Phantoms update:
2/13 – 5-0 WIN
2/16 – 8-2 WIN
2/17 – 3-2 SO LOSS
2/18 – 4-1 WIN
Philippe Myers (D): 4 GP, 1 assist, 7 shots, 10 PIM
Undrafted Free Agent
I would have expected a larger point output with a 3-win week for the Phantoms. Myers took 3 minor penalties in Saturday’s game that eventually led to Hartford’s comeback win. With 40 PIM in 36 games, Myers will have to further work on being more disciplined on the ice. He has 13 points (3 G, 10 A) in his rookie season.
Travis Sanheim (D): 4 GP, 5 assists, 5 shots, 4 PIM
2014 1st Round Pick, 17th overall
Sanheim is up to 13 points (1 G, 12 A) in 12 AHL games and has a 11 +/- if you truly believe that stat holds any kind of weight as a defensive metric. I really hope this is a short stay for Travis and he’s back in the NHL before season’s end. He’s too good for the AHL.
Mark Friedman (D): 4 GP, 1 goal, 4 shots, 2 PIM
2014 3rd Round Pick, 86th overall
Friedman breaks out of an 18-game pointless skid with his first goal of the season. It only took 44 games for him to do so.
Danick Martel (RW): 2 GP, 2 goals, 4 shots, 2 PIM
Undrafted Free Agent
Martel is back after being out of the lineup with a broken jaw. He potted two goals in Friday’s game, numbers 18 and 19 on the season. He last scored a goal on December 17th. He’s second on the team in goals behind Greg Carey’s 21, though Martel has played 14 less games.
Mike Vecchione (C): 4 GP, 2 goals, 1 assist, 8 shots, 2 PIM
Undrafted Free Agent
Vecchione breaks a 5-game pointless drought himself with a two-point night on Tuesday. The rookie is up to 31 points (13 G, 18 A) in 48 games.
Nicolas Aubé-Kubel (RW): 4 GP, 1 goal, 4 assists, 4 shots, 2 PIM
2014 2nd Round Pick, 48th overall
Update: NAK is still good. In his last 12 games he has 13 points. Overall on the season he has 37 (15 G, 22 A) in 54 GP. It would be more enjoyable to watch him than 3 other forwards currently playing with the Flyers.
Oskar Lindblom (LW): 3 GP, 3 goals, 11 shots
2014 5th Round Pick, 138th overall
His new official title is now Former Phantom Oskar Lindblom as he was called up to the Flyers yesterday. His state-side and rookie debut with the Phantoms was fruitful, settling at 34 points (16 G, 18 A) in 54 games. I hope I don’t have to update those totals before the season comes to a close.
Mikhail Vorobyev (C): 4 GP, 1 assist, 3 shots, 4 PIM
2015 4th Round Pick, 104th overall
Vorobyev gets his 11th assist, giving him 16 points on the season.
Cole Bardreau (C): 4 GP, 3 assists, 7 shots, 12 PIM
Undrafted Free Agent
Perhaps he’s The Grit the Flyers will need at some point in the future. Bardreau is asserting himself as a solid AHLer this season. He has 17 points (4 G, 13 A) in an injury riddled 23 game campaign.
Phantoms Notes: Samuel Morin (D) remains out with an injury.
Notable Canadian junior performers this week:
Connor Bunnaman (C/LW), Kitchener Rangers (OHL)
2016 4th Round Pick, 109th overall
Bunnaman’s disappointing 17/18 season continues as whiffs on this past week. He has 41 points (21 G, 20 A) in 54 games after scoring 37 goals in 64 last season.
Anthony Salinitri (LW/C), Sarnia Sting (OHL)
2016 6th Round Pick, 172nd overall
At 25 goals now, he is 3 away from tying his career-high. He has roughly 12 game left to do so.
Morgan Frost (C), Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL)
2017 1st Round Pick, 27th overall
- 2/14 – 1 goal, 1 assist, 2 shots, 9 for 20 FOW
- 2/16 – 2 goals, 1 assist, 4 shots, 2 PIM, 6 for 18 FOW
- 2/17 – 1 assist, 2 shots, 19 for 27 FOW/
You can bask in highlights here. Frost’s 94 points (35 G, 59 A) in 56 games are 2nd most in the OHL. He is 1 point behind the league-lead (Aaron Luchuk) with a game in hand. However, his 75 primary points are 5 better than Luchuk.
Isaac Ratcliffe (LW), Guelph Storm (OHL)
2017 2nd Round Pick, 35th overall
His multi-assist game on Saturday was his first since back on 12/8. Ratcliffe is also two points away from his career-high from last season (54). He already set his career-high in goals with 31 of them so far this season.
