Lehigh Valley Phantoms Can Turn Corner With Bjarnason Leading Them

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If there was ever a time for a big win, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms got one on Saturday night, Dec. 20, against the Hartford Wolf Pack. It was a low-scoring contest that went to a shootout, and the Phantoms ended up with the 2-1 victory and the much-needed two points. “It’s a huge two going into the break,” goaltender Carson Bjarnason noted after the game, which will have them heading into the break in the win column. 

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The Phantoms entered the game and the shootout with a lot of pressure to get the win. They were free-falling in the standings and dropped consecutive games to the Springfield Thunderbirds and the Bridgeport Islanders, two of the worst teams in the American Hockey League (AHL). Yet, with the pressure on to return to the win column, they managed to do just that. “This game is a pressure business,” head coach John Snowden noted afterwards, and while the Phantoms are a different team than they were a few weeks back, they can still win games when needed, something contending teams with Calder Cup aspirations do. 

This turnaround, one the Phantoms hope happens when they return from the break, is only possible with defense and lights out play in the net. Bjarnason was the best player on the ice and willed the team to a win, and the young goaltender will be asked to do more of that with the new-look Phantoms trying to maintain a promising season. 

Bjarnason Finding His Footing 

The 20-year-old goaltender is seeing the puck well and making the big stops. He stopped 34 of the 35 shots he faced against the Wolf Pack and three of the four shootout attempts to lead the way in a goaltending duel. It’s not just his recent game that stood out either. He made 25 saves in a 2-1 win over the Rochester Americans on Dec. 13, and his 33-save performance against the Utica Comets on Dec. 6 fueled a 3-2 shootout victory. 

The past three games, it’s worth adding, went to a shootout, where Bjarnason seems to play at another level to give the Phantoms the extra point. “I’ve had like four or something at this point. It’s getting old. Try not to do those anymore,” he jokingly added after the recent one. 

Most hockey fans, especially the Philadelphia Flyers fans, are wondering what his path to the NHL looks like. Right now, he’s splitting starts with Aleksei Kolosov, who is the veteran of the group and the goaltender the Flyers are calling up on an emergency basis (like this weekend). That said, expect Bjarnason to start more games down the stretch, especially as he finds his footing in the American Hockey League (AHL). “I think he does a good job of controlling his rebounds,” Snowden noted after the game, and it’s a strength that the Phantoms are starting to work around on the defensive end. 

Goaltenders take time to develop, and it’s easy to forget that Bjarnason is still a young one in the AHL. His games, in a way, reflect his development as he improves once he finds a rhythm. As the season has progressed, he’s become more comfortable in the starting net. By the time the playoffs roll around, he can be the one the Phantoms lean on to win games and by the time next season rolls around, he can be the primary starter. It’s this timeline that projects him to be a starter at the NHl level in a few seasons.

Building The Defense Around Bjarnason 

Bjarnason sees the puck well and is good at making the initial save. Like Kolosov, he’s a technical goaltender and usually in the right position to not only make the stop but to provide a good rebound for the defensemen. “They do a good job of putting rebounds in areas where we can get the next touch and get ourselves out,” Snowden added about both goaltenders, who, unlike most AHL teams, are similar, allowing the defense to play the same way regardless of the starter. 

There was one rebound that Bjanason would want back, or at least he was bailed out by a great defensive play. In the second period, he made the stop but the puck was left in the crease as he was sprawled out on the ice. It’s where Egor Zamula made the play of the game as he moved out puck out before the Wolf Pack could get to it. “Happy to have him,” Bjarnason stated after the game, as Zamula, who was sent down by the Flyers this week, is part of a defense that has played well in front of him. It’s definitely a privilege to play in front of these guys,” the goaltender added. 

The good news for the Phantoms is that the defense, for the most part, plays to their goaltender’s strengths. They collect the rebounds and allow their bigger goaltenders to see the initial shot and make the save. “It’s important for us that the shots are coming from the perimeter and not the interior,” Snowden noted. With the offense struggling, the defensemen have stepped up, and it’s what will lead the Phantoms through an otherwise rough stretch in the season. 

Where the Phantoms Still Must Improve 

The Phantoms still need the offense to show up, and it hasn’t done so in a while. They’ve only scored one goal in each of the past five games, and aside from the power play goal in the second period, the offense barely showed up against the Wolf Pack. “I think it’s bearing down on our chances,” Lane Pederson, who scored the power play goal, said after the game. The plays work in practice but the in-game situations are where they come up short. 

The truth is that this team needed a reset, and with the break underway, they’ll get one. It’s a time for the Phantoms to take a step back and for Snowden, particularly, a few days to adjust and have the team come back stronger. “I need to make it more of a fun environment,” he stated after the recent game, and admittedly, that’s hard to do when the team is losing. 

The recent win is a reminder that the Phantoms, even without some of their top prospects, are still a talented team and should be a contender by the end of the season. It will be interesting to see what they look like when they return from the break. 

The Phantoms have tough matchups against the Charlotte Checkers next Saturday night and the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins the next day. They also probably won’t have Denver Barkey, who was called up to the NHL and impressed for the Flyers in his debut, or Alex Bump, who left Friday’s game early with an upper-body injury. It’s why the season, and this stretch, is a battle in a war that is the AHL season. 

The interesting note is that the Phantoms won’t change their systems or style of play through it all. “I don’t think we change what we do. It’s the next man up,” Snowden mentioned after the latest win. It’s a delicate balance that comes with coaching in this league, and Snowden is walking the tightrope. The Flyers want the team to play fast and show off the skill but the roster is a heavier group that can play a defensive game. It’s why there might be a few more losses in the works but in the big picture, the Phantoms will be fine, especially if Bjarnason and the defense in front of him keep delivering.