Farm Report: Lycksell Leads Phantoms' Big Weekend

Last year, in his first season in North America, Olle Lycksell was one of the most pleasant surprises during training camp. He parlayed it into a solid season that saw him lead the Lehigh Valley Phantoms with 31 assists, rank second on the team in points (45 points in 53 games) and sixth with 14 goals. He also dressed in eight NHL games for the Flyers, recording one assist in mostly fourth-line duty.

The 24-year-old Lycksell wasn't a "forgotten man" in training camp this year. However, there were several players who are a few years younger and selected earlier in their respective NHL Draft Classes -- 22-year-old Bobby Brink, 21-year-old Tyson Foerster and 20-year-old Samu Tuomaala in particular -- who stood at the forefront.

This past weekend, Lycksell let his play do the talking in sending a message that he's still very much an NHL recall candidate if an opportunity arises for a return trip to Philadelphia at some point during the 2023-2024 season. The smallish but elusive and skilled Swede racked up five goals in three games including his first hat trick in the American Hockey League.

As is fairly common in the AHL during weekends, Phantoms (3-2-0) played three games in less than three nights: Friday evening on the road against the Springfield Thunderbirds (5-2 win), Saturday evening on the road against the Hartford Wolf Pack (5-1 loss), and a Sunday afternoon rematch at the PPL Center against Springfield (3-2 victory).

In Friday's match, the Phantoms fell behind Springfield in the first period, 2-0, before Lycksell got Lehigh Valley on the board at 16:48. Playing on a line with Elliot Desnoyers and Tuomaala after being placed at 5-on-5 on opening night with Tanner Laczynski and Wade Allison, Lycksell followed up a rebound opportunity to narrow the gap to 2-1. Desnoyoers, whose play has picked up significantly the last three games after a disappointing training camp, created the initial scoring opportunity.

The Phantoms dominated the second period both in puck possession and on the scoreboard. At the 9:00 mark, the Phantoms tied the game on a deflection power play goal by veteran captain Garrett Wilson off a Helge Grans point shot. Lehigh Valley then scored goals spaced just 10 seconds apart -- Lycksell at 14:42 and rookie Alexis Gendron at 14:52 -- to surge ahead, 4-2.

Early in the third period, at the 2:12 mark, Lycksell took a feed from Laczynski and wired home a one-timer from the right circle to complete the hat trick. Goalie Cal Petersen (31 saves on 33 shots) and company took care of the rest.

On Saturday, a rough-first period -- 2-0 deficit, penalty issues, being outshot 16-6 -- put the Phantoms in comeback mode. Lehigh Valley once again surged in the second period but mustered only a late-period Lycksell power play goal -- once again set up by Laczynski -- to move back within a goal heading into the third period. During the third period, the Wolf Pack scored on a 4-on-4 and then pulled away.

Sunday's rematch with Springfield, for the first time this season, saw the Phantoms score first. In fact, it marked the first time the Phantoms hadn't trailed 2-0 within the opening stanza. In a workmanlike performance, the Phantoms held the Thunderbirds to five shots in the first period and took a 1-0 lead to intermission on a Desnoyers tally. It was the first goal of the 2023-24 season for Desnoyers, who led the Phantoms last season with 23 goals.

The second period was fairly evenly played, and the teams traded off one goal apiece from Springfield's Dylan Coghlan and Phantoms defenseman Ronnie Attard (first of the season).

At the 9:41 mark of the third period, Lycksell provided what proved to be a vital insurance goal as he provided a 3-1 lead on the power play. Cooper Marody and Tuomaala earned the helpers. Springfield's red-hot Adam Gaudette, who also scored twice against Lehigh Valley on Friday, narrowed the Phantoms' lead back to a single goal with a power play tally in the final 29 seconds. Lycksell's goal ended up standing as the game-winner.

The Phantoms have a complete off-day on Monday. They will return to practice on Tuesday. The club returns to action over the weekend for a road game against the archrival Hershey Bears on Saturday and a home game on Sunday against Hartford. It's still a little too early in the season to focus too much on the standings. However, it is nonetheless notable that undefeated Hartford (4-0-0) and Hershey (4-1-0) each have eight points to the Phantoms' six points to date.

Phantoms Notebook:

• Tuomaala, who had a strong Rookie Camp and made a promising showing in NHL Training Camp, earned an extended look for John Tortorella and his staff. Since being assigned to Lehigh Valley, the Finnish forward has shown a lot of growth since he was briefly in North America at the start of the 2021-22 season. He's added some muscle. He's improved his two-way game -- head coach Ian Laperriere said that Tuomaala is ahead defensively of where the coach expected him to be early this season -- and he's becoming more assertive in making plays. Last but not least, he's now much more comfortable speaking English. All of these things are still works in progress, but Tuomaala has shown dramatic growth over the course of the 2023 calendar year. Statistically, Tuomaala has four points (1g, 3a) in the first five games.

• Laczynski, who spent last season in the NHL with the Flyers, has been a positive presence for the Phantoms on and off the ice since returning to the AHL level. The 26-year-old Ohio State graduate has embraced the role of being one of the Phantoms team leaders. He plays in every game situation, centers the top line at 5-on-5, and is an articulate spokesman for the state of the club. Statistically, "Laz" has posted seven points (1g, 5a) through the first five games.

