Phantoms update: Oscar Lindblom gets on the board with a big week
10/25 – 3-2 OT WIN
10/27 – 5-2 WIN (Highlights)
10/28 – 5-4 LOSS (Highlights)
Despite Saturday’s loss, the Phantoms have been one of the AHL’s best teams in the early season. They have a 7-2-1 record and 15 points, which are both tops in the league. More surprisingly, they are doing this all at even-strength. Their previously-dangerous power play is at a paltry 11.8%, worst in the division. On top of that, their PK% is also no better at 75.6%, the lowest mark in the division. If the Phantoms can reverse these trends, look out!
Philippe Myers (D): 2 GP, 1 goal, 1 assist, 2 shots
Undrafted Free Agent
Whatever ailed the exciting defensive prospect last week subsided and he was able to return to the ice this weekend. Both Myers’ goal and assist were his 2nd of the season, giving him 4 points in 8 games this season.
Mark Friedman (D): 3 GP, 7 shots
2014 3rd Round Pick, 86th overall
After collecting his first two points (a pair of assists) of the season last weekend, Friedman came up empty this week.
Samuel Morin (D): 3 GP, 1 shot, 7 PIM
2013 1st Round Pick, 11th overall
It lasted only eight AHL games, but Samuel Morin got the call back up to the AHL on Sunday with the injury to Shayne Gostisbehere. That obviously wasn’t the ideal situation for that to happen of course.
Mike Vecchione (C): 3 GP, 1 goal, 2 assists, 10 shots, 2 PIM
Undrafted Free Agent
Vecchione keeps rolling and has been a point-per-game AHL player this season with 10 points (2 G, 8 A) in his first 10 games.
Nicolas Aubé-Kubel (RW): 3 GP, 1 assist, 4 shots, 2 PIM
2014 2nd Round Pick, 48th overall
Aubé-Kubel gets his 6th point (3 G, 3 A) this weekend, surprisingly not factoring into much of the scoring.
Danick Martel (RW): 3 GP, 3 goals, 13 shots
Undrafted Free Agent
Martel is just going to keep shooting the puck, huh? Well, it’s working for him. Martel is the AHL-leading goal-scorer this season with 10 finding the back of the net. The next closest player has 7. He good.
Oskar Lindblom (LW): 3 GP, 2 goals, 3 assists, 11 shots, 2 PIM
2014 5th Round Pick, 138th overall
It’s Happening.gif! Lindblom, making up for lost time after not scoring any points in his first 6 games, has 6 points in his last 4. Here’s a look at his first goal of the season.
Mikhail Vorobyov (C): 3 GP, 2 assists, 3 shots
2015 4th Round Pick, 104th overall
Vorobyov loves those helpers, assisting on 5 goal in his first 10 games this season. He’s been developing some chemistry with Colin McDonald of late.
Alex Lyon (G): 2 GP, 7 GA, 51 saves
Undrafted Free Agent
It’s been an up and down season for Lyon thus far. Sadly, those downs have absolutely plummeted his season SV% all the way down to .907 in 8 starts this season.
Notable Canadian junior performers this week:
Connor Bunnaman (C/LW), Kitchener Rangers (OHL)
2016 4th Round Pick, 109th overall
The Bun-man put up his 6th goal of the season, with all 6 of them coming in his last 7 games. The power forward has 10 points (6 G, 4 A) in 13 games.
Anthony Salinitri (C), Sarnia Sting (OHL)
2016 6th Round Pick, 172nd overall
After a ridiculous start to the season, Salinitri has just 1 point in his last 5 contests. However, he still 14 points (4 G, 10 A) in 15 games this season.
Morgan Frost (C), Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL)
2017 1st Round Pick, 27th overall
Eeli Tolvanen who!?!?! Okay, well maybe we won’t go that far, but Frost is doing quite well regardless. He has 18 points (7 G, 11 A) in 15 games (that’s good for 13th most in the OHL!).
Isaac Ratcliffe (LW), Guelph Storm (OHL)
2017 2nd Round Pick, 35th overall
The hulking winger is now averaging 4.27 shots a game. He may only have 5 goals in 15 games, but if he continues this rate those counting goal totals should also go up as well.
Maksim Sushko (RW), Owen Sound Attack (OHL)
2017 4th Round Pick, 107th overall
Flyers now have a point-per-game player (14 in 12 games) that they were able to get in the 4th round? These developments with Sushko this season have been extremely encouraging (9 goals in 12 games). One thing to keep an eye on is Sushko’s ridiculous SH%, which sits at 31% (lol).
