Phantoms making late playoff run; key game Wed. vs. WBS Penguins

The Philadelphia Flyers’ top farm team is making a late run to qualify for the AHL playoffs,

Thanks to three straight wins last weekend, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (25-27-11) moved to within seven points of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for the Atlantic Division’s final playoff spot.

The Phantoms, coached by Ian Laperriere, have 13 regular-season games remaining. They have two games in hand on the Penguins, and the arch-rivals have two head-to-head matchups left.

Last Friday, the Phantoms rallied past Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 4-2, as Tanner Laczynski tied the game at 2-2 on a second-period breakaway, and Wade Allison scored what turned out to be the winning goal early in the third period.

Felix Sandstrom made 29 saves.

Garrett Wilson scored a pair of goals Saturday to spark a 3-2 win over Utica, and Isaac Ratcliffe had his first two-goal game as a pro Sunday, leading a 4-3 victory over Bridgeport.

Allison, 24, suffered an unspecified injury in the first period of Sunday’s game and didn’t return. According to Flyers assistant GM Brent Flahr, Allison is day-to-day and there’s a chance he will play Wednesday in a key game at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

The Phantoms could use the 6-foot-2, 205-pound right winger. He has eight goals in 16 AHL games this season.

The Phantoms are 5-4-1 against the Penguins this season.

Breakaways

Unlike the Philadelphia Flyers, the Phantoms’ power play has been clicking lately, going 8 for 27 (29.6%) in their last seven games. … Cal O’Reilly and Hayden Hodgson (now with the Flyers) lead the Phantoms with 18 goals apiece. O’Reilly, 35, has a team-high 44 points. … After facing the Penguins on Wednesday, the Phantoms host Hershey on Friday, and have road games Sunday (Bridgeport) and Monday (Providence).