The Phantoms spent all three games on the road last week, first getting trounced by the Toronto Marlies 6-3, then a two-game series with the Cleveland Monsters ended in a draw, with the Monsters winning on Thursday and the Phantoms picking up the OT victory on Saturday.
Lehigh Valley currently sits at a 10-10-4-1 record on the season.
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Jacob Gaucher
Gaucher posted three goals and tacked on assist in three games last week. He was also rewarded with a two-year entry-level contract with the Philadelphia Flyers for his breakout season. He’s up to 11 goals and 17 points in 25 games, both already new career highs. Do we ever see him in the NHL? TBD. But he is a center, so if things go wrong on the main roster, he may get an opportunity to continue to blossom.
Alexis Gendron
Gendron registered a pair of assists, one on Thursday and one of Saturday. He’s now up to three points in his last four games after an eight-game pointless streak throughout November. The raw skill remains prevalent for Gendron, who needs to continue to put the pieces together to become a complete player with NHL potential.
Rodrigo Abols
Abols missed five games with an undisclosed injury/illness, but he scored the opening goal of the game just 41 seconds in upon his return to the lineup on Saturday. His status as a “prospect” and overall position in the organization is still a bit murky, but he does have 10 points in 19 games, and whatever hampered him during his absence is in the rear view.
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Helge Grans
Grans had an assist on Tuesday, but went -4 over the course of the week. It was definitely a bit of a stall in his momentum considering he’s been on fire ever since his NHL recall, but with shady goaltending and a team struggling to score, there’s only so much a defenseman can do to salvage his numbers.
Zayde Wisdom
Wisdom posted a goal and an assist on Thursday. He now has two goals and four points in six December contests. Does he have NHL potential? It’s looking less and less likely, but he’s easily playing the best hockey since the 2020-21 pandemic season. It may not be much, but it’s great to see Wisdom get some life back into his game.
Oskar Eklind
Eklind recorded a pair of assists, one of which came on the powerplay. He hasn’t scored a goal since November 8, but does have five assists in his last 10 games and 12 points in 25 games on the season. It’s been a decent enough start for the 26-year-old playing his first season of North American hockey.
J.R. Avon
Avon scored a goal on Tuesday. He failed to record a point in the following two games, but he was briefly on a three-game point streak after posting goals in back-to-back games. Avon got out of the gate slow after a decent rookie season, and if his recent positive trend continues he may finally be able to get his season on track.
Olle Lycksell
Lycksell picked up a powerplay assist on Tuesday, but missed Thursday and Saturday with an undisclosed illness/injury.
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Samu Tuomaala
Tuomaala did play all three games this week after missing the previous Saturday’s contest with an illness, but he went pointless. That bumps his drought up to five games and has just two assists in his last seven games, the time it’s been since his last goal on November 27. Tuomaala came out of the gate red hot, but has just four points in his last 10 games since November 22.
Massimo Rizzo
11 games in and still not a peep out of Rizzo, who has been stuck centering the fourth line for the last few weeks. The appendicitis is still an excuse, but it losses more and more validity with every week that passes.
By: Dan Esche (@DanTheFlyeraFan)
brotherlypuck.com 