Phantoms visit Lumberjacks tonight

Staff report

MUSKEGON, MICH.

Winners of 10 of their past 13 games, the Youngstown Phantoms’ next game is in an arena where they are unbeaten this season.

Tonight at 7:15 p.m., the Phantoms (23-19-0, 46 points) will take on the Muskegon Lumberjacks (24-14-8, 56 points) in L.C. Walker Arena.

The Phantoms have won three of their four games against the Lumberjacks, including both in Muskegon.

On Nov. 17, the Phantoms snapped a four-game losing streak with 6-3 victory. On Feb. 1, the Phantoms won a shootout, 5-4.

The Phantoms (fourth place in the Eastern Conference) and Lumberjacks (second place) split their two games at the Covelli Centre. On Jan. 4, the Lumberjacks toppled the Phantoms, 6-2. The next night, the Phantoms rebounded with a 4-1 victory that launched a six-game winning streak.

The Phantoms carry a three-game winning streak into tonight’s game.

Youngstown will get a boost from Marcus McCrea returning to the lineup. McCrea was suspended for Thursday’s game in Indianapolis (a 6-2 win over the Indiana Ice) after being penalized for checking from behind in Sunday’s 3-2 shootout win over the Ice.

But the Phantoms again will be without leading scorer Austin Cangelosi, who also was penalized for checking from behind in Sunday’s game. Cangelosi’s four-game suspension will expire after next weekend’s two games against the Lumberjacks at the Covelli Centre.

The Lumberjacks will have a new look for tonight’s contest. Muskegon was a buyer at last week’s USHL trade deadline, adding forwards Christian Heil and Jeff Kubiak from Chicago and Brian Morgan from Indiana.

Through two games, the deals appear to have paid off as Muskegon won both by a combined 6-1 margin.

The Phantoms made no trades at the deadline.

“There’s a reason why we stayed pat at the trade deadline,” Phantoms head coach Anthony Noreen said. “Other teams made multiple moves.

“We feel we’ve got the right people in the room right now and these are the guys we want to go with.”

Lately, the Phantoms have been busy playing bonus hockey. In their first 33 games, only one went to overtime. But in their past nine games, three have ended in a shootout.

The Phantoms are 1-0 in overtime games and 3-0 in shootouts.