• The Phantoms have been easing 19-year-old winger Gendron into the lineup. There are still areas where he needs to develop in order to full adapt to the professional game at the AHL level. However, he's shown his speed and hands are the real deal. Gendron has dressed in three of the five games and scored two goals.

• After Saturday's game, Laperriere challenged Wade Allison to elevate his game in a variety of areas. Allison, who dressed in 60 NHL games last season, is off to a slow start since he was loaned to the Phantoms by the Flyers on Oct. 8. In Sunday's game against Springfield, Allison skated on the fourth line. Zayde Wisdom (3 GP) saw power play deployment in Allison's place. Laperriere noted that he has no doubts about Allison's ability level -- the power forward has shown both at the AHL and NHL levels that he can play effectively -- but the player needs to get back to playing the type of hustling, physical and hard-shooting game that put him on the map.

• Former Army and ECHL goaltender Parker Gahagen has been a pleasant surprise for the Phantoms early this season. The 30-year-old has started, and won, two games in net for the Phantoms to det. Veteran starter Cal Petersen has had some ups and downs in his three games to date but played solidly overall in Friday's win over Springfield.

Rapid Roundup: NCAA. CHL, Europe Standouts

• Cutter Gauthier (C, Boston College, NCAA): The Flyers' 2022 first-round pick had an unusual game against Long Island University. He attempted a staggering 19 shots on goal in the game, putting a collegiate career-high 11 on goal. However, none of them went in on that night. Gauthier took it out instead on RPI this past Friday, scoring back-to-back goals (high center slot, right circle one-timer) to stake the Eagles to a quick 2-0 lead in the first period. On Saturday, BC suffered their first loss of the 2023-24 season in a 4-3 decision against Denver. Gauthier, who has three goals in the season's first three games, earned his first assist of the season in a losing cause against Denver.

• Massimo Rizzo (C/W, Denver, NCAA): The Pioneers rebounded from their first loss of the season (a 4-3 defeat by Providence on Friday) by downing BC on Saturday. Rizzo had a goal, an assist and five shots on net in the Providence game and another tally (his lone shot on goal) in the Pioneers' win over Boston College. For the season to date, he's third across the entire NCAA with 10 points and leads all collegiate players with eight assists. 

•  Alex Bump (LW, Western Michigan, NCAA):  The Broncos freshman did not record a point in his team's 5-2 win over Bowling Green on Saturday. However, Bump peppered goaltender Cole Moore with a game-high seven shots on goal, and had a couple of prime chances. He's still looking for his first regular season collegiate goal but has posted a pair of assists in four games to date. 

• Denver Barkey (C/W, London, OHL): The London Knights lost back-to-back games this weekend, dropping a 5-3 verdict to the Erie Otters on Friday and a 6-4 final to the Saginaw Spirit on Sunday. Barkey had an assist and three shots on goal in the Erie game and did not get on the scoresheet against Saginaw. Overall, the speedy and feisty little forward has posted 15 points (7g, 8a) in 11 regular season games to date.

•  Oliver Bonk (D, London, OHL): The Flyers' 2023 first round pick took second-star honors in a losing cause in the Knights' game against Erie. Bonk chipped in a pair of assists in that tilt, and both were primary helpers. He had three shots on goal but did not register a point in the Saginaw game, in which Bonk finished with a minus-two. For the season, Bonk has posted 10 points (0g, 10a) in 11 points and played a sold brand of two-way hockey. Dating back to last season, including the 2023 OHL playoffs, Bonk is 54 games removed from his last goal (February 6, 2023) against the Flint Firebirds but his overall game has remained strong.

• Carter Sotheran (D, Portland, WHL): Keep an eye on the rapidly developing 2023 fiifth-round pick, who is showing hints of turning an intriguing bundle of raw assets (6-foot-4, 200 pound frame, good mobility, righthanded shots) into a promising draft-plus-one season to date. On Saturday, Sotheran pinched on a play on the offensive zone, took a pass from Josh Zakreski and, from the right circle dot, wristed a rising shot into the top corner of the net to the short side. It was Sotheran's third goal and six points in seven games. Sotheran has points in three straight games. He's also shown some feistiness, including a fight late in the Winterhawks' recent 11-1 blowout win over the Brandon Wheat Kings.

• Matvei Michkov (RW, HC Sochi, KHL): The seventh overall pick of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft continues to produce at one point per game pace (7g, 7a, 14 points in 14 games) since being loaned from SKA St. Petersburg to HC Sochi. In Sochi's last game,  a 5-3 home loss to Barys Astana, Michkov had a near-miss on an attempted "Michigan" (lacrosse-style) goal from behind the net. Later, he tallied a goal on a 5-on-3 power play with a one-timer from the right circle. Michkov, who was named by the KHL media to the league's All-Star Team, is back in action with HC Sochi at home against SKA this Friday.

• Alexei Kolosov (G, Dinamo Minsk, KHL): The 21-year-old goaltending prospect, on loan from the Flyers this season to Dinamo, has also been named to the KHL All-Star team. Kolosov has had an outstanding overall month of October, improving his season numbers to a 2.07 goals against average, .918 save percentage and three shutouts despite a 5-5-3 record for Dinamo. The Belarus-based club will be in Kazakhstan's capital city on Friday to play Barys.