Details
Category: Podcasts
Hits: 479

S4E17 - New episode out now! The Phantoms split the weekend with Muskegon, and gear up for a return home with a 3-in-3 series with the Team USA U17’s. We’ll break this all down and name our 3 Stars of the Week!

 

Details
Category: Podcasts
Hits: 397

S4E16 - New episode out now! The Phantoms get another win over Chicago, and the zookeepers aren’t happy about it. We also look ahead to another weekend trip to Michigan and name our 3 Stars of the Week!

 

Details
Category: Opinion and Editorial
Hits: 457

After an "eventful" week, the Phantoms go back on the road.After an exciting (if not exhausting for some) weekend return to the Covelli Centre, everyone was looking forward to a nice boring week before heading to Chicago for a pair of games. Owen Bartoszkiewicz got the first shutout at Covelli in years, almost guaranteeing USHL weekly honors. After showing he was progressing in his short USHL career, it would be nice to focus on getting Kyle Chauvette healthy while feeling more confident about letting Bartoszkiewicz get more time in net in preparation for next season, when he could be a starter. I'm sure that getting players back in the lineup so we could reunite lines that have worked well all season was on the agenda.

The Phantoms (12-11-2-3) can wish in one hand I guess. The first bit of news came in the form of a trade with Fargo. With the addition of Tomas Machu from Czechia, the Phantoms had 1 more import player than is allowed, and were juggling their affiliate list to accommodate. The result was sending Ryan Alexander (10g, 7a) to the Force in exchange for Charlie Lurie (7g, 11a) and a swap of Phase 2 draft picks, in favor of the Phantoms. Next came the announcement from the USHL that the first game of the weekend was off, with the typical form message that usually means it's due to Covid. Saturday's game is still on as of publication. Needless to say, no one knows which team (if not both) initiated this and how the remaining game will be affected if played. Then came Twitter rumors about Owen Bartoszkiewicz heading to the NCAA to join the Minnesota Golden Gophers, who's top netminder just signed in the NHL. Yeesh, how is a guy supposed to write up anything through all this.

So this week we might play a game against the Chicago Steel (20-5-6-0). These teams have met twice so far this season in separate weeks, splitting the games with each winning on the road. Both were weeks I had other obligations and missed the preview. Fortunately for me, they don't need a lot of introduction. And with the fact that at least one game has been cancelled for a possible outbreak, who knows who will be playing. In the last last two weeks, at least, the Steel have listed players as "protocol" or "illness", so we know they have not been unaffected though this.