattered most this weekend. It’s a good trend with the playoffs now on the horizon.
Emil Andrae
Don’t look now, but Andrae has six points in his first seven games with the Phantoms. Egor Zamula going down with an injury elevated Andrae to the team’s top LHD spot and he’s looking phenomenal in his new role. He’s already the QB on PP1 and is having a near flawless transition to North American ice. There are still some timing and spacing issues to work on, but he has so far lived up to every bit of hype he brought with him from Sweden.
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Adam Ginning
Ginning has potentially snuck his way into the Phantoms’ history book with a +25 rating on the season, which would be a Lehigh Valley record if he can maintain it through the last couple games. Ginning was a very unpopular draft pick in the eyes of the fans and many wrote him off long before he even stepped foot on North American ice, but he’s had a successful first AHL season while tagging on 19 points in 65 games this year.
Elliot Desnoyers
Desnoyers notched two points, a goal and assist, on Saturday. His 22nd goal of the season tied him for the most goals by a rookie in LV Phantoms’ history. He’s only got three points in his last nine games, but his on-ice presence is hard to ignore most nights and is still probably their most important forward heading into the post season.
Bobby Brink
Brink now has three points, all assists, in his last three games. He’s also up to three goals and seven points in his last eight games. It’s nice to see the offensive consistency return to Brink’s game after scoring just a single goal and six assists in a 17-game stretch from February 10 to March 17.
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Egor Zamula
Egor Zamula injured his shoulder in last Friday’s contest and hasn’t played since. Not only hasn’t he played, there’s been no update about his status from either the Phantoms or Flyers. Don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing when it comes to the severity of his injury, but hopefully he can return in time for the postseason.
Zayde Wisdom
Wisdom hasn’t played since March 25. When there’s no call-ups there just hasn’t been much room for Wisdom in the lineup. He’s been the odd man out all year, arguably the only prospect who is struggling under Laperriere this season.
By: Dan Esche (@DanTheFlyeraFan)
brotherlypuck.com 