Phantoms complete sweep of Penguins for second consecutive year

The Phantoms closed out their play-in round series agains the Penguins on Friday, sweeping their divisional rivals for the second year in a row. We\'re still awaiting conformation of who they\'ll play in the next round -- all depends on who comes out of this afternoon\'s Game 3 between Springfield and Providence -- but while we do, let\'s dive back into Friday\'s game to put a bow on this whole series.

Notes from the rafters

Gaucher rising to the occasion

In just these last two games, the Phantoms have had a whole host of players stepping up for their team in big ways, and Friday saw Gaucher joining that mix. He\'s been doing a lot well for the team of late -- from his defensive impacts both at even strength and on the penalty kill, as well as his support of offense though playmaking -- but what they needed most on Friday was goals, and he delivered. Gaucher scored on a big second-effort play after Zayde Wisdom\'s shot was stopped, and was able to pull the Phantoms back to even on the scoreboard again, just over a minute after they fell behind. It was a huge moment for the team, but also for Gaucher individually -- it was his first goal since all the way back on March 9 in Charlotte -- and it was exactly what we want to see. The Phantoms are hoping that a well-balanced lineup will help them make a long run, and getting that top line going will be key to that. This was an excellent start.

Goaltending huge again

The Phantoms, predictably, went right back to Parker Gahagen for the start on Friday night, and he did well to leave no question that this decision was the right one. It wasn\'t quite as tidy of a performance as he brought on Wednesday -- leaving a few more dangerous rebounds out in front -- but his play on the whole was quite solid. All told, he stopped 31 of the 33 shots that the Penguins threw at him, and help up well against a WBS offense that was looking much more dangerous in the rematch, had hit desperation time and were throwing absolutely everything at him. It took a complete effort between Gahagen and his defenders in front to get this one done, but with communication working well, and everyone showing a commitment to blocking shots to back up their goaltender, the outcome was just what they needed to pull off, all things considered, a pretty tidy sweep.

Bump backs it up

The Phantoms were in what felt like something of a dangerous position as they went into their Game 2. That is, Alex Bump took some real jabs at the Penguins after Game 1, and while he certainly wasn\'t wrong, poking at the porousness of the Penguins\' defending, that did immediately put his team in the position of absolutely needing to put up or shut up in the rematch. And the good news is that the team delivered, as we know, but so too did Bump. Despite not putting up the same flashy scoring numbers that he did in their first meeting, his play on the whole was still very positive and noticeable. He had a couple of good looks, both individually and as setups, and, what\'s more, he didn\'t get caught up in the Penguins\' run at him. That is, he got pasted in the corner on his first shift, and didn\'t get rattled, and when the Penguins kept coming after him as the game went on, he didn\'t get drawn into any unnecessary scuffles -- instead, he drew two penalties on them. All in all, it was a lot of poise shown by a player so new to this league.

Luchanko busy again

We talked after Wednesday\'s game about Luchanko\'s showing being a high-event one, and he certainly carried that energy into Friday\'s game as well, for better or worse. Largely, though, his impacts were positive -- he had a hand in setting up two of the Phantoms\' three goals on the night, was keeping pace well, showed a notable willingness to get to the front of the net, the hard areas, and had a couple of really good chances on goal of his own. But, at the same time, he still got caught reaching a couple of times, and they resulted in penalties, and just like in his first game, he came away with two minors to his name. And this is all part of the adjustment process -- Luchanko\'s learning, in some ways yes, how the game is called at this level and what he can and can\'t get away with, but also the way to best defend at this level. He\'s doing a lot of impressive work to bring his game together at the pro level on the fly, but this is a worthwhile reminder that, as talented as he is, not even he can just flip a switch and snap into perfect form. It\'s an ongoing process.

Bits and bobs

Getting after Luchanko

Sticking with Luchanko a little longer, we\'ll put our more minor quibble in here. As we said, it\'s good news that Luchanko doesn\'t really seem to have any fear in his game at the moment, going to the tough areas, and that\'s a good thing, because he was kind of getting wailed on in that matchup. And this places everyone in an interesting position -- while nothing has gone sideways in a meaningful way, and it\'s a positive that the Phantoms haven\'t been drawn away from their game and into any unnecessary physical battles, one does wonder, if opponents keep taking runs at him, how long it will be before one of the veterans and the fighters -- because some have remained in the lineup -- step up to put a stop to it. Food for thought!

Regression lurking

Looking back at the whole of this series, it was a notably positive one for the Phantoms\' penalty kill. All told, they went 8/9 on the PK over these last two games -- including that huge two-minute 3-on-5 from Game 1 -- and while this is certainly an impressive achievement, given the fact that this same unit spent just about the whole of the season ranked in the middle of the league, these results feel in no way sustainable. We\'ll certainly take this hot streak, but we know it, and the team knows it, that they have to do a better job of staying out of the box, and not continuing to test their luck.

Grans\'s huge goal

And finally, a little more commotion for Helge Grans\'s game winning goal.

Grans backhand no look game winner from HIS KNEES?! Are you SERIOUS?! #RallyTheValley | #LVvsWBS | #LVPhantoms pic.twitter.com/2wIGAEq6hy

— Lehigh Valley Phantoms (@LVPhantoms) April 26, 2025

There was a feeling developing, as the game went on and remained incredibly close, that the next goal that went in would be some garbage goal off a skate, or something like that, but this was anything but that. A little scrambley, and a little unconventional, sure, but an excellent heads up, high-effort play to seal the win for the team.

Talking Points