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Category: Opinion and Editorial
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The Phantoms have a surprise Wednesday game in Dubuque and a weekend pair at home versus Muskegon.Surprise, we're in Dubuque. - The Phantoms have a surprise Wednesday game in Dubuque and a weekend pair at home versus Muskegon.
Welcome to the new normal. If you are reading this, I managed to get this preview out in short order. The USHL announced Monday that one of the postponed games against Dubuque would be made up on Wednesday, not allowing me much time to get this prepared. So this week we're taking a sudden mid-week trip to Iowa to face the Dubuque Fighting Saints (11-15-2-0), then back home to face the Muskegon Lumberjacks (19-11-1-2)

What to say about the Fighting Saints? I did not have a lot of information prior to the start of the season and after a pair of in-person viewings in January, I still feel like I don't really know enough to give a good preview. Robert Cronin is their leading scorer with 12g, 10a. Last season he was more of a role player, a valuable asset on the PK, but this season he's taken on a more offensive role. Connor Kurth is a rookie to keep an eye on. The '03 forward is described as a "wide framed" (5'11", 214lbs) "down low" player who can really run a defense ragged grinding and fighting for the puck. In his rookie season so far he has 10g, 12a. Just a step behind them is Daniyal Dzhaniyev, a former NTDP player who followed up his 2 season in Plymouth by staying in the USHL, initially to play for the Madison Capitols, and now wears a Saints uniform. The small, skilled forward has great vision and IQ, not to mention excellent skating , and has 11g, 10a this season.

Defense is where I start running into issues, I know the names and have seen a few of them more than twice but I don't really have an opinion on them. Brayden Doyle is a servicable veteran defenseman. He's responsible on defense and can contribute on offense as a playmaker, 3g and 11a on the season. Ian Pierce, Michael Feenstra, and Evan Stella are all experienced Saints blueliners. It's not that I feel Dubuque has a bad defensive core, I just feel they could be a a lot better.

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Category: Game Recap
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The Phantoms fought the Chicago Steel to a 5-4 OT loss on Saturday.The Phantoms Battle The Steel - The Phantoms fought the Chicago Steel to a 5-4 OT loss on Saturday.
I'm back with a recap. I haven't done one of these in a while so I think I'll just jump in with Saturday's game against Chicago.

After an uneventful first period, and the Phantoms being outshot 6-3, we opened the scoring early in the second. Cole Burtch, just off the bench, stole the puck outside the attack zone and skated in for a shot that was deflected aside by Steel netminder Nick Haas. Burtch took his own rebound behind the net and centered it to Yusaku Ando who deflected it in at 2:04.

The Steel's Adam Robbins tied it a short time later when a clearing attempt failed to move the puck and it settled on Robbins stick in the slot where he snapped a wrister, beating Mattais Sholl at 4:29. The Steel took a brief lead when defenseman Ian Moore decided to skate down from the blueline, launching a backhander from below the left faceoff circle at an odd angle that beat Sholl up high at 7:43

The Phantoms would get the lead back before the middle frame ended. Jack Silich ran over Steel defender Jack Babbage as Silich carried the puck up ice, creating a 2-on-1, with Moore defending. Moore was not able to take away the pass to Riley Duran who tied it at 11:00. Moments later, the Phantoms found themselves on a powerplay and defenseman Mike Brown just threw a puck at the net that handcuffed Haas, giving the Phantoms a lead 3-2 at 12:43. Shots were 12-7 Phantoms in the second and led 3-2 going into the final 20:00 of regulation.

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Category: Podcasts
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This is Episode 41 of the Dump & Chase Podcast! There is a lot of news to get to, both about us and the team! And finally, we let the world know what we really think about the NTDP program and the USHL League Offices!