Phantoms Files: Key Reinforcements

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The Lehigh Valley Phantoms need to put aside what happened last weekend. They dropped an ugly 6-3 decision to the Rochester Americans. A horrifying 8-0 home pounding followed at the hands of the Providence Bruins. From the net on out, The Phantoms got stomped.

Now the team embarks on a three-game Canadian road trip. John Snowden’s squad gets some much-needed help (although goaltending remains the biggest worry). The Flyers assigned forward Alex Bump and defenseman Hunter McDonald back to Lehigh Valley. The schedule:

Nov 4: at Laval Rocket
Nov 6: at Belleville Senators
Nov 7: at Hamilton Hammers

Why the timing matters

Bump exploded out of the gate with the Phantoms, scoring seven goals in his first five games. That got him called up to Philadelphia when Travis Konecny and Owen Tippett landed on IR. Bump played eight games with the Flyers. He wasn’t bad but he also didn’t pop.

The big challenge now: Bump can’t afford to despair if he hopes to get his next NHL recall in the near term. Meanwhile, for the Phantoms, the help couldn’t come at a better time.

The call-ups of Bump, Knuble, McDonald, Gaucher, and team Garrett Wilson hit the Phantoms hard. It took a lot of moxie out of the lineup. not to mention some skill. Now all but Knuble are back with the Phantoms.

The Phantoms are 4-5-1 through their first 10 games, which is not the start the team envisioned and certainly not the one I expected. It felt like they were just starting to put it together when the Flyers needed a good chunk of the roster.

Not all on the goalies, but…

The goaltending numbers tell the story, too. It’s an age-old fact: goaltending and team defense are symbiotic. They’ll either lift each other or, if one repeatedly lets down, they’ll drag each other down. For example, if a team yields too many back-door goals, goalies start to cheat off the near post. Now short-side goals starts to creep into the net.

It’s a vicious cycle, and the Phantoms have to find fixes fast.

Aleksei Kolosov is 2-3 with a .873 save percentage and 3.66 goals-against average. Meanwhile, Carson Bjarnason is 2-2-1 with a .851 SV% and a 4.40 GAA.

That’s flat out unacceptable.

It’s not all the goalies’ fault but neither guy has made needed saves at key times. Kolosov post his first shutout of the season against Belleville at home back on October 26th, but he wasn’t test at all until the third period. In the two games since, the Phantoms have yielded a combined 14 goals.

Apart from goalie play, the opposition onslaught hose numbers reflect the loss key players over a short stretch. Meanwhile, the team needs to tighten up defensively.

McDonald’s impact

McDonald’s return makes a big difference.He had a strong stint with the Flyers. He hit. He dropped the gloves. Moreover, he killed plays before scoring chances developed.

Meanwhile, in Philly, the likes of Simon Benoit and David Jiricek hear footsteps. In fact, if Jiricek wern’t subject to waivers, he’d probably switch places now with McDonald.

Game 1: Phantoms at Laval Rocket, Wednesday Nov 4

This is the toughest test of the trip. The Rocket lead the North Division at 8-3-0 with 16 points through 11 games, and they top the league with a 29.2% power play. Defenseman David Reinbacher, the Canadiens’ fifth overall pick in 2023, is back from a stint in Montreal, and Kaapo Kahkonen is in goal.

Game 2: Phantoms at Belleville Senators, Friday Nov 6

After two days off, the Phantoms get a rematch with a team they dominated. In Kolosov’s shutout, Lehigh Valley won faceoffs, controlled the offensive zone, and played a much better defensive game.

As Coach Snowden put it, “We played our game plan to a T!”

The Senators are fourth in the North at 5-5-1 with 12 points. Tyler Boucher, the 10th overall pick in the 2021 draft and the son of Flyers broadcaster Brian Boucher, has three goals and three assists in 12 games. Belleville also runs a solid power play at just over 25%, so discipline is key.

Game 3: Phantoms at Hamilton Hammers, Saturday Nov 7

Here’s the tricky part: Hamilton comes the very next night, so the Phantoms will play in Belleville and then travel. The smart approach is to take care of business against the Senators, rest up, and go right back at it.

The Hammers are last in the North at 3-7-0-2 with 8 points in 12 games, but the Phantoms can’t afford to look past them. Cole Eiserman, the Islanders’ 20th overall pick in 2024, has two goals and four assists for six points, and defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson, the Islanders’ 17th overall pick in 2025, is a tough shutdown guy. He’s every bit as tough to play against as advertised.

Keys to a successful trip

If the Phantoms stick to the game plan that worked against Belleville, I think they can come
home with at least two of these three. Winning at least two of three would be a big step toward
getting their season back on track.

Then there’s a week of rest before the Hammers come to PPL Center on Friday, November 13. Whatever happens in Hamilton is going to spill over into that one, so keep an eye on it. The next three games won’t be easy, but they’re winnable if the Phantoms don’t beat themselves.