One day later, in a 3-2 overtime loss in Springfield, Tuomaala used his speed very effectively. He did not score in this game but he had three shots on goal. The Finn also played a big part on the game’s first goal, making a tape-to-tape pass to Elliot Desnoyers to start a sequence that ended with veteran captain Garrett Wilson stashing home the puck from near the net.
Phantoms notebook: Following the split with Hershey, the Phantoms enter the week with a 5-6-2 record. The Bears remain in first place in the Atlantic Division with a 9-4-0 record and owns a 3-1-0 head-to-head record with the Phantoms….Phantoms forward Elliot Denoyers had to leave Saturday’s game against Hershey in the second period due to a questionable high hit by huge-framed Dmitry Osipov. Lehigh Valley defenseman Ronnie Attard immediately dropped the gloves in defense of Desnoyers. Second-year pro Desnoyers did not return to the game and was unavailable on Sunday, as well… Apart from losing Desnoyers, who led the Phantoms in scoring as a rookie last season, the Phantoms are starting to get back some healthy players. Emil Andrae (upper-body) and Attard (illness) missed three games apiece but returned this past week. Wade Allison (illness) missed one game…. Allison bagged his first goal of the 2023-24 season in Wednesday morning’s loss in Springfield. For the season, he has just three points in 12 games but his game has improved over the last two weeks, despite being under the weather and missing the Nov. 4 game… Through the season’s first 13 games, Olle Lycksell (8g, 2a) and Cooper Marody (4g, 6a) share the team’s points lead with 10 apiece… Nineteen-year-old Phantoms forward Alexis Gendron has been eased into the lineup so far this season. He scored goals in each of his first two games in the AHL but has struggled of late. Overall, he’s appeared in seven games. Gendron will turn 20 on December 30…Acquired in the three-team trade that sent Ivan Provorov to Columbus and Sean Walker and goalie Cal Petersen to Philadelphia, defenseman Helge Grans has had some consistency issues with the Phantoms. However, he has also made some very nice plays on both sides of the puck in his 13 games with Lehigh Valley…. Late this week, the Phantoms will embark on a three-game road trip to Canada, playing the Laval Rocket (Nov. 17), Belleville Senators (Nov. 18) and Toronto Marlies (Nov. 21).
Barkey and Bonk Surging in November
The Ontario Hockey League’s London Knights have been a very strong month of November to date, posting a 5-1-0 record for the month to date (12-5-1 overall for the season). Flyers 2023 draftees* Oliver Bonk* and Denver Barkey have both been key contributors during the surge, which was on display in a wild 10-7 road victory over the Windsor Spitfires on Nov. 9 and a 4-0 shutout victory against the Guelph Storm this past Saturday (Nov. 11).
Defenseman Bonk, drafted by the Flyers with the 22nd overall pick of the first round in the 2023 Entry Draft, has played a very steady brand of two-way hockey for the Knights. He’s defended well during the season. With the puck on his stick, he continues to emerge as a reliable puck-mover and much improved passer.