Ian Laperrière identified all the ways and areas of improvement required for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (4-3-0) to eliminate the Hershey Bears (3-2-0). In Game 4, a lack of discipline put the Phantoms on their heels, blowing their series lead in the Eastern Conference Division Semifinals. Again, poor game management turned into another loss.
Laperrière, in theory, provided the blueprint. Poor execution and decisions buried Lehigh Valley in Game 5.
Give credit to the Bears; they’ve maintained the structure and poise to stretch their postseason series streak, but at the expense of the Phantoms yet again.
First Period
Shots: 9-8, Phantoms
Score: 2-0, Bears
From the opening shift, Spencer Smallman remained notable on the ice. He began with an opening hit on Helge Grans. This sequence provided a bit of foreshadowing. Smallman had an efficient period, and Grans had a rough game.
Luke Philp served a minor penalty for cross-checking. Olle Lycksell took two shots on goal. Hunter Shepard denied both offers from Lycksell, and Lehigh Valley began 0/1 on the powerplay.
Smallman began to generate offense from the slot. His first shot created a rebound, and after a bit of searching for the puck, Smallman put Hershey ahead, 1-0, with 14:41 remaining in the first period.
Riley Sutter served a minor penalty for tripping. Alex Bump had a couple of shooting lanes in a game where those came at a premium for the Phantoms. Instead of taking a shot of the feed from Louie Belpedio, Bump held the puck for too long, losing possession. On another chance, Bump didn’t pull the trigger on a juicy rebound. Those missed opportunities didn’t help Lehigh Valley, who fell to 0/2 on the powerplay.
Sutter scored an insurance goal, 2-0, with 3:48 remaining in the first period, converting a two-on-one with Grans caught in the middle.
Second Period
Shots: 17-12, Bears
Score: 3-0, Bears
Nikita Grebenkin had an early breakaway opportunity, but Shepard denied the backhand. Grebenkin chased his rebound, and Bump took a shot on the extended possession. Shepard remained tight on his angles.
Garrett Wilson served a minor penalty for high sticking. Pierrick Dubé fanned on a one-timer, and Cal Petersen robbed Garrett Roe in the splits. The Phantoms finished 5/5 (100%) on the penalty kill. Lehigh Valley had a handful of disadvantages, but Petersen stepped up to mitigate the damage.
The Bears paced the second period with superior checking that created more offensive possessions, setting the Phantoms back on their heels.
Another from Sutter, 3-0, with 6:52 remaining in the second period. Roe won the chase against Adam Ginning to a puck deep behind Petersen. The pass slipped backdoor, and the shot squeezed past before Petersen could track. Defensive structure heavily contrasted between the two clubs. Hershey played tight to their gaps, while Lehigh Valley’s structure exposed Petersen twice.
Lycksell hit the crossbar late in the second period. He and Grebenkin accounted for most of the Phantoms’ scoring chances in the opening periods.
Third Period
Shots: 22-21, Bears
Score: 4-2, Bears
Petersen went one-on-one with Smallman, stopping a breakaway scoring chance to open the third period.
Bogdan Trineyev served a minor penalty for high-sticking. Anthony Richard zoomed into the offensive zone on an entry, beating Shepard low, far-post, 3-1, with 17:52 remaining in regulation. Lehigh Valley finished 1/3 (33.3%) on the powerplay. However, the Phantoms required three unanswered goals to force overtime.
Lehigh Valley compacted much of its mismanagement and inefficiencies at the start of the third period. A lot of valuable time melted off the clock, specifically while defending a five-on-three Bears advantage. Then, Emil Andrae extended the misery that saw three consecutive penalties called against the Phantoms. It was the antithesis of what Laperrière expected in Game 5 from his lineup. Despite the start, Hershey couldn’t take advantage.
Hunter McDonald trucked through the slot, sliding his shot past Shepard, 3-2, with 5:57 remaining in regulation. Jett Luchanko used his vision to collect an assist.
Lehigh Valley went on a six-on-five advantage with Petersen pulled. The puck went loose after a board battle, creating a sprint between Andrae and Trineyev. Trineyev scored the empty-net goal, 4-2, with 1:40 remaining in regulation.
This and That
Overall, the 2025 AHL Calder Cup Playoffs end familiarly. In 2024, the Phantoms swept the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, then lost in four games to the Bears. This time, Lehigh Valley pushed the back-to-back defending Calder Cup champions to Game 5 to decide who advances to the Eastern Conference Division Finals. There’s improvement and some things to be excited about. Simultaneously, Laperrière expected a more intelligent approach toward a game with the series on the line.
Luchanko, Andrae, Richard, and McDonald were highlights in the 2025 Calder Cup Playoff push for the Phantoms. Andrae and Luchanko (6A) are the top playmakers in the AHL postseason. Richard (4G) wrapped up the Lehigh Valley run ranked second in postseason goalscoring. McDonald (+6) was efficient alongside Belpedio (+3) on the top pair.
At the time of elimination, three Phantoms players raked a lot of penalty minutes. Richard, Wilson, and Givani Smith spent the most time in the penalty box for Lehigh Valley. Wilson and Smith were chippy throughout the series, but Hershey matched the tone.
Parker Gahagen looked incredible for the Phantoms, but an injury derailed him. Petersen held on to Game 3, but Game 4 and Game 5 offered an end of his era in Lehigh Valley.
Prospect Watch
- Anthony Richard: 7GP; 4G (1PPG), 3A, +6
- Jacob Gaucher: 7GP; 3G (1SHG), 3A, +4
- Emil Andrae: 7GP; 6A, -1
- Jett Luchanko: 7GP; 6A
- Nikita Grebenkin: 7GP; 1G, 3A
- Adam Ginning: 7GP; 3A, -2
- Alex Bump: 7GP; 2G (1PPG), -3
- Hunter McDonald: 7GP; 1G, +6
- Parker Gahagen: 5GP; 3-1-0, 2GAA, 92.9%SV
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