Phantoms Practice Report 10/19 - Injury Updates

The Phantoms have quite an injured list through three games this season. Photo credit: Nina Weiss

It was a rough weekend for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in their first road trip of the 2015-16 season. They picked up their first win of the season Friday and jumped out to a 3-0 lead early into Saturday's contest, but ultimately injuries and penalties proved costly in a 1-1 weekend.

A Friday night win in Springfield, MA, followed by an overnight bus ride back to Allentown, Pa. and subsequent Saturday morning ride to Wilkes-Barre for a 4:05 p.m. game left the team less than fully rested. By the end of Saturday's game, the Phantoms had just 15 healthy skaters.


They entered Saturday's game without the services of forward Danick Martel, who blocked a shot and left the game in the 2nd period Friday, and defenseman Andrew MacDonald, who took a vicious cross-check to his midsection in the 3rd period. Defenseman Robert Hagg dressed for Saturday's game but didn't play a shift, and forwards Cole Bardreau and Michael Parks both left the game against the Penguins with injuries of their own.

What it left the Phantoms with at practice this morning at the PPL Center was nine forwards, six defensemen and two goaltenders. None of the injured players skated at practice today.

Head coach Scott Gordon said after practice that the Phantoms will be receiving three players from their ECHL affiliate Reading Royals, who finished a two-game set in South Carolina Sunday with a 6-0 win. A full list of injury updates is below with the 'Roster Notes'. It's quite extensive.

As for who will be called up for Reading, Gordon did not confirm which three players were joining the Phantoms for Tuesday's practice. Judging by the injury updates (again, see blow), expect to see two forwards and a defenseman join Lehigh Valley.

Here's a list of players available to the Phantoms in Reading that are already under contract:

Forwards: Brandon Alderson, Kevin Goumas (AHL), Derek Mathers and Geoff Walker (AHL)

Defensemen: Adam Comrie (AHL), Maxim Lamarche and Nick Luukko (AHL)

ROSTER NOTES - Phantoms

All of the following injury updates are per head coach Scott Gordon.

On Colin McDonald's status:

He's probably 3 to 4 weeks away.

On Andrew MacDonald:

Not sure on him. He's day to day.

On Cole Bardreau:

He's day-to-day "ish".

On Danick Martel:

If everything goes the way it should he could be back by the weekend at some point.

On Michael Parks:

Out at least a couple of weeks.

On Robert Hagg:

He doesn't have a serious injury, but it's enough to keep him out for the weekend. We'll re-evaluate then.

Defenseman Matt Lashoff has been signed to a professional tryout (PTO). He made his Phantoms debut Saturday in Wilkes-Barre.

Lines

Taylor Leier - Tim Brent - Aaron Palushaj
Petr Straka - Nick Cousins - Chris Conner
Tyrell Goulbourne - Pavel Padakin - Jay Rosehill

Shayne Gostisbehere - Matt Lashoff
Davis Drewiske - Mark Alt
Sam Morin - Jesper Pettersson

Jason LaBarbera - Anthony Stolarz