Matthew Strome (LW), Hamilton Bulldogs (OHL)
2017 4th Round Pick, 106th overall
Strome and Co. were blown out by Frost’s Greyhounds on Friday, but Strome rebounded nicely with his 6th three-point game of the season. The youngest Strome brother has 59 points (31 G, 28 A) in 54 games.
Maksim Sushko (RW), Owen Sound Attack (OHL)
2017 4th Round Pick, 107th overall
Sushko has become a point-per-game player in his 2nd OHL season as a 19 year old. The Belarusian has 48 points (27 G, 21 A) in 47 games. His goal from Saturday.
Carsen Twarynski (LW), Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
2016 3rd Round Pick, 82nd overall
- 2/12 – 1 goal, 2 shots
- 2/14 – 4 shots, 1 for 1 FOW
- 2/16 – 2 shots, 2 for 6 FOW
- 2/17 – 1 shot, 4 PIM/
An unusually quiet week for the 4th year WHLer who only has 1 point in his last 6 games. Overall on the season Twarynski has 58 points (35 G, 23 A) in 56 games.
Carter Hart (G), Everett Silvertips (WHL)
2016 2nd Round Pick, 48th overall
Hart still holding a sterling SV% (.950) despite the subpar performance (to his standards anyway) on Friday.
Pascal Laberge (C), Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)
2016 2nd Round Pick, 36th overall
- 2/13 – 5 shots, 4 PIM, 4 for 5 FOW
- 2/16 – 3 shots, 1 for 3 FOW
- 2/18 – 1 goal, 1 shot, 4 PIM, 0 for 3 FOW/
Laberge’s goal on Sunday was his 13th of the season and 1st since December 3rd. He has just 34 points in 54 games.
German Rubtsov (C), Acadie-Bathurst Titan (QMJHL)
2016 1st Round Pick, 22nd overall
The good news is Rubtsov was back in the lineup after missing the last 5 games. The bad news is he didn’t have a major offensive impact on the ice, which has been a concern for him all season. He has 35 points (12 G, 23 A) in 38 games.
Notable European performers this week
Ivan Fedotov (G), Toros Neftekamsk (VHL)
2015 7th Round Pick, 188th overall
Is that now 10 games in which Fedotov has dressed for, but has not played? That does not seem to bode well for the Russian.
Kirill Ustimenko (G), MHK Dynamo St. Petersburg (MHL)
2017 3rd Round Pick, 80th overall
While one Russian goaltender fumbles, one continues to rise. Ustimenko has been very good all season, compiling a .928 SV% in an astounding 48 games this season.
Euro Notes: Linus Högberg, David Bernhardt, David Kaše, Olle Lycksell and Felix Sandström were all out of action as the SHL was in-active this past week due to the Olympics. They’ll start back up on Saturday.
Notable NCAA and USHL performers this week:
Tanner Laczynski (C), Ohio State University
2016 6th Round Pick, 169th overall
As OSU as a team has struggled recently, so has Laczynski (probably not a coincidence). He has been held pointless in his last 5 games and falls further back in the NCAA scoring race. He’s in 12th with 37 points (12 G, 25 A) in 32 games.
Cooper Marody (C), University of Michigan
2015 6th Round Pick, 158th overall
A solid weekend for Marody who has started picking up the point-pace after a minor lull. He’s notched 5 points in his last 3 games and overall has 37 points (11 G, 26 A) in 32 games.
Brendan Warren (LW), University of Michigan
2015 3rd Round Pick, 81st overall
Warren has no points in his last 8 games.
Terrance Amorosa (D), Clarkson University
2013 5th Round Pick, 132nd overall
Quiet week for Amorosa who sits at 22 points (6 G, 16 A) in 32 games.
Noah Cates (LW), Omaha Lancers (USHL)
2017 5th Round Pick, 137th overall
Two more assists gives Cates 32 points (12 G, 20 A) in 42 games. Cates has had a very strong 2nd half of the season.
Matej Tomek (G), Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL)
2015 3rd Round Pick, 90th overall
- 2/17 – 5 GA, 27 saves/
This was Tomek’s second game this season in which he had given up 5 goals in a game, though recently he hadn’t looked like that goalie from earlier. Tomek has a .906 SV% in 21 games. This season hasn’t been the greatest showcase as he eyes the jump back to college next season.
NCAA Notes: Wyatt Kalynuk and University of Wisconsin didn’t have any games this weekend. Wade Allison is out for the season with a lower-body injury.
