Laczynski Lands Second Career Hat Trick
March 16, 2024
Providence, RI – It seems clear that the new line combo of Olle Lycksell, Tanner Laczynski and Adam Brooks is feeling some chemistry. The electric trio combined for all five Phantoms goals in a night which included some record performances in a 5-2 comeback win at the Providence Bruins on Saturday night.
Tanner Laczynski sealed the victory with an empty-netter for his second career hat trick. But that was also only part of the equation. Olle Lycksell tied a record by becoming only the second Lehigh Valley player with four assists in a game while Adam Brooks upped the ante with an incredible five-point performance on two goals and three assists and also became only the second Lehigh Valley player to achieve his feat.
The Phantoms finished a monumentally successful five-game road trip with a 3-1-1 record as they moved three points ahead of Springfield for the last playoff spot in the Atlantic Division with just 14 games remaining.
Brooks finished off a massive seven-point weekend (2-5-7) with his gigantic performance as he participated in all five Phantoms goals. Colin McDonald is the only other Lehigh Valley player to record five points in a game when he scored a hat trick with two assists on January 27, 2016 against the Binghamton Senators.
Olle Lycksell tied a franchise record with his quarter of helpers on the night. The only other Lehigh Valley player with four assists in a game was Phil Varone on November 4, 2017 against the Binghamton Devils.
And Laczynski scored his second career trifecta and his first since his rookie season when he landed a triple at the Binghamton Devils on March 24, 2021. It was also the second hat trick of the season for the Phantoms including Olle Lycksell’s performance on October 20, 2023 at Springfield.
This combo is new. Tanner Laczynski had a layoff of almost two months due to injury before returning to the lineup on Wednesday. This was just his third game back and it would appear he has sufficiently shaken off any rust.
Lycksell had recently rejoined the Phantoms after spending most of the last two months with Philadelphia. He capped a monster six-point weekend that included his team-leading 19th goal of the season in Friday’s shootout loss as well as his four assists in the Saturday game. Lycksell has scored 7-9-16 in his last eight games with the Phantoms dating all the way back to Janaury 12.
Lehigh Valley (26-24-8) did not look like they were on the verge of a night with multiple record performances when the game started though. The Bruins raced out to a 2-0 lead on a pair of power-play goals in the first period by former Philadelphia Flyers forward Patrick Brown (8th) and Gerogii Merkulov (25th).
But Vincent Arseneau took exception to a hard forecheck delivered by returning captain Garrett Wilson and that might have been a pivotal mistake. The birthday boy, returning to the lineup after a three-game suspension, dropped the gloves with Arseneau and that altercation seemed to jump-start Lehigh Valley into life and back into the game.
Brooks slammed it home on the back-door on a quick, transition rush with Laczynski and Lycksell with 2:52 remaining in the first period to get the Phantoms on the board.
Lehigh Valley almost equalized at the end of the first but the Phantoms’ drive to the net was barely pulled off the goal-line in time by Michael DiPietro.
Providence (36-18-5) was in trouble though. The Phantoms were building momentum. It took just 39 seconds into the second period for Laczynski to pop in the rebound of his own shot to even the count at 2-2.
Just three minutes later, Lycksell picked off a clearing try right on the Providence line and set up Brooks for a high-slot blast to the stick side of DiPietro for a 3-2 lead at 3:36 into the second period.
The Phantoms wouldn’t look back although several power plays for the P-Bruins for the rest of the night had the Phantoms scrambling. Providence began the game at 2-for-3 on the power play but the Phantoms’ penalty kill stepped up and thwarted the next five man-advantage efforts for the Bruins to maintain control.
Laczynski drove to the net in the early minutes of the third to pop in his second of the game and give Lehigh Valley a 4-2 lead. Brooks had a breakaway try for a hat trick of his own but missed over the right shoulder of DiPietro. Laczynski had a close call in the third period as well but was denied off the pad of DiPietro.
But in the closing moments of the game, Brooks would connect with Laczynski flying up the left wing who turned the corner on a Bruins defenseman to walk straight to the empty-net and seal the exciting and impressive win.
The Phantoms return to PPL Center to open a three-game homestand on Wednesday night in a pivotal showdown with large playoff implications against the Springfield Thunderbirds.
The Phantoms are also at home next Saturday night against the Bridgeport Islanders and next Sunday afternoon hosting the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
SCORING SUMMARY
1st 3:07 – PRO, P. Brown (8) (G. Merkulov, F. Lysell) (PP) (0-1)
1st 12:01 – PRO, G. Merkulov (25) (F. Lysell, I. Mitchell (PP) (0-2)
1st 17:08 – LV, A. Brooks (5) (T. LAczynski, O. Lycksell) (1-2)
2nd 0:39 – LV, T. Laczynski (10) (O. Lycksell, A. Brooks) (2-2)
2nd 3:36 – LV, A. Brooks (6) (O. Lycksell) (3-2)
3rd 2:31 – LV, T. Laczynski (11) (O. Lycksell, A. Brooks) (4-2)
3rd 18:43 – LV, T. Laczynski (12) (A. Brooks) (EN) (5-2)
Shots:
LV 39 – PRO 31
PP:
LV 0/6, PRO 2/8
Goaltenders:
LV – P. Gahagen (W) (29/31) (7-7-3)
PRO – M. DiPietro (L) (34/38) (17-8-0)
Records:
Lehigh Valley (26-24-8)
Providence (37-18-5)
Phantoms Tickets are available HERE
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Wednesday, March 20 (7:05) vs. Springfield Thunderbirds – Joe Watson Book Signing / $1 Pretzels
Saturday, March 23 (7:05) vs. Bridgeport Islanders – Margaritaville Night
Sunday, March 24 (3:05) vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins – Kids Takeover Day / Postgame Autographs Presented by NJM Insurance
Friday, March 29 (7:00) at Syracuse Crunch
Saturday, March 30 (6:05) at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Tuesday, April 2 (7:00) at Hershey Bears
