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Category: Opinion and Editorial
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The Phantoms (2-2-0-0) had one of their biggest weekends in team history. Putting 106 shots on goal in 2 games, 57 of those in our home opener, the Phantoms set a few team record in earning a pair of wins in a home-and-home against the NTDP U17s. This week the Phantoms hit the road to Madison (1-1-1-0), a trip they did not make last season with the Capitols forced to opt into a year dominancy due to the pandemic. 

The Capitols will be anchored by forward Reid Pabich (2g,1a). Pabich is entering his third full season in the USHL and returns to the Caps after playing a season in Sioux Falls. He plays a full 200ft game and usually earns his goals by hard work, scoring in the dirty areas. Quinn Finley joins the Caps after being taken first overall by Madison in the 2020 Phase 1 draft but spending his rookie season in Chicago, scoring 1g, 5a in 39 games with the Steel. In 3 games with Madison, he has 2g, 1a with one of those goals an head turning OT winner against the Steel. Another potential threat comes from Kyle Kukkonen, a 6th round draft pick of the NHL Anaheim Ducks. Kukkonen is an excellent skater and puck handler and looks to use these skill to create time and space to make plays.

On defense, they are a lot less experienced. One top prospect with some USHL experience is Luke Mittlestadt, brother of former Green Bay standout and current Buffalo Saber Casey Mittlestadt. Luke is a different player than his brother, a defenseman and a more traditional blueliner at that. He's an excellent puck mover, a good relay man or the guy starting the play up ice who can occasionally lose pursuers with his footwork. The former Caps #2 overall USHL Phase 1 pick (2019) spent last season in Minnesota, picking up some affiliate time in Lincoln. Another dman with some experience is Cade Penney, who played some last season with Green Bay and Omaha.

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Category: Game Recap
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Home Opener! The Phantoms show off their new white uniforms and celebrate an 81 drumming of the USA NTDP U17s to open the home 21-22 season.Home openers are always better when you win. Nothing beats a solid victory in front of the home crowd to kick off the season proper. There is that, then there is clobbering the NTDP U17 squad 8-1 after a 7-4 victory in their barn the night before. I said it all week and I'll say it here, I will give no apologies for bragging about destroying a U17 team. Anyone who knows the Phantoms and USHL knows they've done it to us. For the backstory, Friday night the game was close through most of it, tied at the halfway point until 3 unanswered goals put us over the top.

 Whereas Friday nights start was a quick one, the Phantoms taking the lead 20 seconds in and the score hitting 2-1 in under a minute, Saturday nights game seemed a little more of a first meeting with a "feeling out" period. USA had a few moments where they took the play to us but for the most part we dictated the play with speed and physicality, just how you want to play the U17s.  The Phantoms found themselves shorthanded after a brief 4-on-4 but the speed of Bayard Hall carrying the puck opened up some room room for Ryan Alexander who ripped a shot from the slot, beating netminder Michael Chambre at 14:01.

A few minutes later, Cole Burtch ended up on a 2-on-1 with Justin Varner, carrying the puck up the left side boards. Burtch looked off the defender and netminder, his eyes squarely looking towards Varner for a pass, and ripped a shot from the faceoff dot far side, glove hand to make it 2-0 at 16:41. Again, he never once looked at the net before unloading the shot. The Phantoms took the 2-0 lead into the intermission with shots also in our favor 15-9.

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Category: Podcasts
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Season 4 Episode 2 of the Dump & Chase Podcast is here! The Phantoms' season is underway, and we're here to recap the Fall Classic in Cranberry, PA. Check out the episode on YouTube and your favorite podcast service!

 

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