Game 45 Preview: Lehigh Valley at W-B/Scranton

Phantoms and Penguins renew their rivalry tonight in Wilkes-Barre. Photo: Nina Weiss/Highland Park Hockey

Phantoms, Penguins set to battle for top spot in Atlantic

Editor's Note: I'll have full coverage of tonight's Phantoms game against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, live from the Mohegan Sun Arena! The puck drops at 7:05p.m. ET, but make sure you're following along on Twitter -> @TonyAndrock and Facebook (be sure to like the Facebook page!) for all the latest updates and information.

Stay tuned here online after the game for a recap of the action. Don't forget to subscribe to Highland Park Hockey's YouTube channel for post-game interviews with AHL hockey players.

The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (30-12-2) and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (33-10-3), the top two teams in the American Hockey League so far this season, will become very familiar with one another over the next nine and a half weeks. They will face each other 10 times in that stretch.

Tonight's meeting also marks the first time the two teams will play in Wilkes-Barre, with the Phantoms having won both of the first two meetings between the teams on home ice.

The Phantoms come-from-behind 4-3 win over Albany Friday night, coupled with a rare regulation loss by the Penguins in a 5-2 decision to St. John's, has the gap between first and second place in the Atlantic down to seven points. Lehigh Valley also has two games in hand on the Penguins, and can narrow the Penguins' lead in the Atlantic to five with a regulation win in Wilkes-Barre tonight.

After the jump, a full preview of everything you need to know in advance of tonight's game.

You can help keep me on the road covering the Lehigh Valley Phantoms this season by making a donation via GoFundMe or PayPal.

Written by: Tony Androckitis, Twitter/Facebook

By The Numbers

LV: 44 games played, 30-12-2-0 = 62 points
2nd Place Atlantic Division
Streak: 1-0-0-0
Last Ten Games: 7-3-0-0

WBS: 46 games played, 33-10-3-0 = 69 points
1st Place Atlantic Division
Streak: 0-1-0-0
Last Ten Games: 7-3-0-0

Special Teams

Power Play

LV - 51-for-214: 23.8% = 4th in AHL
WBS - 35-for-201:17.4% = 16th in AHL

Penalty Kill

LV - 140-for-171: 81.9% = 16th in AHL
WBS - 154-for-177: 87.0% = 1st in AHL

Leading Scorers

LV: Jordan Weal (41GP, 15G-30A), T.J. Brennan (44GP, 13G-24A), Chris Conner (44GP, 12G-23A) and Greg Carey (44GP, 22G-11A)

WBS: Tom Kostopoulos (46GP, 15G-20A), Oskar Sundqvist (40GP, 14G-19A), David Warsofsky (31GP, 9G-24A) and Garrett Wilson (46GP, 10G-16A)

Expected Starting Goaltenders

LV: Anthony Stolarz (14GP, 10-4-0, 2.45 GAA, .921 SV%, 1 SO)
WBS: Casey DeSmith (20GP, 13-2-2, 2.26 GAA, .913 SV%, 0 SO)

Season Series

This is just the third of 12 meetings between the Phantoms and Penguins this season. The Phantoms own the season series 2-0 with a pair of home wins in gritty, physical affairs between bitter rivals. Expect much of the same as the Phantoms will face the Penguins 10 more times in their final 32 games of the regular season.

Season Series Schedule

Wednesday, November 16th: W-B/Scranton -1 at Lehigh Valley - 4
Friday, January 20th: W-B/Scranton - 3 at Lehigh Valley - 5
Saturday, February 4th: Lehigh Valley at W-B/Scranton - 7:05 p.m. ET
Tuesday, February 14th: Lehigh Valley at W-B/Scranton - 7:05 p.m. ET
Saturday, February 25th: W-B/Scranton at Lehigh Valley - 7:05 p.m. ET
Wednesday, March 8th: Lehigh Valley at W-B/Scranton - 7:05 p.m. ET
Friday, March 17th: W-B/Scranton at Lehigh Valley - 7:05 p.m. ET
Saturday, March 18th: Lehigh Valley at W-B/Scranton - 7:05 p.m. ET
Saturday, March 25th: W-B/Scranton at Lehigh Valley - 7:05 p.m. ET
Saturday, April 1st: Lehigh Valley at W-B/Scranton - 7:05 p.m. ET
Friday, April 7th: W-B/Scranton at Lehigh Valley - 7:05 p.m. ET
Wednesday, April 12th: Lehigh Valley at W-B/Scranton - 7:05 p.m. ET

Lehigh Valley Phantoms

Roster Notes

Anthony Stolarz is expected to get the start in net tonight for Lehigh Valley, with  Alex Lyon coming off a win Friday night in Albany.

With road games in back-to-back nights with four hours of overnight travel in between them, it's certainly possible to expect a few lineup changes to get some fresh legs into the lineup. EDIT: Mark Alt and Radel Fazleev sat out tonight as Reece Willcox and Boyd Gordon were inserted into the lineup.

Taylor Leier is reported to have suffered an undisclosed injury during Friday's morning skate in Albany. He missed his second straight game tonight in Wilkes-Barre.

Scratches: Taylor Leier (undisclosed injury), Mark Alt (healthy) and Radel Fazleev (healthy)

Lines:

Corban Knight - Scott Laughton - Colin McDonald (C)

Danick Martel - Jordan Weal - Nicolas Aube-Kubel

Greg Carey - Andy Miele - Chris Conner

Cole Bardreau - Boyd Gordon - Mark Zengerle

T.J. Brennan - Reece Willcox

Will O'Neill - Robert Hagg

Sam Morin - Travis Sanheim

Anthony Stolarz - Alex Lyon

Recent Transactions

2/2: DEL - F Kevin Sundher released from his standard player contract (SPC)
1/24: DEL - G Mark Dekanich returned on loan to Reading (ECHL)

1/21: ADD - G Mark Dekanich recalled from loan to Reading (ECHL)

1/21: ADD - D Reece reassigned by Philadelphia (NHL)  from Reading (ECHL)

1/21: ADD - F Radel Fazleev reassigned by Philadelphia (NHL)  from Reading (ECHL)

1/20: DEL - D Reece Willcox reassigned by Philadelphia (NHL)  to Reading (ECHL)

1/20: DEL - F Radel Fazleev reassigned by Philadelphia (NHL)  to Reading (ECHL)

1/14: ADD - F Boyd Gordon loaned from Philadelphia (NHL)

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins

Roster Notes

Tristan Jarry got the start in net tonight for the Penguins.

Scratches: Tim Erixon (healthy), Ethan Prow (healthy), Patrick McGrath (healthy), Thomas DiPauli (upper body) and Lukas Bengtsson (undisclosed)

Lines (Starters in Bold/Italics)

Tom Sestito - Kevin Porter - Tom Kostopoulos
Garrett Wilson - Oskar Sundqvist - Josh Archibald
Dominik Simon - Teddy Blueger - Jean-Sebastien Dea
Danny Kristo - Sahir Gill - Ryan Haggerty

Derrick Pouliot - Steve Oleksy
Stuart Percy - David Warsofsky
Cameron Gaunce - Barry Goers

Tristan Jarry - Casey DeSmith

Recent Transactions

2/2: DEL - D Brett Stern released from PTO
1/30: DEL - RW Carter Rowney recalled on loan by Pittsburgh (NHL)
1/27: ADD - RW Carter Rowney returned on loan by Pittsburgh (NHL)
1/26: ADD - D Steve Oleksy returned on loan by Pittsburgh (NHL)