Alex Bump scored twice, Parker Gahagen made 28 saves and the Lehigh Valley Phantoms rolled over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, 5-2, in Game 1 of their Atlantic Division first-round playoff series on Wednesday.
The Phantoms take a 1-0 series back to Allentown with a chance to close out the Penguins on Friday.
Lehigh Valley has not won in regulation in its last nine regular-season visits to Mohegan Arena, but now has two straight playoff victories there after sweeping the Penguins in the first round in 2024.
Bump, a 2022 draft pick by Philadelphia who won a national championship at Western Michigan University less than two weeks ago, helped stake the Phantoms to a 5-0 lead. Olle Lycksell had a goal and an assist and Rodrigo Ābols and Anthony Richard also scored for Lehigh Valley, while 18-year-old Jett Luchanko, the Flyers’ first-round pick in 2024, had two assists in his professional playoff debut.
Gahagen, a sixth-year pro, was sharp in his Calder Cup Playoffs debut, shutting out the Penguins for more than 55 minutes before Avery Hayes and Gabe Klassen scored late. Gahagen was 12-4-3 with a 2.39 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage in 22 appearances for the Phantoms during the regular season.
Joel Blomqvist allowed three goals on 26 shots over the first two periods; Taylor Gauthier stopped five of seven shots in the third.
(Lehigh Valley leads series, 1-0)
Game 1 – Wed., Apr. 23 – Lehigh Valley 5, W-B/SCRANTON 2
Game 2 – Fri., Apr. 25 – W-B/Scranton at Lehigh Valley, 7:05
*Game 3 – Sun., Apr. 27 – Lehigh Valley at W-B/Scranton, 6:05
*if necessary… All times Eastern
