The Phantoms took to the road last week for their first Western Conference trip. They beat the Grand Rapids Griffins 5-2 on Wednesday, then lost in a shootout to the Griffins 5-4 on Friday but got back in the win column with a 5-4 victory over the Rockford IceHogs on Saturday.
Their 2-0-0-1 roadtrip brings them to 26-19-5-2 on the season which is still fifth ranked in the Atlantic Division.
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Olle Lycksell
Lycksell had a goal on Wednesday, and a pair of assists over the weekend. He’s on a six game point streak, has 10 points in his last 10 games, and team-leading 35 points in 36 games. There’s no good reason he’s not in the NHL right now.
Zayde Wisdom
Wisdom posted two goals and an assist on Saturday. Wisdom’s strong season continues as he has now set new personal bests in both goals (8) and points (21). His offensive consistency hasn’t been strong, these were his first goals since his hat trick back on January 29, but his play has remained at a decent level playing higher in the lineup more often than not.
Emil Andrae
Andrae scored a powerplay goal and tacked on two assists in three games last week. It was his first goal since January 11 and his first consecutive game with points since just after Christmas. With the NHL trade deadline looming and a potential call up on the horizon, Andrae returning to the score sheet along with his overall solid play could finally be the cocktail to land him a full-time NHL gig.
Anthony Richard
Speaking of potential deadline call ups, Richard posted three goals and five points in three games. He avoided what looked to be a serious injury last weekend and returned with his best offensive stretch of the campaign. He now has 26 points in 25 games with the Phantoms this season and is more than likely the first forward up if/when the Flyers make a move at the deadline.
Hunter McDonald
McDonald scored a goal and added two assists last week. He’s now on a three game point streak and posted a +3 along with seven shots on goal and 4 PIM last week as well. It was the first time he scored a goal since January 7 and registered points in consecutive games since late November. We haven’t been the biggest fans of McDonald’s play over the last month or so, but every once in awhile he flashes some fascinating potential, it’s just a matter of this version of McDonald sticking around regularly.
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Jacob Gaucher
Gaucher scored his team-leading 16th goal on Saturday and he recorded an assist on Friday which tied him for second on the team in points with 31. On the flip side, it was only his third goal in the last 24 games (let that stat sink in for a second) and his lone assist in his last six games.
Rodrigo Abols
Abols scored a goal on Wednesday and added an assist on Saturday. He has six points in his last six games as his hot streak from his NHL recall continues.
Massimo Rizzo
Rizzo scored his sixth goal of the season on Friday. It was his lone point in the last four games in what has been a rare quiet pattern for the rookie forward.
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Ethan Samson
Samson is on a seven-game pointless streak and his overall play has been significantly less notable than it was earlier in the season. He’s been relegated to the third pair, and even stayed on the bottom duo when Belpedio missed Saturday’s game in favor of moving lefty Adam Ginning over to the right.
Samu Tuomaala
Tuomaala is apparently dealing with some kind of injury, but it hasn’t sidelined him fully. He played Wednesday, but not Friday or Saturday. Last week he played on Friday but not Saturday or Sunday. He seems to be testing things then realizes he can’t go and misses the rest of the week. He’s only played three of their last seven games.
Elliot Desnoyers
Desnoyers is on a 14-game goalless drought. It doesn’t quite mirror his 42-game goalless streak from last season, and there’s not enough time left in the season to replicate it, but in case all hope wasn’t stomped out before, it very well is now.
By: Dan Esche (@DanTheFlyeraFan)
brotherlypuck.com 