Phantoms, Penguins connect for 2 games

By TOM WILLIAMS

williams@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

This weekend, the Youngstown Phantoms will stage a tribute to the Stanley Cup champions when the Sioux City Musketeers visit for two games at the Covelli Centre.

The Phantoms’ lineup includes Ty Loney, the son of former Penguin left winger Troy Loney who played in Pittsburgh from 1983-93.

Loney was on the 1991 and 1992 Penguins teams that won the Stanley Cup.

Sioux City has its own Pittsburgh connection: Tommy Olczyk, son of former Penguins player and head coach Eddie Olczyk.

In 1994, Olczyk won the Stanley Cup with the New York Rangers. In 1996, he was traded to the Penguins from the Los Angeles Kings.

After retiring, Olczyk was a TV analyst for the Penguins broadcasts on Fox Sports Pittsburgh. In 2003, he was hired as Pens head coach.

After he was fired in December 2005, Olczyk became an analyst for NBC Sports and is the main color commentator on NBC’s NHL broadcasts.

Also in town on Saturday will be Iceburgh, the Penguins mascot.

Iceburgh will be available for pictures and autographs beginning at 6 p.m. and will take part in team promotional activities throughout Saturday’s contest.

The Phantoms are back home after a five-game road trip, their longest of the season.

The Phantoms (16-32-3, 35 points, seventh place in the East Division) will play five of their last nine games of their USHL expansion season at the Covelli Centre.

They have six games remaining against West Division opponents.

The Musketeers (20-23-7, 47 points, fifth place in the West) are desperate for points as they trail Tri-City (25-20-6, 56 points) for the final playoff berth in the West Division.

Next weekend, the Phantoms will visit Sioux City, S.D., for their final matchup of the season.

In their only other game in South Dakota on Nov. 21, the Musketeers won, 4-2.

Last Saturday against Tri-City, the Phantoms trailed the Storm, 4-2, when Andrew Lamont and Brett Gensler scored in the final 3:10 to force overtime. The Storm eventually won the contest that ended with a shootout.

Also scoring for Youngstown were defenseman Andrej Sustr with his first goal and Stuart Higginson a shorthanded breakaway.