Jett Luchanko was solid, Alex Bump was strong, and Parker Gahagen was stellar as the Lehigh Valley Phantoms beat the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 5-2 in the opening game of their best-of-three playoff series Wednesday night. The Phantoms look to eliminate the Penguins with a win at home Friday night.
The basics
First period: 8:41 – Olle Lycksell (Emil Andrae, Jacob Gaucher)
Second period: 8:25 – Alex Bump (Jett Luchanko, Adam Ginning), 13:46 – Rodrigo Abols (Nikita Grebenkin, Louie Belpedio)
Third period: 8:17 – Alex Bump (Emil Andrae, Olle Lycksell) (PPG), 9:50 – Anthony Richard (Jett Luchanko), 15:08- Avery Hayes (Sam Poulin, Tristan Broz), 18:51- Gabe Klassen (Avery Hayes)
SOG: 33 (LV) – 30 (WBS)
Some takeaways
Bump and Jett
Alex Bump and Jett Luchanko were notable for their creativity and speed throughout the night. Late in the first Bump beat a defender with a nice play but could close the deal. Meanwhile Luchanko’s speed was shown shortly after as he quickly flew from the defensive zone to become part of a two-on-one. Unfortunately the puck never got to him.
Luchanko took a minor penalty (one of two the Phantoms took on the same play) early in the second. The former Guelph Storm forward made a mental lapse, making a play on the puck before he was completelyout of the sin bin. The huge two-man kill sadly led to another two minutes short-handed, albeit five-on-four. Penguins forward Avery Hayes hit iron during the power play but they didn’t get much more offensive pressure the rest of the way. Luchanko left the box a second time with no harm done.
The penalty kills was a huge momentum swing as Bump made it 2-0 on a great pass from Luchanko (who also added an assist in the third), redeeming himself for the mistake and giving his team some breathing room.
Alex Bump to Jett Luchanko, and back to Alex Bump.
— Tony Androckitis* (@TonyAndrock) April 24, 2025
Can you say F-U-T-U-R-E, #Flyers fans? @InsideAHLHockey pic.twitter.com/qoLFzOe54Q
In the third, Bump again was deadly, taking a cross ice pass from Emil Andrae, taking his time and burying it for a 4-0 lead midway through period three.
Alex bump is gonna be such a great player. #LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/eDrh2grHNZ
— 💚🦅 💍 (@CookedBy1K) April 24, 2025
Lehigh Valley weren’t playing firewagon hockey or trying to run-and-gun. Instead they were playing a simple, but highly effective style: winning one-on-one battles, taking hits to move the puck, and keeping the puck in front of them more often than not.
Good start
The Phantoms started with taking the body, first with winger Oscar Eklind hitting a Penguins defender. Lehigh Valley also got the first power play and nearly scored early on as Anthony Richard broke through. Richard couldn’t beat Penguins keeper Joel Blomqvist (who was 8-1-3 against the Phantoms lifetime). Although they didn’t cash in, it was totally refreshing to see a team under the Flyers’ umbrella appearing to know what to do on a power play.
Lehigh Valley finally broke open the scoring, creating some traffic in net. Olle Lycksell toe-dragged the puck away from Blomqvist outstretched pad to give the Phantoms a 1-0 lead. You couldn’t ask for a better start for a road team in a crucial playoff game. More importantly, as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton came to life, Lehigh Valley bent a bit at times in their own end. Gahagen refused to break.
What a GOAL, what a CELLY! #RalleyTheValley | #LVvsWBS | #LVPhantoms pic.twitter.com/7OQ0yD5WBa
— Lehigh Valley Phantoms (@LVPhantoms) April 23, 2025
Hunter my Hunter
Hunter McDonald has a slow, deliberate pace to his game. But he more often than not will leave you flat on your back. McDonald looks to be a sturdy, dependable blueliner on first glance, on the right side of the puck more often than not. Or at worst able to separate the defender from the puck or hamper a possible scoring chance. McDonald showed this late in the second when he kept the Penguins forward from Parker Gahagen who smothered the puck easily. McDonald then tossed the forward to the ice like a mosquito on one’s shoulder.
Cute and disturbing
During one stoppage in play, the arena asked fans to dance or waddle like Penguins. Some of the younger children did an admirable job. Others much longer in the tooth gyrated in an horrifying, unnerving fashion. I’ll leave it at that.
Gahagen ga-ood, ga-reat!
Phantoms goalie Parker Gahagen had a quiet opening few minutes but stymied a mental lapse when he bobbled the puck around his net, getting back in time. Gahagen didn’t have a lot of work the first eight minutes as the Penguins mustered a measly shot. The Penguins had some good chances after Lehigh Valley scored. However a quick outlet passing sequence saw Rhett Gardner find Oscar Eklind for a breakaway. Eklind’s low blocker side shot missed the mark.
In the second Gahagen stood tall on a delayed penalty call. However, he had his hands full when the Phantoms took two simultaneous minor penalties. A full two-minute five-on-three for the Penguins saw the Phantoms close in a tight triangle. But Gahagen was stellar with a great shoulder save and a few other key stops. He also thwarted a nice seam pass in close by getting to the puck first. Midway through the game the goalie had 19 stops, frustrating the Penguins at every turn.
He kept the goose egg early in the third, losing the puck but getting some help from the referee who blew the whistle. Sadly the shutout bid ended with five minutes left as Penguins winger Avery Hayes finally got one by Gahagen. Another one beat him with a minute to go but by then it was over.
Abols able to stifle, Abols able to score
Rodrigo Abols was a utile fourth-liner most nights as a Flyer, But he’s been fine in Lehigh Valley. After breaking up some passes killing a Phantoms penalty, Abols and linemate Nikita Grebenkin made some magic late in the second period when he took a Grebenkin pass and buried his own rebound by Blomqvist, making it a 3-0 lead.
Another one, thank you! #RalleyTheValley | #LVvsWBS | #LVPhantoms pic.twitter.com/36dkXTTu7O
— Lehigh Valley Phantoms (@LVPhantoms) April 24, 2025
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton started the third with Blomqvist on the bench and Taylor Gauthier in goal. Gauthier apparently had one start in their season finale. Nothing could be blamed on Blomqvist. Rather it might have been a straw-grasping kick up the backside from Penguins head coach Kirk MacDonald towards his team.
Teams not exactly BFFs
Lehigh Valley and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton don’t exactly swap Valentine’s Day card or Christmas gifts. Although there wasn’t an opening faceoff melee to kick off game one, there were a few post-whistle scrums, the first featuring Phantoms center Jacob Gaucher. After Alex Bump got nailed from behind, the Phantoms started to exact their pound of flesh, with Louie Belpedio involved as some pusing and shoving ensued (with no penalties called). It was quite evident you’d keep your head up.
Phantoms blueliner Ethan Samson nailed a Penguins forward before holding his own against another oncoming foe. Samson late in the first hit Zach Gallant and bowled him over. Gallant returned the favor and gave as good as he got towards Samson. Things seemed to settle down in the middle frame as both teams decided to keep the animosity during play, not after whistles.
Just gravy
Following their fourth goal of the night, Lehigh Valley added to their total when Anthony Richard took a Luchanko pass and beat Gauthier to make it a laugher at 5-0. The Penguins, clearly frustrated, tried to get some rough stuff going. The Phantoms rarely took the bait.
