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This is Episode 24 of the Dump & Chase Podcast! Recaps, previews, and Justin tackles the Phantoms Hometown Trivia Challenge! We also go over the new playoff format, and check in on the Eastern Conference standings!

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Well, we made it to the last full month of the regular season. As the NCAA gears up for their "madness", USHL hockey enters its crunch time as teams work on playoff position. The Phantoms (19-21-6-2) hope to turn things around after going 0-2-1-0 last week, and this week will be looking to keep themselves in 5th place in the Eastern Conference. The good news is this week we play the first team out of the playoffs in the conference, the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (18-22-4-1). The 'Riders are struggling to get back into a playoff spot, and their mounting injuries are making that a tall mountain to climb.

Leading the 'Riders in scoring is Nikolai Mayorov (24g, 13a). After playing a game in the QMJHL following his move from Russia to North America, Mayorov opted to move to the USHL and landed in Cedar Rapids. He has great speed and stick handling, his puck pursuit is good, and his shot release is exceptional. Grant Silianoff is a veteran forward with over 100 USHL games under his belt. Passed over in last years NHL draft after a hand injury, Silianoff is a high octane scorer who had good hockey IQ and keeps his head under pressure. Zach Faremouth (10g, 14a) is a player added from Fargo in a trade. Faremouth was expected to and has made an impact on the 'Riders offense. By impact on offense, I mean impact on the opposing team. Faremouth checks in at 6'2" and 218lbs and plays twice as big as that.

The blueline is where the 'Riders start having issues. They are missing a pair of very key pieces. First off, veteran player, initial team captain and Anaheim Ducks draft pick Will Francis went down with a season ending injury after 10 games. Then in January Ben Meehan, a NHL CSS ranked defenseman, went down for the rest of the season as well. Jack Millar has stepped into a top defenseman spot. The second season defenseman has used his size (6'4", 220lbs) and had a good run at the USA Junior A Challenge. Garrett Sundquist, another bigger defenseman at 6'3" and 210lbs, has been a solid addition to the 'Riders this season, posting a +/- of 15.

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This is Episode 23 of the Dump & Chase Podcast! The Youngstown Phantoms are gobbling up points like Pac-Man, and we cover all of it! We also dole out some Phantoms Phacts. And, can Justin save the day in a pinch? Check out 2 Questions and find out!