Matthew Strome (LW), Hamilton Bulldogs (OHL)
2017 4th Round Pick, 106th overall
- 10/26 – 1 shot, 2 PIM, 0 for 1 FOW
- 10/28 – 0 shots, 1 for 1 FOW
- 10/29 – 1 goal, 4 shots, 0 for 2 FOW/
Strome has now scattered 5 goals across his first 12 games and reports haven’t exactly been glowing. He will need to begin to pick things up.
Carsen Twarynski (LW), Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
2016 3rd Round Pick, 82nd overall
On one hand you have to be excited for Twarynski’s start to the season (9 G, 6 A in 11 GP), but then you need to keep in mind this is his 4th year in the WHL and should be putting up these numbers. Regardless, he needs to do well this year to get an entry-level contract.
Pascal Laberge (C), Victoriaville Tigres (QMJHL)
2016 2nd Round Pick, 36th overall
A slow week put Laberge at 11 points (4 G, 7 A) in 13 games.
German Rubtsov (C), Chicoutimi Saguenéens (QMJHL)
2016 1st Round Pick, 22nd overall
A two goal game for Rubtsov! You can check them out here and here. Rubtsov’s season totals now at 11 points (3 G, 8 A) in 11 games.
CHL Notes: Carter Hart (G) and fans received the news that he has been diagnosed with mono. The Everett Silvertips (WHL) will be without the top goalie prospect for the foreseeable future.
Notable European performers this week
Linus Högberg (D), Växjö Lakers HC (SHL)
2016 5th Round Pick, 139th overall
You can see Högberg’s beauty of an assist here, his second point of the season. He appears to be getting 2nd pairing minutes in his last two games!
David Bernhardt (D), Djurgårdens IF (SHL)
2016 7th Round Pick, 199th overall
Shots on goal are nice! Still no points though for Bernhardt in 13 games.
David Kaše (C/W), Mora IK (SHL)
2015 5th Round Pick, 128th overall
Despite only having 8 points in 14 games, that still puts Kaše in the top 50 in SHL scoring. ¯_(ツ)_/¯
Felix Sandström (G), Brynäs IF (SHL)
2015 3rd Round Pick, 70th overall
So it wasn’t a great week for Sandström. He sat out on 10/24 to only see David Rautio post a shutout, got chased out of the game on Thursday and then didn’t dress on Saturday because of an injury.
Olle Lycksell (RW/C), Linköping HC J20 (SuperElit)
2017 6th Round Pick, 168th overall
Another solid week for Lycksell who upped his season totals to 13 points (6 G, 7 A) in 17 games.
Ivan Fedotov (G), Toros Neftekamsk (VHL)
2015 7th Round Pick, 188th overall
Possible injury situation for Fedotov as he didn’t play this week.
Kirill Ustimenko (G), MHK Dynamo St. Petersburg (MHL)
2017 3rd Round Pick, 80th overall
Saying things are going well for Ustimenko might be an understatement at this point. The 18 year old has a .928 SV% and 1.49 GAA in 18 games.
Notable NCAA and USHL performers this week:
Tanner Laczynski (RW/C), Ohio State University
2016 6th Round Pick, 169th overall
This is the Laczynski we knew during the 2016-17 season. He has quickly climbed up as the leading scorer (3 G, 6 A) for OSU.
Cooper Marody (C), University of Michigan
2015 6th Round Pick, 158th overall
After only getting 1 point in his first 4 games, Marody has made up for lost time getting 6 this weekend against Penn State. Here is his goal from Friday.
Brendan Warren (LW), University of Michigan
2015 3rd Round Pick, 81st overall
Warren’s tally on Saturday was his 2nd goal (and point) of the season.
David Drake (D), University of Connecticut
2013 7th Round Pick, 192nd overall
It was an ugly weekend for UCONN as they got clobbered in back to back 3-0 and 7-1 losses.
Wyatt Kalynuk (D), University of Wisconsin
2017 7th Round Pick, 196th overall
Point streak for Kalynuk! The freshman has quickly collected 5 assists in his last 3 games, making him the 2nd-highest scoring defenseman on the team.
Terrance Amorosa (D), Clarkson University
2013 5th Round Pick, 132nd overall
- 10/27 – 4 shots
- 10/28 – no shots/
Amorosa was shut out this weekend and sits at 7 points (2 G, 5 A) in 8 games.
Noah Cates (LW), Omaha Lancers (USHL)
2017 5th Round Pick, 137th overall
- 10/27 – no shots/
Cates has been held pointless in his last 6 games.
Matej Tomek (G), Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL)
2015 3rd Round Pick, 90th overall
- 10/27 – 3 GA, 25 saves
- 10/29 – 4 GA, 24 saves/
Tomek was not at his sharpest this weekend after a strong first couple starts to the season. In 4 games he holds a .901 SV% and 2.56 GAA in 4 games.
NCAA Notes: Wade Allison and Western Michigan University had the weekend off and were not in action.
