The Phantoms offense has been hot early in the season. Hot enough that they are tied for second in the AHL in goals, just two behind the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, who lead the league with 57 goals. The Phantoms, Chicago Wolves and Toronto Marlies all have 55 goals on the season following weekend action.

Defensively, Lehigh Valley has allowed 49 goals, ranking 11th in the league for the most goals allowed.

Those two statistics could explain why the team has been involved in a number of high scoring games so far this season. In their 13 games, there have been a total of 104 goals scored or an average of eight goals per game for the Phantoms and their opponent.

“As long as you’re creating chances, that’s a good thing. Like we saw last weekend, that can be an issue,” said Greg Carey, referring to a recent “drought” when the team scored just seven goals in three games and went 1-1-1-0 in those games.

The offensive output has three Phantoms players in the top 12 in points in the league, with T.J. Brennan and Phil Varone tied for 10th with 16 points and Carey currently ranked 12th in the league in points with 15. Carey ranks seventh in the league in goals with eight and Brennan is fifth in the AHL with 12 assists. Varone has 12 assists and four goals on the season.

The Phantoms tied a team record with eight goals in an 8-2 win over Springfield on Friday, just one short of the overall franchise record of nine goals in a game. Their five goals in the second period were a team record, also falling just one shy of the franchise record of six goals in one period, which was done when the team played in Adirondack, New York. The six-goal margin of victory also equaled a Lehigh Valley best.

Meanwhile, the output of the Phantoms opponents is shown in the weak goalie averages, where the Phantoms were supposed to be strong. Rookie Carter Hart is 36th among AHL goalies with 240 minutes played or more with an average of 3.50 goals against this season. Alex Lyon falls just three-minutes shy of qualifying and has a 3.54 GAA, while Anthony Stolarz has a 4.34 GAA in just two games with the Phantoms.

“I’m starting to feel a lot better in practice and in games. Honestly, the biggest adjustment for me has been being on my own and things off the ice, dealing with different things,” admitted Hart. “Now, I’m starting to settle into a routine and I’m feeling a lot better.”

MILESTONE ... It’s always bittersweet for a player to reach an AHL milestone. It’s gratifying because it shows that they’ve had success in the league, generally over a long period of time. It’s disappointing though because they haven’t been in the AHL for much of their career. Chris Conner recently passed the 300-career assist plateau. The thing about Conner is that he’s also played 180 games in the NHL with Dallas, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Phoenix and Washington. He’s a four-year member of the Phantoms and has played for six other AHL teams.

THE BOYS ARE BACK ... Lyon along with forward Tyrell Goulbourne returned to the Phantoms after being recalled by the Flyers on Nov. 4. Goulbourne didn’t even get a chance to suit up with the team, but Lyon served as the backup goalie in a 5-2 win over Arizona.

WHAT TOOK SO LONG? ... Taylor Leier scored twice against Springfield on Friday for his first goal in almost a year. His last goal came as a member of the Flyers on Nov. 22, 2017 and his last goal with the Phantoms came in game five of the Calder Cup Playoffs in April, 2017. His last two-goal game was Nov. 12, 2016 against Toronto.