Lehigh Valley spent last weekend in Canada and experienced nothing but success. The Phantoms played Laval, Belleville, and Toronto in their respective arenas and reigned victorious in all three contests. Friday night’s game against the Laval Rocket needed overtime, but the wins obtained against the Senators and Marlies were quite decisive.
The Phantoms now find themselves in third place in the Atlantic with 13-6-1-1 record through 21 games.
Carter Hart
The Philadelphia Flyers are under a great deal of scrutiny lately. There are many reasons for this, one of them being the current goaltender situation. There is a lot of conversation surrounding Carter Hart and the idea of calling him up to the NHL. His performance in net this weekend assisted in his attempt to prove that he is NHL-ready. Hart has struggled with consistency this season, frequently playing well in the first leg of back-to-backs and floundering in the second game. This weekend provided Hart with an opportunity to play two games in three nights instead of his regular two games in two nights. To be blunt, Hart shined in both outings. He stopped 26 of 28 shots against Laval on Friday and 33-35 shots against Toronto on Sunday. Whether Hart’s ready to join Philadelphia is a debate for a different time, however, he made a strong case for promotion this weekend.
Call the police! 🚔
211 in progress! 🚔 pic.twitter.com/06UW0uWXar
— Lehigh Valley Phantoms (@LVPhantoms) December 2, 2018
Phil Varone
In regards to AHL hockey, life is good for Phil Varone. The 27-year-old forward scored his way to the top of the league with four goals and one assist in three games. Varone posted two-goal games on both Friday and Sunday, giving him 11 on the year. His 28 points in 21 games have him one point ahead of Syracuse’s Cory Conacher for first in scoring.
Holy Varone!
That's ✌🏻 tonight. pic.twitter.com/WtV3xsOQU3
— Lehigh Valley Phantoms (@LVPhantoms) December 2, 2018
Greg Carey
Speaking of players that are close to the top of the American Hockey League in scoring, Greg Carey currently sits in third. Carey was in the generous mood this weekend. He recorded four helpers, increasing his total to 14 on the year. Carey’s best game of the weekend was Sunday where he dished out three of those assists. Carey has 26 points in 21 games for the Phantoms this season.
Chris Conner
Varone and Carey were not the only Phantoms veterans that were on fire this weekend. The 34-year-old Chris Conner increased his point-total by a bunch as well. Conner posted a five-point weekend with three goals and two assists, recording at least one point in each game. He recorded two goals against Belleville, helping the Phantoms to a 4-2 victory. Conner now has 17 points in 20 games.
Chris Conner netted his second goal of the night on this penalty shot with only 13 seconds remaining in tonight's contest. pic.twitter.com/23CIfUY2J5
— Lehigh Valley Phantoms (@LVPhantoms) December 2, 2018
Philippe Myers
With all of the change taking place in Philadelphia, Myers is a player who might see a call-up in his near future. The 21-year-old blueliner is proving to be one of Lehigh Valley’s more valuable young players, and the Flyers are in need of assistance on defense. Myers had a successful three games for the Phantoms this weekend, recording three assists. He has five goals and nine assists in 21 games this season.
Up Next for the Phantoms
The Phantoms have a string of three home games this week, starting on Wednesday against Cleveland. Lehigh Valley will then host Hershey on Friday and then Cleveland again on Saturday.
Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
