Lehigh Valley Has Young Building Blocks Helping Them Now & For the Near Future
The Lehigh Valley Phantoms are playing with their backs to the wall. They need every point they can get to remain in the playoff race and the weekend started with a tough test against a Bridgeport Islanders team that was on a three-game winning streak. The Phantoms played the game like they had everything to lose, jumping out to a 5-2 lead in the first period and winning 7-3.
The win over the Islanders was where the Phantoms next wave of prospects stood out. With Alex Bump, Denver Barkey, and Emil Andrae helping the Philadelphia Flyers make a playoff push, the Phantoms needed a spark from the next wave of young players. “You look at Knuble, you got Berglund, and you got Thompson.
Three very young players that were playing down the middle of the rink today, and they all did a very good job,” head coach John Snowden noted after the win. The team got that spark from Cole Knuble, Jack Berglund, and Riley Thompson and it’s a positive sign, not just for the rest of this season but for the future as well. Knuble is Learning the AHL Cole Knuble has been with the Phantoms for a few weeks and only has six games at the American Hockey League level under his belt.
He didn’t score in the recent game but he added an assist and impressed in all three zones. He was on the ice a lot and was making plenty of plays for the Phantoms. His defensive play was also notable as the Phantoms had him on the ice late in the game to close things out.
It’s his sixth game but he’s adapted quickly to the AHL and become a staple of the top six. “He’s a highly intelligent player. So, I mean, I think he's going to figure it out quickly,” Snowden added after the game.