The physical rivalry between newly acquainted East Division foes will continue tonight as the Phantoms take on Binghamton.
In their second matchup in just six days, the Phantoms (24-21-4-1) will look for redemption after falling 3-2 to the Senators Friday, giving Binghamton their third win in last 11 games. Friday’s matchup was exactly what fans have come to expect from the new rivals, with a 60-minute long parade to the penalty box, with 103 total penalty minutes between the two teams (55 PIM for LV; 48 PIM for Binghamton).
As the top-two most penalized teams in the league, the Phantoms and Senators average more than 26 and 22 minutes, respectively, per-game.
- Lehigh Valley trails Binghamton (20-24-5-1) 3-4 in the 10-game season series, as the Senators have fallen to last place in the East Division and Eastern Conference.
- With a shootout win in Wilkes-Barre and an overtime victory in Springfield last weekend the Phantoms will hope to continue their momentum as it is do-or-die time with the regular season winding down. Lehigh Valley has fallen nine-points behind second-place Wilkes-Barre and 14-points behind Hershey with no games in-hand and 26 games left in the regular season.
- Lehigh Valley is 10th ranked in the Eastern Conference, five points behind the eighth-place playoff cutoff.
- While it is crunch time for the Phantoms, who have struggled in 2015, there may be a light at the end of the tunnel, as Scott Laughton has returned from Philadelphia and Darroll Powe and Mark Alt return from injury.
- In his first game back with the Phantoms since being called up on Nov. 18, Laughton registered an assist in the team’s 5-4 overtime victory over Springfield.
- Earlier this week the Flyer swapped goaltenders, recalling Rob Zepp and returning Anthony Stolarz to the Phantoms after Zepp proved to be in good health after sustaining an injury last week. After spending three games on the Flyers bench, Anthony Stolarz returned to Lehigh Valley with what hopefully will be newfound confidence.
- Despite not receiving any official game-time in his first NHL call-up, Stolarz experience in practice could prove helpful to the recently struggling goaltender. With a 7-10-1 record this season, Stolarz has earned just two wins in seven games-played since December 31.
