This week's Future Flyers Report details six prospects heading to their respective Canadian Hockey League playoff tournaments, as regular-season play wrapped up this weekend. The Lehigh Valley Phantoms also faced a tough weekend, scoring a total of three goals in a three-game span, while the Reading Royals clinched a playoff berth.
Juniors:
Samuel Morin, Nicolas Aubé-Kubel and Danick Martel are all set to compete for the QMJHL's President's Cup (or, formally, la Coupe du Président), as regular-season play wrapped up this weekend. Morin's first-place Rimouski Océanic will take on Victoriaville, Aubé-Kubel's Val-d'or Foreurs will face Rouyn-Noranda and Martel's Blainville-Boisbriand Armada will take Claude Giroux's former Gatineau club. Playoff pucks are set to drop on Thursday.
Morin finishes the season with five goals and a career-high 32 points, while Martel finishes with 48 goals and 102 points — good for second in the league, and one of four players to crack the 100-point mark. Aubé-Kubel finishes with career highs in every significant statistical category, and his 80 points match the production from his past two seasons combined.
On the other side of Canada, Travis Sanheim, Radel Fazleev and Tyrell Goulbourne are set to compete in the WHL playoffs, which begin Thursday as well. Sanheim and Fazleev's Calgary Hitmen will face Kootenay, while Goulbourne's Western Conference-leading Kelowna Rockets will take Tri-City.
Goulbourne finishes with career-highs in goals, assists and points (22, 23 and 45, respectively), while Fazleev's breakout season ends with 18 goals and 51 points. Sanheim's second season in Calgary ended with 15 goals and 65 points, along with a plus-27 rating.
American League:
The Lehigh Valley Phantoms were winless in three games this weekend, falling 3-2 to Hartford on Friday, 6-1 to Worcester on Saturday and 3-0 to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Sunday.
Newcomer Cole Bardreau scored his first his first goal as a Phantom on Friday, while Blair Jones scored as well. Jones also took a penalty for a check to an opponent's head on Friday, which led to a suspension for Sunday's game. Former Phantom Yann Danis earned the win with 27 saves on 29 shots, while Rob Zepp saved 29 of 32 pucks.
Brandon Manning scored the Phantoms' lone goal in the loss to the Sharks — their final game in Worcester, as the Sharks are set to relocate to California next season. Anthony Stolarz was on the hook for all six goals, and made 24 saves.
Zepp returned to the crease on Sunday, making 16 saves on 18 shots. The Phantoms were able to drive puck possession — reflected in the 32-19 shot differential — but faced a streaking goalie in Matt Murray.
With a 29-27-6-1 record and 65 points, the Phantoms' playoff hopes continue to slide drastically. They sit 10 points away from the eighth playoff seed, but have 13 games remaining in their season.
ECHL:
The Reading Royals beat Brampton in two games this weekend, winning by a combined score of 14-6. They won 6-3 on Friday, with Bryant Molle, Michael Caruso, David Marshall, Adam Hughesman, Brett Flemming and Kevin Walrod scoring. Martin Ouellette turned away 25 of 28 shots.
Seven different players scored in Sunday's 8-3 rout of the Beast — setting a season-high for goals scored in a game — with Olivier Labelle (twice), Mike Marcou, Marshall, Matt Hatch, Caruso, Brandon Alderson and Walrod each providing the offense. Connor Knapp saved 18 of 21 pucks, as the Royals clinched a Kelly Cup playoff spot for the sixth-consecutive season.
The Royals will next take the ice Wednesday against Florida at Santander Arena, in the 1,00th game in franchise history. With a 41-16-4-2 record and 88 points, the Royals sit in fourth place in the Eastern Conference and second place in the East Division.
Follow Rob Riches on Twitter @Riches61
