LV Phantoms’ Goulbourne making his mark

Tyrell Goulbourne will always have a place in the lore of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

In his first season with the Phantoms, Goulbourne was challenged by former Phantoms tough guy Zack Stortini immediately after the opening faceoff. Perhaps Stortini was looking to make a statement on his return to the Lehigh Valley after being a part of their inaugural team and thought Goulbourne was an easy target. He thought wrong.

Goulbourne simply decked Stortini; no other way to put it. Goulbourne sent a message with that one fight, showing that he wasn’t going to be a guy who would serve as a push-over for opponents. He was tough in his own right, and that’s the type of defenseman that he was going to be.

Filling up the net isn’t where Goulbourne is going to earn his keep in the Flyers organization or anywhere else, but when he’s got a shot his skills are good enough that he should take advantage of the opportunity. Somewhere along the line, Goulbourne got away from playing his game and tried to emphasize scoring first in his game, a tactic that generally isn’t going to be productive for him. The change in his approach saw the 23-year old get off track last season and he wound up spending time in the ECHL with the Reading Royals. Eventually, he was back with the Phantoms and had a good finish to the season, but still left coach Scott Gordon somewhat unimpressed with his performance.

“It’s not about getting back to it this year, it’s just about doing it,” said Gordon earlier this season. “His game is about his speed and physical play, getting in on the forecheck, being an effective penalty killer. If he wants to get ice time and he’s not an effective penalty killer, then you’re playing on the fourth line and you’re not going to get a whole lot of ice time five-on-five. It’s just the details of the game. He’s got to be an efficient player.”

Now, Goulbourne is looking to just play the type of game that got him drafted and put in the work that he needs to do to produce for the Phantoms.

“Last year didn’t go the way that I wanted it to go, but I thought I ended the right way and came into camp ready to play,” admitted Goulbourne. “For the most part, since the start of camp, I think that I’ve done my job. Consistency is a big thing for me and I can always be consistent with how I work.

“Honestly, I’m just stressing playing my game and not trying to be anybody else. I need to get back to the basics of skating and hitting, and getting in people’s faces. I’ve got room to improve.”

ALT-SHIFT KEYS ... Mark Alt took a trip down the turnpike to Philadelphia Monday after being recalled by the Flyers. In his fifth professional season, Alt had two goals and four assists in 10 games with the Phantoms this season before being recalled. The 26-year-old played one game with the Flyers back in the 2014-2015 season before his most recent opportunity in the NHL. In all honesty, Alt wasn’t the first choice to replace the injured Shayne Gostisbehere in Philadelphia. Samuel Morin figured to get the call, but he’s nursing a nagging injury, so the Flyers turned to Alt.

START A NEW STREAK ... The Phantoms saw their six-game win streak snapped Saturday night at the PPL Center when Hartford left town with a 5-4 win. Oskar Lindblom, Philippe Myers and Alt all scored their second goals of the season in the game and Mr. October, Danick Martel, netted his league-leading 10th goal in the season’s 10th game.

PHANTOMS AND DEVILS, OH MY! ... The AHL is missing marketing gold by not having the Phantoms and Devils play on Halloween. Instead, the two teams play Saturday in Binghamton. Lehigh Valley hosts the Penguins Friday night and then starts a stretch of eight of their next games on the road, including a six-game trip that lasts for just over two weeks.